Dealing with a flat tire on a roadside can test anyone's patience, especially if you open your trunk and aren't immediately sure where the manufacturer hid your equipment. Modern luxury crossovers often rearrange traditional cargo compartments to maximize space, leaving drivers searching blindly. If you drive a modern luxury crossover, finding the Infiniti Qx50 spare tire requires knowing exactly where the factory hides the equipment beneath the rear cargo area.
Many recent model years ship from the factory relying on run-flat tires or quick-inflator sealant kits rather than a traditional heavy donut spare. However, if your specific trim includes a compact spare or you've assembled an aftermarket kit for long road trips, accessing it quickly prevents unnecessary delays on a busy shoulder. Let's look at how to locate, access, and deploy your spare equipment safely.
Locating the Spare Tire Compartment
To find your equipment, open the rear tailgate and look directly at the cargo floor. First-generation models (roughly 2014 through 2017) and second-generation models (2019 onward) feature slight layout differences, but the core access point remains centered in the trunk floor.
Remove all cargo items, grocery bags, and heavy gear obstructing the floor mats. Lift up the main hinged cargo floorboard or carpeted lid. Depending on your vehicle specification, you will see one of two setups: a molded foam organizer insert holding a tire sealant compressor kit, or a dedicated circular well holding a compact space-saver spare tire.
If your vehicle came equipped with a factory temporary spare, the tire sits face-down with the wheel hub centering the retaining bolt. Surrounding the tire assembly, you'll typically find dedicated cutouts molded into the foam insert housing your mechanical jack, extension rods, and lug nut wrench.
Accessing and Removing the Spare Tire
Once you expose the cargo well, getting the hardware out requires a few methodical steps to avoid damaging your interior trim panels or losing small components.
- Unscrew the Center Retaining Clamp: Reach into the center hub of the spare tire where a large plastic wing nut or threaded bolt secures the wheel to the floor chassis. Turn this fastener counterclockwise with your hand until it unthreads completely. Lift off the metal or plastic retention bracket.
- Extract the Jack and Tool Kit: Before pulling the heavy wheel out, lift out the toolkit pouch or foam caddy containing your scissor jack and handle. Keeping these tools free gives you unobstructed room to maneuver the tire.
- Lift the Tire Out Vertically: Grip the tire firmly at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Tilt the top edge slightly toward the rear seats and lift the wheel straight up and out of the trunk well. Place it flat on the ground outside the vehicle to keep it from rolling away.
If you are inspecting a pre-owned model and discover only an empty well with a tire inflator bottle, check out Infiniti's official site or consult your local dealer parts department to see if a compatible space-saver kit can be retrofitted for your VIN.
Essential Tools Needed for the Job
You can't swap a wheel using your bare hands. Standard factory toolkits stored alongside the spare include specific pieces engineered for this chassis.
The emergency scissor jack features a notched head designed to fit snugly against the factory pinch weld underneath your side rocker panels. Never use a generic hydraulic bottle jack on unstable asphalt without verifying proper weight ratings and lifting points.
You will also find a multi-piece jack handle that doubles as an extension bar for the lug wrench. When assembling the extension rods, ensure they lock together completely so they don't slip off the jack screw while you're cranking the vehicle upward. Check out safety guidelines provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for safe roadside protocol before jacking up any heavy crossover.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rushing through an emergency tire change increases the risk of damaging your vehicle or causing a dangerous accident. Watch out for these frequent errors:
- Neglecting Parking Brakes: Always engage your electronic parking brake firmly and leave the transmission in Park before touching any wheel bolts.
- Placing the Jack Incorrectly: Positioning a scissor jack under plastic side skirts or floor pans instead of the reinforced steel pinch weld can bend your frame and cause the car to slip.
- Over-Tightening Lug Nuts in a Circle: When putting a wheel back on, always tighten your lug nuts in a crisscross or star pattern rather than a circular motion to ensure even clamping force against the rotor.
- Ignoring Speed Limits on Compact Spares: Temporary space-saver tires are rated for limited speeds—typically under 50 miles per hour—to prevent sudden tread separation during long drives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Infiniti QX50 models come with a spare tire?
No. Many modern luxury trims substitute traditional spare tires with run-flat tires or emergency inflator kits to save cargo weight and boost fuel economy. Always check your specific trunk well to confirm what came with your vehicle.
How far can I drive on an Infiniti compact spare?
Temporary spares are designed strictly for emergency use to get you to the nearest repair shop. You should limit driving distance to under 50 miles and keep your speed low.
Can I install a full-size tire in the trunk well?
Most factory trunk wells on this crossover are molded specifically to fit narrow, space-saver compact wheels. A full-size wheel and tire assembly will typically be too wide or tall to allow the cargo floor lid to close flat.
Which way should the spare tire face if I remount it?
When storing your spare back in the cargo well, the valve stem should point upward or outward depending on the retainer configuration so you can easily check air pressure during routine maintenance checks without pulling the entire wheel out.
