Hey everyone - first post here in the forum but long time lurker. I used to be pretty active on the 6mt board back in the day when I had an 07 G35 Coupe 6mt (so I'm pretty familiar with the G series). This post is more of an FYI and to provide information for others that may be experiencing the same issue.
Background: I leased a 2015 Q50 Premium in March 2016. I was looking to purchase a lightly used G37 Sedan but the deals on the Q50 were too good to pass up. In June I started having an intermittent issue with the top screen going black when put into reverse. I power cycled the car and checked my settings but nothing got it to turn back on. I came back a couple hours later and everything was operating normally. Then it happened again about two weeks later. Took her to the dealership (yes, I said "her") but they couldn't replicate it. Evidently, it was a known problem with the DCU so they submitted a repair order to have it replaced. Part was on backorder but was received in about a week.
Fast forward to September...sure enough, the problem happened again. I returned to the dealership and we go through the same steps. They can't duplicate the issue but submit another repair order to Infiniti. This time, Infiniti denies the request and says they will not proceed with any repairs. So...
1) This is not an isolated incident (a quick search on the internet shows this is a documented problem)
2) The service manager at the dealership acknowledged having seen this issue on other vehicles, usually from model year 2014
3) Their original repair of replacing the DCU did not fix the issue
4) They told me to not have anything plugged into the USB ports or have my phone connected via bluetooth
I proceeded to call Infiniti Consumer Affairs to file a complaint. I won't get into the details of this, but let's just say their customer service is severely lacking (no answered/returned phone calls for WEEKS). Since I felt as if my issue was being ignored, I filed a complaint with the BBB. Miraculously, I received a phone call from Infiniti 2 days after speaking with the BBB. They scheduled a factory tech to inspect the vehicle and he recommended another replacement of the DCU (which took place in December, three months after my first call to ICA).
Well, here I am in February...the issue has creeped up again and still hasn't been resolved with 2 DCU replacements. I actually drove straight to the dealership this time as the issue was happening so they could see it. They took some pics, wrote up another repair order, and told me to contact ICA. ICA wants to send out a factory tech again (currently waiting on the date/time for the appointment). I'm not quite sure what this is going to accomplish but I'll play the game for a little while longer.
To say that I am frustrated with this company is an understatement. I have been a Nissan/Infiniti fan since before I was legally able to drive, but this experience is making me want to close this chapter and not look back.
Infiniti always says "We can't replicate the issue"
But the other day when it was cold around 29 or so degrees the top screen would basically freeze when the car went into reverse and would stay there for about 7 seconds then go black, then show me the reverse screen. The once out of reverse it would take 7 or so seconds to go back to showing the normal screen.
Sorry that keeps happening. iCA customer service needs a lot of work. That is, I believe, one of the biggest problems with Infiniti. They are too protective of their dealerships and don't focus on the customer enough. Luckily there doesn't seem to to be too many problems where they need to get involved but it can be frustrating when they do.
When they replaced the part, was it a new part number (superseded number)? I would assume so since it's a known problem. Or was it the same part number?
Let me know how this goes. I have this same problem with the backup cam all the time. I have called infiniti told they would get back to me and I never hear from them. Had my system replaced etc.. No plugin for Ipod or bluetooth etc. As you can see in my sign I tell everyone to avoid 2014 until they replace the intouch with better hardware.
I basically gave up. It goes black and people are in the car they make fun of me and my infinti and i just agree with them "yah its a piece of ****". I mean what can you do. tell them its great LOL. Also a number of bugs and problems with the intouch system slow and sometimes the street changing freezes the system. The menu for the top screen always resets it self.
They only deference I can say is "oh for the price and etc".. its better then others cars in its class. But truly why do i need to fight for a company not fighting for us. buy a diff car basically. Going to find it hard to jump back into Infiniti when the time comes.
I am currently dealing with this exact issue. Since last year I have constantly had problems with the NAV screen. From freezes to black screen, to my all time favorite... The Rear View camera staying on while I drive. DCU has been swapped twice! Complete replacements. So finally I started contacting Consumer Affairs. Mind you the lady handling my case is quite nice. Shes been listening so thats helpful. Just last week, she told me take the car in again since it was giving me problems (1 week after the latest DCU replacement). Of course they couldnt "replicate the problem" so I picked it back up 3 days later with no work done. AWESOME!
