Model year report

2002 Infiniti Qx4: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2002 Infiniti Qx4

On the 2002 Infiniti Qx4, the failure owners report most often is strut, shock or spring failure, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 122,500 miles. Overall it scores 61 out of 100, high risk for a 2002.

High risk for a 2002 — 298th riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. 54 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 25 named failure modes on the 2002 Infiniti Qx4, and the three most-reported carry 26% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Strut, shock or spring failure leads with 6 reports and about 0.1 per 1,000 vehicles.

Other suspension problem follows with 5 reports, median 145,000 miles.

Loss of braking follows with 3 reports, median 55,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into suspension (14), steering (7) and brakes (6).

At what mileage it happens

36 of the reports on the 2002 Infiniti Qx4 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 122,500 miles.

Cumulatively, 11% by 50,000 miles, 33% by 100,000 miles and 83% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.

The busiest stretch is between 120,000 and 130,000 miles, which alone holds 22% of the dated reports.

11% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

Median

Strut, shock or spring failure

124k
Other suspension problem

146k
Loss of braking

56k
Seat belt or retractor failure

30k
Steering column or shaft failure

140k
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure

165k
Rust or structural corrosion
no odometer readings given
—
Other speed control problem

120k
ABS module or sensor failure

89k
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure
no odometer readings given
—
Catalytic converter failure

12k
Other engine problem

122k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 25. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 121.5k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 7 mention a crash and 5 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.09, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: strut, shock or spring failure at $500–$2,000, other suspension problem at $350–$2,000, loss of braking at $400–$3,000 and seat belt or retractor failure at $200–$900. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

7% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	6	3	—	124k	—	0.1	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Other suspension problem	suspension	5	3	—	146k	—	0.1	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	3	3	—	56k	—	0.1	$400–$3,000	Critical
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	3	1	—	30k	—	0.1	$200–$900	High
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	3	3	—	140k	—	0.1	$600–$2,500	Critical
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	3	3	—	165k	—	0.1	$400–$2,200	High
Rust or structural corrosion	body	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$500–$6,000	High
Other speed control problem	adas	3	3	—	120k	—	0.1	$250–$2,000	Critical
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	2	2	—	89k	—	0.0	$500–$2,400	High
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$700–$2,600	High
Catalytic converter failure	emissions	2	2	—	12k	—	0.0	$900–$3,500	Moderate
Other engine problem	engine	2	2	—	122k	—	0.0	$300–$4,000	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	2	1	—	125k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other steering problem	steering	2	2	—	117k	—	0.0	$350–$2,400	High
Complete transmission failure	transmission	1	1	—	5k	—	0.0	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	1	1	—	100k	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	1	1	—	127k	—	0.0	$700–$3,000	High
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	1	1	—	137k	—	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$100–$900	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	1	1	—	120k	—	0.0	$400–$4,500	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	1	1	—	195k	—	0.0	$300–$2,200	High
Other brake problem	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$300–$1,800	High
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	1	1	—	111k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Other body or interior problem	body	1	1	—	146k	—	0.0	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2002 Infiniti Qx4 draws about 1.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of complaint rates among 2002 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 49,571 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2002 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Strut, shock or spring failure

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 infiniti qx4. While the vehicle was with an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the mechanic noticed that the driver's side strut housing was rusted and cracked. The independent mechanic alerted her of a recall for the strut housing and the manufacturer was contacted. The manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 11v244000 (steering, suspension) at fields infiniti glencoe (2100 frontage rd, glencoe, il 60022 (847) 998-5200). The dealer stated that a plate was installed on the strut housing. The contact took the vehicle to another independent mechanic who stated that it looked like no repairs were completed. The contact stated that both independent mechanics informed her that a plate needed to be installed in the strut housing, but the vehicle was not repaired. Upon purchasing the vehicle, the carfax report failed to identify the repair or failure to the strut housing. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

124,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1424481 filed 2017-11-13

