[bdav808]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new to the forum...well I've been a member for several months but have mostly lurking and reading posts for my own knowledge.

I've been dealing with an issue where I have ALOT of vibration when driving at highway speeds for some time now. I believed it to be a tire issue as the vibration would come and go randomly.
As a bit of background - 2017 Q60 Premium (Non-Sport) purchased from a dealership as a gently used Certified Pre-owned vehicle with about 10k miles on it. Car is completely stock and never modded (by me). Clean carfax, no accidents (by me). I've done regular maintenance (some with dealer, some with local shops) and the car currently has about 42k miles on it.

Now to the issue --- I've been experiencing vibration when driving at highway speeds for a while now. The issue started maybe 5 months after I purchased the vehicle. Here is a timeline of events:

Feb 2018 – Purchased
June 2018 – Maintenance Service (oil change, tire rotation)
July 2018 – Began feeling vibrations while driving at highway speeds
Aug 2018 – Returned to Infiniti for wheel and tire inspection, tires balanced
Oct 2018 – Maintenance Service + Returned for additional vibration issues while driving at highway speeds, 2 tires replaced, mounted and balanced
Nov 2018 – Still having vibration issues, had tires inspected at local shop. Found front passenger side tire had bubble in sidewall.
Dec 2018 – One tire Replaced by Discount Tire
Jan 2019 – Still feeling vibration, returned to Infiniti dealership for wheel and tire inspection. Issue related to tires per tech
Jan 2019 – Returned to discount tire for rebalance
Mar 2019 – Oil change + Rotation @ AAA
July 2019 – Discount Tire performs Spin balance (road force balance), checked for bent wheels
05Aug 2019 – Discount Tire tire rotation and Balance
12Aug 2019 – Still feeling vibrations at highway speeds, 3 tires have been replaced at this point. Service Maintenance at Infiniti dealership for 30k miles. Tech asked if vehicle has ever been in a collision. Vehicle shows evidence of front end collision --- overspray on my front bumper (visible when removed), windshield wiper fluid reservoir tank was leaking from a puncture. When the technician tried to replace the reservoir, the driver side fog light fell out of its housing. The tech believed that the fog light had punctured the reservoir tank possibly caused by a front end collision.
Dec 2019 – NTB performs wheel alignment, Vibration lessened for a bit then returned
COVID – didn’t do much driving until the latter part of 2020
Oct 2020 – Run Flats replaced w/ 4 Conti Extreme Contact DWS 06
Feb 2021 – Still feeling vibration after changing all 4 tires to non-run flats. Had car 40k maintenance service at local shop. Tires were balanced and rotated.
APR 2021 – Returned to Infiniti dealership due to issues with vibration after all 4 tires have been replaced. Technician found the left front lower ball joint is loose (front driver side). Control arm will need to be replaced.

All of these issue lead me to believe this vehicle was definitely in a front end collision before I purchased. I searched through my paperwork but Infiniti did not document where they replaced my windshield wiper reservoir or fog light. However, I do have text messages between myself and the SA showing that we discussed the reservoir as well as fog light replacement.

I'm not sure what or if there is any action I can take against the dealership at this point. Luckily, the control arm replacement is covered under warranty. However, I'm very upset that a vehicle like this was allowed to pass inspections, certified, and sold. I've spent alot of time and money trying to resolve this issue when it never should've been mine to solve. If a technician providing routine maintenance can find all of these issues why wasn't it found during the "rigorous" certified pre-owned inspection.

 

[testrage]

Hey @bdav808 , have you tried running a recent Carfax and checking what it says?

Additionally, 10kmiles on a 2017 sold as used in Feb 2018 is a little high in my opinion. I almost wonder if it was a demo car or a car the owner/dealership employees drove around. If the Carfax does show evidence of an accident, I really doubt you'll be able to make any claims given how much time has lapsed but you should discuss with a lawyer if that's an option.

Additionally, have the brake rotors been checked and resurfaced at anytime in the last few years? It might not hurt to change the pads as well if the rotors are warped (warped rotors can cause some vibration).