They tell me it may be my iphone. That its not compatible with the car and that they have a listed of compatible phone. I Look it up, it states Iphone 5 as the latest "compatible" phone. LMAO!! Sooooo... i have a 2015 Q50 and you want me to give up my iphone 7 on a supposed technologically advanced car. I called them on that and they shut up real quick. Cause my cars UP TO DATE.
Fun part: So some all - knowing idiot at the service dept suggested to CA that it may be the Bluetooth.... WWWHHHAATTTT!!! Bluetooth Tech calls me.. Asks me to turn on my car. HELLO! My bluetooth works fine. Shes shocked as to why they bothered to call.
Bluetooth tech asks me my issues. Looks up related problems and finds a TSB. But not for the Q50. Its for a Nissan Murano! So she forwards it to the area Supervisor. Today I get a call from CA... Can you bring the car back in? We have a TSB we wanna fix on the car. MOFO!! I just left this week! So back I go. So for all having the nav screen issues, ask them about the TSB on the Murano. Not sure if it will fix it, but ill update once the work is done.
I am currently dealing with this exact issue. Since last year I have constantly had problems with the NAV screen. From freezes to black screen, to my all time favorite... The Rear View camera staying on while I drive. DCU has been swapped twice! Complete replacements. So finally I started contacting Consumer Affairs. Mind you the lady handling my case is quite nice. Shes been listening so thats helpful. Just last week, she told me take the car in again since it was giving me problems (1 week after the latest DCU replacement). Of course they couldnt "replicate the problem" so I picked it back up 3 days later with no work done. AWESOME!
They tell me it may be my iphone. That its not compatible with the car and that they have a listed of compatible phone. I Look it up, it states Iphone 5 as the latest "compatible" phone. LMAO!! Sooooo... i have a 2015 Q50 and you want me to give up my iphone 7 on a supposed technologically advanced car. I called them on that and they shut up real quick. Cause my cars UP TO DATE.
Fun part: So some all - knowing idiot at the service dept suggested to CA that it may be the Bluetooth.... WWWHHHAATTTT!!! Bluetooth Tech calls me.. Asks me to turn on my car. HELLO! My bluetooth works fine. Shes shocked as to why they bothered to call.
Bluetooth tech asks me my issues. Looks up related problems and finds a TSB. But not for the Q50. Its for a Nissan Murano! So she forwards it to the area Supervisor. Today I get a call from CA... Can you bring the car back in? We have a TSB we wanna fix on the car. MOFO!! I just left this week! So back I go. So for all having the nav screen issues, ask them about the TSB on the Murano. Not sure if it will fix it, but ill update once the work is done.
The answer to your ca issue is because u r in Ca southern none the less.of course u get treated like crap.what did u expect? As for the car issue.ever tried checking the switch that activates the cam in reverse.might be sticking with all the delays on the screen change.i think its a logical approach rather than requesting for another brain box that will break again because no one even tried looking on whats causing the littlle box to quit.oh i forgot.common sense is a rare commodity in socal.my bad.good luck
I really can't wrap my head around the complete disregard for the customer that ICA is showing. I had informed the rep working my case that the factory tech appointment can only be made for Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays but they went ahead and scheduled it for this coming Tuesday the 21st. The ridiculousness just doesn't end with these people. I missed the call (he left a voicemail) so I called back roughly 5 minutes later...and of course no one picked up. The million dollar question is if I will get a call back before the scheduled appointment date. I appreciate the responses and support from you all, and I'm sorry to hear about the rest of you having issues with your vehicles. I'm sure we're just a small percentage of the overall sales but it's stories like ours that will inevitably shape the way people view Infiniti and their care for the customer.
Seymore - I live in southern California so the cold weather really isn't too much of a factor for me, although I too have had the reverse camera on while in drive. Have you contacted ICA? What has been your experience? Did they tell you to just deal with it?
Speedy - I'm not really sure on the part number. I'll have to check the paperwork when I get home later tonight. I would like to believe that Infiniti created a new DCU to replace the old one but who knows.