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 infiniti qx4. While the vehicle was with an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the mechanic noticed that the driver's side strut housing was rusted and cracked. The independent mechanic alerted her of a recall for the strut housing and the manufacturer was contacted. The manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 11v244000 (steering, suspension) at fields infiniti glencoe (2100 frontage rd, glencoe, il 60022 (847) 998-5200). The dealer stated that a plate was installed on the strut housing. The contact took the vehicle to another independent mechanic who stated that it looked like no repairs were completed. The contact stated that both independent mechanics informed her that a plate needed to be installed in the strut housing, but the vehicle was not repaired. Upon purchasing the vehicle, the carfax report failed to identify the repair or failure to the strut housing. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

124,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1424482 filed 2017-11-13

Loss of braking

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling into a garage at 5-10 MPH, the vehicle accelerated resulting in the vehicle crashing through the contact's house. During the incident the contact had brake failure and the air bags failed to deploy. There was frontal damage to the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership. The vehicle was towed to a body shop for the necessary body repairs.

56,000 miles NHTSA complaint 582165 filed 2006-05-16

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling into a garage at 5-10 MPH, the vehicle accelerated resulting in the vehicle crashing through the contact's house. During the incident the contact had brake failure and the air bags failed to deploy. There was frontal damage to the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership. The vehicle was towed to a body shop for the necessary body repairs.

56,000 miles NHTSA complaint 582166 filed 2006-05-16

Recalls on the 2002 model year

NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Infiniti Qx4, affecting an estimated 68,295 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module, air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module and air bags. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.

22E066000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

375 vehicles 2022-08-09

Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M35 and M45; Nissan 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, and both driver and passenger-side inflators designed to fit 2007-2012 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback vehicles. Please see Nissan's recall report for the specific part numbers. These replacement inflators may explode due to propellant…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the inflators as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 14, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

20V008000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

307,962 vehicles 2020-01-09

Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 or Infiniti customer service at 888-810-3715.

17V068000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

46 vehicles 2017-02-02

Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002 Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with Takata air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March, 31, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

15V287000

AIR BAGS

1,090,569 vehicles 2015-05-15

Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18, 2015 Nissan informed NHTSA of an amendment of this recall to remove 2004-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles.

11V244000

STEERING:COLUMN

195,991 vehicles 2011-04-20

Defect: Nissan is recalling certain model year 1996-2004 pathfinder and model year 1997-2003 infiniti qx4 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin. In areas of the country in which heavy concentrations of road salt are used, a mixture of snow/water and salt may enter an assembly location hole in the upper strut housing, causing water…
Consequence: The strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. This may lead to grinding noises, increased steering effort, and possibly the steering column to break, resulting in the loss of steering control, which could result in a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification letter was sent out in may 2011. The second notice was mailed on july 25, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

10V312000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

46 vehicles 2010-07-06

Defect: Nissan is recalling forty-six certain model year 2002 pathfinder and infiniti qx4 vehicles manufactured from august 24, 2001 through august 28, 2001. The air bag inflator contains propellant wafers that are required to properly deploy the front passenger air bag. Due to improper propellant wafer installation during the air bag inflator assembly process, some air bag inflators may be missing one of the wafers. As a result, the remaining wafers in the inflator used for the deployment of the front passenger air bag may, over time, break up into powder due to normal vibration…
Consequence: The inflator housing may rupture and pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Nissan will notify the owners of the forty-six affected vehicles. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module assembly with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began on august 19, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 and infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2002 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2002 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Better and worse years of the same car

High risk for a 2002 — 298th riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 7 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2000 comes out best at 52 and 1997 worst at 61, with 2002 itself at 61.

If the model year is negotiable, 2000, 2003, 1999 and 2001 score lower than 2002 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 1997–2004 generation specifically, 2000 is the strongest year at 52 and 1997 the weakest at 61.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 1997-2004 generation, 2000 Infiniti Qx4 scores best at 52 and 1997 Infiniti Qx4 worst at 61.

What this page cannot tell you

54 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 54 reports, 36 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 67% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Infiniti Qx4?

The most-reported failures are strut, shock or spring failure (6 reports, median 125,000 miles), other suspension problem (5 reports, median 145,000 miles) and loss of braking (3 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

Is the 2002 Infiniti Qx4 reliable?

It scores 61 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 298th riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2002 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Infiniti Qx4 is best?

Within the 1997–2004 generation, 2000 scores best at 52 out of 100 and 1997 worst at 61. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed