Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

2018 INFINITI QX80 pre-purchase inspection checklist

What to check before you buy, built from NHTSA recall data, owner-reported failures, and mechanic intel. Print it or bring it to your mechanic.

Pre-purchase inspection · 2018 INFINITI QX80
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2018 INFINITI QX80
QX80 / QX80 Limited, 2WD or 4WD (Z62, 2011–2023 — the Luxe / Premium Select / Sensory trim names arrive for 2021)
Low Risk

The QX80 is a Nissan Patrol-based full-size luxury SUV — the same 5.6L VK56 V8 as the Titan and Armada but in a more premium package. Excellent reliability and extremely durable drivetrain. Main checks: the hydraulic body-motion-control and air-suspension hardware, transmission fluid service and records — not the Takata airbag recall, whose QX80 scope ends with the 2014 model year. Great value vs. Lexus LX or Mercedes GLS at similar mileage.

Items to check
9
Open recalls
1
NHTSA complaints
130
Top concern
Air suspension / hydraulic body-motion control

Recall

Open recalls — VIN check (Takata scope ends at 2014)

Monitor
There is exactly one Takata-supplied campaign in this family, from October 2014, and it covers the 2013 QX56 built 1 September 2012 to 26 April 2013 plus the 2014 QX80 built 18 June 2013 to 11 February 2014 — roughly 1,900 vehicles whose driver inflator was assembled with an incorrect internal part. That is a build defect, not the propellant-degradation recall everyone means by "the Takata recall," and a 2018 QX80 is four model years outside it.
Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and require every genuinely open campaign closed before purchase.
Est. cost: Free dealer repair for anything genuinely open Source: INFINITI Takata campaign scope (2013 QX56 / 2014 QX80) / NHTSA

Powertrain

5.6L VK56 V8 — highly reliable

Low Risk
Same engine as Titan. One of the most reliable V8 trucks. No AFM/MDS concerns.
Cold-start check. Smooth idle. Oil level and color.
Est. cost: Routine maintenance Source: Nissan VK56 reliability data

7-speed automatic — solid

Low Risk
Durable transmission. Change fluid every 30k miles.
Test all gears and tow mode. No hesitation.
Est. cost: $150–$200 fluid service Source: Nissan drivetrain standard

Air Suspension (if equipped)

Air ride compressor health

Monitor
Optional air suspension compressors can fail. Overnight level test.
Check all corners are level next morning.
Est. cost: $1,200–$2,500 compressor Source: INFINITI air suspension pattern

Documentation

Service records + recall completion paperwork

Monitor
Records confirm maintenance and completion of whatever campaigns genuinely apply to this VIN. Do not go hunting for Takata paperwork on a 2018 — it does not exist, and a seller who produces some has produced something else.
Request all service records, plus completion documentation for any recall the VIN lookup shows open.
Est. cost: n/a Source: AutoVetting editorial

NHTSA Recalls (verify completion via VIN)

Multiple
Open recalls — VIN check (not a Takata vehicle)
The INFINITI Takata campaign covers the 2013 QX56 and 2014 QX80 only. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and require every genuinely open recall closed before purchase.

What the VIN tells you

Only one engine here, so there is no powertrain fork to decode: every 2018 QX80 is the 5.6L VK56VD DOHC V8 (400hp) paired with a 7-speed automatic — the same bulletproof V8 shared with the Nissan Armada and Titan, with no cylinder deactivation. The VIN engine character is 'A' (VK56VD). What the VIN and trim actually change: 2WD versus Nissan's All-Mode 4WD, and whether the truck carries the Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension and 22-inch wheel package (ProACTIV/Sensory/Autograph) — that hydraulic system and the air-suspension components are the real cost items to inspect. The Takata inflator campaign in this family covers only the 2013 QX56 and the 2014 QX80, so a 2018 sits four model years outside it. Don't confuse this Z62 with the 2025 redesign, which switched to a twin-turbo V6.
After you buy: common DIY repair guides
Planning the upkeep this car will need? Our step-by-step guides cover oil changes, brake pads & rotors, battery replacement, transmission fluid, coolant flushes, and spark plugs — each with the tools, parts, torque specs, and common mistakes that matter. Browse all repair guides →

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