Element - That's frustrating and embarrassing to have to deal with that, especially in front of others. All you can really do at that point is shrug it off. This right here..."why do i need to fight for a company not fighting for us"...is exactly the way I feel. Every time I talk about Infiniti, I feel the need to add a disclaimer about their customer service. I don't care how good the product is, I can't whole-heartedly throw support behind a company that doesn't care.
Talent - Glad to hear you're having a positive experience with ICA and have a rep willing to help. I can't get mine on the phone to save my life. The compatibility thing makes me chuckle; the tech told me that the bluetooth has zero effect on the way the screen is operating. It almost seems like they have no idea what the problem is and are just throwing things out there to make excuses. Please let me know if that TSB fixes the problem.
Got a call from the dealership today. Apparently the TSB did not apply to my vehicle. Sooo they've had my car for a week now and done literally NOTHING! Oh well they did mention they were continually trying to replicate the problem. Which means they crank my car multiple times a day in an effort to get the screen to blacken out again. I dont like the idea of cranking my car so much. Just feels like it could cause premature death to my starter or even the battery. Either way, if they return the car again with nothing changed Im telling Consumer Affairs I want a buy back.. My car has been in the shop for this problem at least 30 days total now. Ill keep updating on any progress.
Quick update - the meeting with the factory tech was cancelled and they are authorizing a 3rd DCU replacement which will be done this week. So that makes 4 DCU's total. Supposedly this is a brand new unit and not a refurbished one. Not sure if it is a new part number or not, but I'll know by the weekend.
Its cheaper for infiniti to deal with the small amount of owners that make a effect to bring it up. Rather then the cost of a massive recall they would have to do to correct the problem once and for all.
I just got sick of trying. The only way to get infiniti to do anything about i is a massive flux of social media complains. I am down but if I am the only one doing it well. It just wont work.
I noticed your signature says boycott the 2014 q50, and that's basically what I ended up doing. I found incredible deals on 2014 but after snooping around and learning about the troubles, I ended up with a 2015. I am still worried about potential issues with the system. When speaking to one of the sales reps at my Infiniti dealership, he said there are a total of 4 or 5 inTouch builds, I can't remember exactly. The first two came with the 2014 and were very problematic. The next set with the 2015 were a lot better, supposedly. We'll just have to see if he's right..
For what it's worth I posted in another thread on this site the problem I had with my new 2017 Q60...intermittent loss of all audio modes and nav/back up camera glitches. The DCU was replaced two weeks ago and so far everything is working fine. I hope my problem is limited to only ONE DCU replacement!
Update: This problem just does not get better. So after meeting with a NISSAN area specialist, he convinced me to leave my car AGAIN with the dealership, except instead of the local mechanics he would have some engineers take a look at it. I emailed and shared all relevant videos of the issue. He assured me if they couldnt get it done, he would then present some more alternatives. Fast forward 2 weeks til later, and the dealership calls me. Whatever fix they THOUGHT they had, wasn't gonna work. All hardware/software has been updated for my vehicle. So naturally, they invite me to come pick the car up.
For those new to the read, my car has been in and out for DCU issues since last year. This year alone I have had 30+ out of service days. Matter of fact the last 2 car notes Ive paid, I didnt even have possession of the vehicle. Family keeps asking "what car you driving today" . Im swapping these loaners everytime the gas tank goes E. LOL!!!
So yeah today I call the area specialist since I havent heard from him in weeks.He tells me same thing dealership said. And tried to end with.. "If a fix can be found we will call you, but it may just be some glitches in the system you have to leave with". At this point Im pissed! Ive been calm this entire time, but not having my car half the year and to still no fix, What have they been doing?! He vent my frustration at which point he mentions the lemon law and how I can request that from Consumer Affairs (they been MIA for a few weeks too). Says he will call them and suggest reimbursement payments for the out of service time. We shall see......
Once Consumer Affairs does contact me Im gonna be sure to express my frustration and try to get some options. Ive put to much money in the car to simply swap it. So perhaps a large payment and Ill just deal with the glitchese. Ill try and keep you guys updated with the progress in case yall need to do it as well.
