At least two of the items I mentioned are called out in TSBs. A TSB is essentially formal recognition that a statistically significant number of failures have been occurring in a particular segment of vehicles. They can formalize repair procedures for mechanics and provide some definition to specific warranty repair coverages. There's a whole slew of TSBs that apply to our cars. TSBs are typically covered under warranty and are typically not covered once the vehicle is out of warranty. I don't know if I'd label a car a "bad one" because a few TSBs applied to it. I'd probably say someone got pretty lucky if they got a car that never had any TSB related repairs.

In Utah, there is only one Infiniti dealer that I'm aware of. Because of this, they mark up their parts big time. Labor rates are typically on the higher side, as you'd expect on a higher end car. Generally speaking Infiniti repairs are going to be considerably more expensive than Honda repairs.

In the end, obviously, it's a gamble either way. Infiniti's are generally considered highly reliable, top ten, cars. They're not, however, typically ranked #1 like, say, Honda.

The Infiniti Elite Extended warranty gives me peace of mind and I can afford it. Seems like a reasonable approach to me, might to some others as well.