There's probably a few other things but the last thing I would also check are the wheels. Are they OEM and are they in round (i.e. no dents or flat spots or damage to the wheel)? If they aren't OEM, I'd look into where hubrings were used when the wheels were mounted. Also, consider taking it to a different tire/wheel shop and have them look at and rebalance the tires using a Road Force Balance for high speeds. I prefer local tire shops vs the discount chains for this type of work (I find them more honest and easier to work with tbh)

 

[Mykaveli21]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new to the forum...well I've been a member for several months but have mostly lurking and reading posts for my own knowledge.

I've been dealing with an issue where I have ALOT of vibration when driving at highway speeds for some time now. I believed it to be a tire issue as the vibration would come and go randomly.
As a bit of background - 2017 Q60 Premium (Non-Sport) purchased from a dealership as a gently used Certified Pre-owned vehicle with about 10k miles on it. Car is completely stock and never modded (by me). Clean carfax, no accidents (by me). I've done regular maintenance (some with dealer, some with local shops) and the car currently has about 42k miles on it.

Now to the issue --- I've been experiencing vibration when driving at highway speeds for a while now. The issue started maybe 5 months after I purchased the vehicle. Here is a timeline of events:

Feb 2018 – Purchased
June 2018 – Maintenance Service (oil change, tire rotation)
July 2018 – Began feeling vibrations while driving at highway speeds
Aug 2018 – Returned to Infiniti for wheel and tire inspection, tires balanced
Oct 2018 – Maintenance Service + Returned for additional vibration issues while driving at highway speeds, 2 tires replaced, mounted and balanced
Nov 2018 – Still having vibration issues, had tires inspected at local shop. Found front passenger side tire had bubble in sidewall.
Dec 2018 – One tire Replaced by Discount Tire
Jan 2019 – Still feeling vibration, returned to Infiniti dealership for wheel and tire inspection. Issue related to tires per tech
Jan 2019 – Returned to discount tire for rebalance
Mar 2019 – Oil change + Rotation @ AAA
July 2019 – Discount Tire performs Spin balance (road force balance), checked for bent wheels
05Aug 2019 – Discount Tire tire rotation and Balance
12Aug 2019 – Still feeling vibrations at highway speeds, 3 tires have been replaced at this point. Service Maintenance at Infiniti dealership for 30k miles. Tech asked if vehicle has ever been in a collision. Vehicle shows evidence of front end collision --- overspray on my front bumper (visible when removed), windshield wiper fluid reservoir tank was leaking from a puncture. When the technician tried to replace the reservoir, the driver side fog light fell out of its housing. The tech believed that the fog light had punctured the reservoir tank possibly caused by a front end collision.
Dec 2019 – NTB performs wheel alignment, Vibration lessened for a bit then returned
COVID – didn’t do much driving until the latter part of 2020
Oct 2020 – Run Flats replaced w/ 4 Conti Extreme Contact DWS 06
Feb 2021 – Still feeling vibration after changing all 4 tires to non-run flats. Had car 40k maintenance service at local shop. Tires were balanced and rotated.
APR 2021 – Returned to Infiniti dealership due to issues with vibration after all 4 tires have been replaced. Technician found the left front lower ball joint is loose (front driver side). Control arm will need to be replaced.

All of these issue lead me to believe this vehicle was definitely in a front end collision before I purchased. I searched through my paperwork but Infiniti did not document where they replaced my windshield wiper reservoir or fog light. However, I do have text messages between myself and the SA showing that we discussed the reservoir as well as fog light replacement.

I'm not sure what or if there is any action I can take against the dealership at this point. Luckily, the control arm replacement is covered under warranty. However, I'm very upset that a vehicle like this was allowed to pass inspections, certified, and sold. I've spent alot of time and money trying to resolve this issue when it never should've been mine to solve. If a technician providing routine maintenance can find all of these issues why wasn't it found during the "rigorous" certified pre-owned inspection.

Your car could have frame damage or a slight twist that is within spec but damaged none the less. Heard about this issue from a friend

 

[bdav808]

Hey @bdav808 , have you tried running a recent Carfax and checking what it says?

Additionally, 10kmiles on a 2017 sold as used in Feb 2018 is a little high in my opinion. I almost wonder if it was a demo car or a car the owner/dealership employees drove around. If the Carfax does show evidence of an accident, I really doubt you'll be able to make any claims given how much time has lapsed but you should discuss with a lawyer if that's an option.

