2008 INFINITI G35 Complaints

DEAR SIR/MADAM, I AM WRITING YOU BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED WITH INFINITI AUTOMOBILES WHILE DRIVING IN LOOSE SNOW. I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS ISSUE AS IT COULD AFFECT THE SAFETY OF POTENTIALLY MILLIONS OF DRIVERS. NOTE THAT THE CAR PERFORMS AS EXPECTED ON DRY OR EVEN WET PAVEMENT, BUT ON SLUSHY SNOW THE COMPUTERIZED TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO FAIL AND THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM I WOULD NEVER HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR IN THE SNOW. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WAS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM UNIQUE TO THIS LOANER OR IF THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE ALGORITHM BEING USED TO CONTROL THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE TRAIN. THE PROBLEM THE 2 WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT EVENLY DRIVE THE CAR AND CAUSES IT TO STEER ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY IN LOOSE SLUSHY SNOW. THE DRIVE WHEELS LOOSE SYNCHRONIZATION AND ESSENTIALLY STOPS WORKING ON EVEN SMALL INCLINES. I COULD FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. THE RPMS IN THE CAR WOULD REMAIN LOW AND THE TIRES WOULD HARDLY MOVE. MY EXPERIENCE ON THE MOST RECENT SNOW IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA ON MARCH 1 -2, 2009 I WAS DRIVING AN 2008 INFINITI THAT WAS A LOANER FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I HAD TO DRIVE IT FROM WASHINGTON REAGAN AIRPORT FOR ABOUT 12 MILES TO GET HOME. GOING SOUTH ON GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY TOWARD OLD TOWN IN ALEXANDRIA THERE ARE NO HILLS TO SPEAK OF, ONLY MINOR INCLINES. THE CAR I WAS DRIVING HAD TO BE PUSHED UP THESE MINOR INCLINES, AND AGAIN ON THE BELTWAY AFTER CROSSING THE WILSON BRIDGE TO THE TOP OF THE HILL AT INDIAN HEAD HIGHWAY. WHILE THE MOTOR CONTINUES TO RUN, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD UNLESS BOTH WHEELS HAVE TRACTION, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ESSENTIALLY STALL. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONDUCT TEST TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT CAUSE A SAFETY HAZARD WITH STEERING DUE TO THE PULLING UNEVENLY I WILL LEAD TO MOTORIST BEING STRANDED UNDER CONDITIONS WHERE THERE IS SNOW ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 INFINITI G35. WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A NEW SAFETY SEAT FOR HER 3 YEAR OLD, 42 LBS. SON, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO FIND OUT THE CORRECT WEIGHT LOAD FOR THE TETHERS AND ANCHORING LATCH. SHE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CORRECT WEIGHT NEEDED TO ATTACH THE LATCH SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE USING A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. SHE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HER SON IN THE FIVE POINT HARNESS SEAT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT SEAT TO PURCHASE BECAUSE THE LATCH SYSTEM COULD ONLY HOLD UP TO 40 LBS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION REGARDING THE ANCHOR, TETHERS, OR LOAD RATING FOR THE LATCH SYSTEM. THE VIN AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, FOOT WAS ON BRAKE, SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN. IT HIT A RETAINING WALL ON THE SIDE AND THE BUILDING BEHIND IT WHICH BROUGHT IT TO A STOP. AS THIS DEVELOPED THERE WAS ZERO CONTROL OF THE CAR AND THE DASHBOARD LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. IT TOOK INFINITI 11 DAYS TILL THEY CHECKED THE BLACK BOX AND 15 DAYS MORE TILL THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS $8000.00 IN DAMAGE TO THE CAR THAT WAS PURCHASED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 800 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 INFINITI G35. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE ANTI-TRACTION SWITCH ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE WHEELS TO LOCK. THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, WHICH MEANS THAT IT WAS ACTIVATED AS WELL. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A CURB. THE WHEEL WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED COSMETIC AND WHEEL DAMAGE, WHICH WOULD COST $1,700 TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,004.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 INFINITI G35 SEDAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE SENSOR INDICATOR ILLUMINATES WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND TESTED THE SENSOR WHILE SOMEONE WAS SEATED IN AND OUT OF THE SEAT. HOWEVER, THEY FOUND NO FAILURES WITH THE SENSOR OR AIR BAG INDICATORS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,200.

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON 476 FROM I-95 SOUTH BEFORE EXIT 3 WITHOUT WARNING THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHICH CAUSE HER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND THE CAR SWERVED AND MADE MINOR CONTACT WITH A CURB OR SOMETHING. THE TIRE CAME COMPLETELY APART EXCEPT FOR THE INNER AND OUTER SET BEAD WHICH STAYED ON THE RIM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 INFINITI G35 SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON WHEN A CERTAIN WEIGHT IS NOT OCCUPIED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 INFINITI G35 SEDAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE DEPRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THERE IS A BRIEF HESITATION AND THEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES RAPIDLY. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FROM WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND HAD THEM INSPECT IT; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY ONLY AFTER THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PROCEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

NEW VEHICLE DRIVEN ONLY 4K MILES WHEN NOISES STARTED EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ANYTIME RPMS EXCEEDED 4000. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS A BURNED OUT TRANSMISSION REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. HAD THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD HAVE LED TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR