Originally known as the JX35, the QX60 went live in 2013 for the 2014 model year. A mid-size crossover twinned with the Pathfinder, the Infiniti-branded sibling has been hit with a recall over IPDM software that incorrectly adjusts the headlights downward. Only vehicles equipped with AFS are recalled.
First and foremost, IPDM stands for Intelligent Power Distribution Module. As for AFS, that means adaptive lighting. Nissan became aware of said issue back in December 2022 due to a complaint alleging the headlamp aim adjusted downward automatically while driving at high speeds. For some reason or another, Nissan started looking into this concern in June 2023 rather than immediately after receiving the aforementioned complaint. It gets worse, though.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker is aware of 14 claims, with the first claim filed on January 10, 2022. Thankfully for everyone, no accidents or injuries have been reported so far. Between June 2023 and July 2023, the company determined that the vehicle tilt offset of the adaptive lighting system was inadvertently misconfigured within the Intelligent Power Distribution Module.
Who is to blame for the iffy software? Nissan couldn't be bothered to name the supplier in the report attached below, which likely means that none other than Nissan developed the software in question. With the headlamps in automatic mode, and if the vehicle speeds past 81 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour), the IPDM switches the headlamp leveling system to highway mode, which – in turn – automatically adjusts the headlamps downward.
Changing from automatic to the on setting returns the headlamp aim to normal. Nissan tested the potential effects of the aforementioned condition between August 2023 and November 2023, determining that said condition increases the risk of a crash due to reduced visibility. Dealers will be informed of Nissan's blunder on December 12, whereas known customers will be notified via mail on January 12.
Photo: Infiniti
The remedy is rather simple: a new configuration for the IPDM that corrects the AFS parameters. According to Nissan, the remedy shouldn't take longer than half an hour to complete. Nissan identified no fewer than 20,051 vehicles with incorrectly configured IPDMs, with said QX60 vehicles produced for the 2022 to 2024 model years between August 12, 2021 and September 20, 2023.
Codenamed L51 as opposed to L50 for the original, the second-gen QX60 was unveiled in June 2021. Manufactured in Tennessee at the Smyrna assembly plant, the front-biased crossover is rocking a 3.5L naturally-aspirated V6 and ZF's 9HP transmission. Based on the Nissan D platform, the QX60 is a three-row crossover boasting two seats for the final row.
Also manufactured in China (where it packs a turbocharged four-cylinder lump), the Pathfinder's more stylish brother carries a starting price of $49,650 at the moment of reporting. By comparison, the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder kicks off at $35,810.
Speaking of which, the Pathfinder is the better pick for the family-oriented customer because it sports room for up to eight occupants. Over at Infiniti, this number of seats is exclusive to the body-on-frame QX80, which is getting a ground-up redesign next year. As part of the redesign, the naturally-aspirated V8 will be replaced by a twin-turbocharged V6.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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