Additionally, have the brake rotors been checked and resurfaced at anytime in the last few years? It might not hurt to change the pads as well if the rotors are warped (warped rotors can cause some vibration).

There's probably a few other things but the last thing I would also check are the wheels. Are they OEM and are they in round (i.e. no dents or flat spots or damage to the wheel)? If they aren't OEM, I'd look into where hubrings were used when the wheels were mounted. Also, consider taking it to a different tire/wheel shop and have them look at and rebalance the tires using a Road Force Balance for high speeds. I prefer local tire shops vs the discount chains for this type of work (I find them more honest and easier to work with tbh)

Hi Testrage,

Thanks for the reply and your suggestions.
1. I pulled a recent carfax, it's clean. There is nothing of note as far as damage or collisions are concerned. I figured that would be a longshot especially considering the amount of time that has lapsed.
2. It's possible that could be the case which is why the mileage is higher. It was put in to service in Jan '17 (per the warranty)
3. The wheels are OEM. I've had them checked by two shops, one was a DT and the other a local tire shop, both of which were unable to find any faults with the wheels.
4. The tires have been Road Forced Balanced by the dealership and Discount Tire multiple times. After the Road force, the vibration would subside for a couple of days then return.
5. The rotors are due for a resurface and/or replacement. My next course of action is to replace all 4 rotors (and pads) rather than resurface them. I want to completely eliminate the rotors as a possible source of the vibration.

 

[The Free Association]

Used to have a Chevy with the same problem (rear wheels). Replaced all the same parts you did - visited the dealership several times - Even did the tire change at Discount tire. When the vibrations prevented me from highway driving while across town, I wound up at a different dealership. They looked at it for 5 minutes, then came back to me with "The car has been Wrecked. The right rear wheel impacted with a curb or vehicle and bent the suspension slightly. Over time that has warped the axel." Bought that car with 12 miles on it. I'm the only person that ever drove it after mile 12. Fact: I had never wrecked the car. Since it had less than 5000 miles, the across town dealer replaced the shocks, axel and some other stuff. Car still had vibration issues on the rear right. Took the loss and traded it in a week later. It sucks, but sometimes you have to cash out and start again.

Logically, the only explanation is that the person who drove the car 6 miles for the dealership transfer (package I wanted was at another dealer) Wrecked the car, then the dealer swapped out the wheel, then delivered it to me without disclosure.

TLDR: Don't throw good money after bad.

 

[Omenx]

I say Lite'em Up! Get a hungry young lawyer involved and get your payback. Just my 2 cents.

 

[bdav808]

Your car could have frame damage or a slight twist that is within spec but damaged none the less. Heard about this issue from a friend

I hope that's not the case. i'm hoping that once the control arm is replaced, the vibration will stop.

 

[bdav808]

Used to have a Chevy with the same problem (rear wheels). Replaced all the same parts you did - visited the dealership several times - Even did the tire change at Discount tire. When the vibrations prevented me from highway driving while across town, I wound up at a different dealership. They looked at it for 5 minutes, then came back to me with "The car has been Wrecked. The right rear wheel impacted with a curb or vehicle and bent the suspension slightly. Over time that has warped the axel." Bought that car with 12 miles on it. I'm the only person that ever drove it after mile 12. Fact: I had never wrecked the car. Since it had less than 5000 miles, the across town dealer replaced the shocks, axel and some other stuff. Car still had vibration issues on the rear right. Took the loss and traded it in a week later. It sucks, but sometimes you have to cash out and start again.

Logically, the only explanation is that the person who drove the car 6 miles for the dealership transfer (package I wanted was at another dealer) Wrecked the car, then the dealer swapped out the wheel, then delivered it to me without disclosure.

TLDR: Don't throw good money after bad.

Why didn't you use your state's lemon law to have the dealership buy back the car since it was new?

 

[The Free Association]

Why didn't you use your state's lemon law to have the dealership buy back the car since it was new?

Carmax offered 5K less than what the buyback would have been. I took the hit - thinking the lawyers and red-tape would be more than $5k worth of trouble.

And learned a valuable lesson - NEVER buy a Chevy.