I had the same issue a couple of months ago. I sent the link to a post similar to this where a gentleman had his car replaced because of this exact issue! When I encountered this issue I pulled up to the service department 30-45 mins after driving there from school and the DCU was still black. Service tech looked at it, saw it was showing a black screen, turned the car off the back on. I had done this 3 times before arriving to the dealership and just so happens when she does it, the screen decided to work. They decided to take a look at my car and with the help of the post I emailed to her from this forum she just replaced the whole DCU and that has been a fix for me for awhile now.
@D_easy01 - this is a well-known issue with the 14's and some 15's. I understand your frustration very well. I've had the DCU replaced three times and this last one seems to be working well (so far, knock on wood). Have they offered to replaced the DCU again? Take your vehicle back in, have them notate everything on paper, then contact ICA. If you receive any pushback or they say they won't/can't fix it, then tell them you want to initiate a buy back. Worst case scenario, file a claim with the BBB. @Talentx - check the lemon laws in your state and initiate a buy back. Some states award the monthly payments made on the vehicle back to the consumer, so essentially you will get most of the money you paid back at the end of arbitration. The manufacturer can be awarded mileage fees and such, but the consumer can also get registration fees, tow/storage charges, and other incidentals added to the reimbursement.
@D_easy01 - this is a well-known issue with the 14's and some 15's. I understand your frustration very well. I've had the DCU replaced three times and this last one seems to be working well (so far, knock on wood). Have they offered to replaced the DCU again? Take your vehicle back in, have them notate everything on paper, then contact ICA. If you receive any pushback or they say they won't/can't fix it, then tell them you want to initiate a buy back. Worst case scenario, file a claim with the BBB.
Spoke to my rep and we've scheduled an appt. for Tuesday. He stated ever since I brought my vehicle in, its been an epidemic of reverse camera issues there. Funny thing is that if I open my trunk and close it, the camera comes back on. To me it sounds like a shortage somewhere (harness maybe?), but they claim its all been replaced. :|
So today I get a call from Consumer Affairs. Some new woman who Id never spoken to. Apparently the original woman who was helping me is "sick" so she will now be taking over my case. Seems odd but I have the feeling I wont be hearing from my original woman ever again. She was AWESOME! So I had to start from the beginning explaining my issues and frustrations... blah blah blah. So she states that no they dont have a fix at this time. The engineers are supposedly working with the dealership to find a solution. I responded that its been repetitive trips back and forth ( I stay an hour away) and theres been NO work done to the car. Simply sits there till they figure out they cant fix it. DCU has been sweapped twice already as has the rear view camera.
I asked her about reimbursement since my car has been in the shop the last few times I paid my car note. Its odd having people constantly ask me wheres my car as I sport a basic loaner. She says she will contact the dealership manager and get a summary of the out of service time. She will then recommend a pay amount for that timeframe. So what about swapping the vehicle altogether? She states that YES they do have that option. But if I select it she will take the reimbursement offer away. HMMMMMM. She then says that if I would like to pursue that route she will find out the information and see if it applies to my situation. I had an idea! So I asked well what if I had more trouble down the line..... can I file for lemon law then? She responded you can claim it at anytime!
So I went ahead with the reimbursement ( I will claim lemon law later ) She called me back 2 hours later and apparently my car has been out of service 9 WEEKS! Wow... i was shocked!! Since I financed through IFS, they agreed to pay for 3 months. So I should have a check coming for $1600. Once I cash it... Im gonna do the lemon law claim. No more nice guy! If they cant fix the problem, theres no need in playing this back and forth anymore.
@Talentx - That's great news! Congrats - hopefully you can get this resolved quickly. I just had the new DCU go out on me three times in the span of 45 minutes yesterday, so it looks like their "new" DCU still doesn't fix the problem. I just called my representative at ICA (left a voicemail because of course they never answer the phone). Now I play the waiting game...
My 2014 is in the process of having the DCU replaced for the first time. This has been also with constant visits to the dealership and getting a "can't replicate". So in one case when the screens went black I drove straight there so they could see. Finally they agree to replace it.
I have always wondered if we could swap out the DCU and maybe screens with a 2016 or 2017. My thought is that it should all be the same with the exception of the internal hardware of the DCU. I have found a 2016 DCU on eBay for less than 70 bucks. If for some reason my replacement DCU fails again, I may be inclined to purchase a used but newer2016/2017 DCU and see if it works. This would also solve our boot up times since my 2017 Q50s loaner boots up really fast. Reverse guide lines come right up also.
Anyone have any thoughts on this possible solution?
Hey Polo, I recently had the DCU replaced on my 2017 Q60 after only 800 miles, so I am not sure they have really solved this problem yet. (I have previously posted this elsewhere.)
I hope they fix your Q60's Intouch. I would have really thought they would have learned what needs to be done with the problems from the 14 and 15 sweet looking car btw!
@Polo Gonzalez - I would try and stay away from any serious modifications involving something you are having issues with. Stick to you guns and hold Infiniti accountable for finding a solution. One big issue you can run into is future warranty work. Once you start replacing things on your own, you could find yourself on the short end of the stick if Infiniti feels that any future issues were due to your work.
Your correct in your advice. However I'm at 55k miles so my warranty period is about up. I also think that the time spent fighting with Infiniti may not be worth it. Overall I love the car and the intouch system is my only con. That being said I guess it's not all that bad but still would be nice if Infiniti made it right without so much time and effort on our parts.
I would encourage you to contact a lemon law attorney. I used kimmel & Silverman for my brake issue. Infiniti didn't take the car back but I got a good amount of money.
I am also having camera issues. When I put the car in reverse the camera shows the objects on the opposite side than they are actually on. If a fire hydrant is on my left side the camera shows it on the right side. This is the second time this has happened. Anyone else have this problem?
@Darb1022 - I haven't heard of that happening before. Talk about a mind trip! Have you had a chance to talk to the dealership about it? Any progress since you posted?
@Polo Gonzalez - ah, that makes sense now. I didn't realize your bumper to bumper was almost up. Totally understand what you mean about loving the car but not the InTouch system. What did you decide to do?
Another update on my situation:
So I'm very pleased with the way things have been handled over the last few weeks. Nissan NA has definitely made up for the hiccup and frustration I experienced at the beginning of this issue, and I am happy to continue my relationship with them. My 3.7 is being returned to the manufacturer and I am now a proud member of the Q50 RS club. My new baby is a 2017 liquid platinum RS
Get a lemon attorney IMMEDIATELY. I am getting my car bought back primarily for this very reason (plus a lot of other electrical gremlins) after getting a bunch of camera's and VDU's replaced.
This is a known issue on Infiniti's side and they are avoiding the issue for most people. Keep detailed service records and try to pinpoint when this first happened to you and when you first took it in.
Yep, I've already been well taken care of by Nissan NA. Hope the rest of you are able to get your issues resolved. Post some updates in here when you all have time. I'm curious.
Still no fix for me. I requested a buyback... my car does qualify as lemon law due to 60+ in their shop for repairs..... and NISSAN denied me. They did however extend my basic warranty an additional 60k miles. That does nothing to help with my inTouch problems though. So I started looking around for a lemon law lawyer. All ive spoken to have assured me I qualify and that NISSAN denies majority of requests hoping the consumer will drop it. With that knowledge I filed on BBB Autoline. Reason being: With a lemon law attorney, the attorney fees are typically paid for by manufacturer if the case goes to court. HOWEVER, if you get a lawyer and they offer you a settlement..... They can deny attorney fees and they come out of your pocket (they dont tell you that). So im hoping with the BBB escalation that it will make NISSAN offer some form of settlement. With all the evidence I have they'd lose in court. This situation has made me less prone to wanna buy another NISSAN car. Which sucks because the driving function of the car is awesome.
I recommend you give it a shot with a good attorney (unfortunately that can take some time to research if your area is full of attorneys). Yes Nissan does deny the majority of customer requests, it's pretty much procedural bullying and lazy loss mitigation. I was denied myself before I found an attorney.
It's a shame because there are a number of folks who will not be returning customers because of their experiences with Nissan Corporate - I would be in a newer Infiniti (RS400) instead of a Lexus if Nissan's tone wasn't so belligerent in these situations.
The Infiniti dealer networks are great, I had great service and sales experiences at both dealers near me and they're chock full of great, professional, helpful people. It really is a **** shame that they are let down by a North American headquarters that prefers to kick things back under the rug and expects customers to take it.
I've owned BMWs, Audis, and now a Lexus. I will vouch that Infiniti bakes the BEST cookies out of any luxury brand for their service waiting areas and I will miss them.
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