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Comments
I live in the bay area and have just purchased a pre-owned M45 sport.
I stopped doing the "prepackaged" services years ago and have never had a problem with any car or with any warranty. I also skip any intermediate prepackaged services. I get the oil changed at the dealer every 3-5K miles and have the tires rotated every couple of oil changes (at the dealer because my hope is that they calibrate their air wrenches and won't warp the rotors) so the dealer can't blame a tire place if the rotors are warped. I almost never do an alignment unless I can tell that the car needs one by looking at the tires or if I am replacing the tires so the tire dealer can't claim that the tires are wearing unevenly due to lack of alignment. I generally don't keep cars long enough to do the brakes but if I do, I always have the rotors checked and rebuild the calipers at the same time....at the dealer. I never have the rotors turned....that just is an invitation to warping no matter what anyone says.
If you get to the point where the book says to replace the timing chain or belt....don't ignore that one. If that goes, the engine will self destruct. Transmission fluid and coolant changes are also a good investment ignored by too many. I've never replaced brake fluid or power steering fluid in my life.
Or is there a way to get coupons or discounts to bring the price down? I dont mind paying $500 considering how much must be done in the 30K servicing however one dealer quoted $979+tax.
Have you tried serving your car with any shop other than an Infiniti dealership?
Owning an Infiniti=peace of mind. It is the most reliable auto made. Any problems I had we in technology gadgets and garbage Goodyear tires. Warranty replaced the common defective 2006 steering rack looseness.
Maybe an alignment if you need new tires. If you have the Goodyears (M35X) you probably need new tires. Look at ratings on Tire Rack. New tires not Goodyear will be a huge improvement. OEM tires are garbage. Next Infiniti I get I will not leave the showroom with OEM tires. (Same for most other car brands)
Dealers want you to believe it needs service like a 1965 Jaguar. That is puffed up nonsense. 60,000 miles is the time to spend money.
If I go to the dealer for anything I tell them do not do any work not covered under warranty without my prior approval.
I run AMSOIL oil and oil filters. Their 5W-30W is recommended for 25K miles and their new oil filters run the same mileage. As for maintenance on this M35 with 30K, I have only changed oil/filter once and the engine air filter once. I will be considering in 09 changing the other fluids to extended range fluids, as we will be keeping this M35 longer. AMSOIL makes excellent synthetic lubricants for most fluid applications.
I agree, 60K is the time to spend money. The earlier uses of synthetic lubricants help promote longer mechanical life when someone wants to keep their cars an extended period of time.
Discount Tires here in the US does the tire rotation for free.
Only concern I have with our 2nd M35 is we needed to replace the
Bridgestone tires at 25K. I decided on Michelin Primacy MXV4 replacement tires and they have proven to run much quieter then the Bridgestone tires and have improved steering characteristics to a point that a non-professional person can feel the difference.
I brought it back again last week for the same problem and they refused to touch it--told me the factory had told them NO MORE repairs on my car.
Based on that I contacted the BBB and am filing papers this coming week.
It's one thing to say they won't take the car back--it's completely unacceptable to refuse to repair it.
They are clueless-the district tech specialist drove the car and acknowledged something is wrong but they have no idea how to fix the vibration in the drivetrain.
All I can say is caveat emptor.
How can I find a good repair shop who will have the necessary Infiniti diagnostic equipment? I am somewhat new to the San Francisco Bay area, and most of my friends are not savvy about using local auto repair shops.
I found checkbook(.org) has a ranking of auto repair shops in San Francisco they sell for $15. I have also considered calling AAA-certified auto repair shops and asking if they service Infiniti M's - however I am not sure what questions I should ask them.
I am hoping the experts in this forum will have some good pointers on how to go about finding a mechanic and what questions I should be asking.
Bite the bullet....go to the dealer for oil changes and get their (overpriced) filters. Also, for brakes, use the dealer...and point out that the rotors aren't warped when you go in.....and have them write that down, because if they overtorque the tires or don't put the pads in right so the rotors overheat, you may develop warped rotors.
And if the service manager comes and sits down beside you to review all the other things that they've found....thank him and say you'll consider doing them the next time
One dealer kept telling me i needed a new Hep filter...my air flow was reduced. I told him that I would replace it myself...The next time I went in, I asked the service guy to check to make sure the air flow was good and the same service guy said it was working great with full air flow. (of course I did nothing).
The Garage - Independent Nissan / Infiniti Service
www.thegaragesf.com
340 10th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 864-0111
They appear to be highly rated with 33 reviews and more
Might want to call and see if they have a referral list of people to call. Wishing you well.
United States Consumer Affairs for Infiniti is: 800-662-6200, then press #7.
Wishing you well – this too will pass.
1. Reimbursement for my tire expense (I paid half for the new tires - $550)
2. One month payment for me for my inconvenience
3. IF I took another Infiniti they offered me the free maintenance package on the new car.
I declined all that, said I want them to fix the car. I made an appointment with Infiniti Service, and when I showed up they told me they are not allowed to touch the car--Infiniti TOLD them they can't do any more repairs.
So let's see--they ADMIT there is a problem, then REFUSE to fix it or make it right with the customer.
Great way to make sure I'd lease another Infiniti---NOT.
If they do nothing, you have the documentation in hand....go forth and stick it to Infiniti and your dealer.
So what are we missing??? Was the car in an accident? is it out of warranty?
In my M35-07 information packet there is a booklet entitled, “Customer Care & Lemon Law information". Perhaps, the time has come to start the process of requesting a replacement or repurchase of your vehicle.
I’m saddened you’re unable to resolve your concerns with Infiniti. Wishing you well as you move forward.
I have ONLY had the vehicle serviced by this dealer, and it is fully under warranty, and has never been in an accident.
Their line now is that the problem is within normal limits for the car. This is SO not the case.
I have now informed them that I plan to litigate-and have started working with the BBB on a lemon law claim.
They are out of line here--the service manager even told me that MANY people in 39 month leases of 2006 M's are desperately trying to get out of the cars--came within an inch of accusing me of fabricating the problem, yet he has driven the car...
Perhaps it is time to go to the press.......
I haven't read the specs on the newest models. There are some that use the same bulb for low and high beam - some have a motorized shield that moves out of the way to enable the high beam. The name they use is bi-zenon.
Thanks for any recommendations!
The high beam is a 9005 and the fog is an H11. Just search on those numbers. Increasing the wattage may damage the housing or wiring, so it's safest to stay at the same wattage. Sylvania's 9005CB is whiter than the 'stock' bulb.
I bought the car for $11,800 and paid $10,200 to have it fixed. It is completely loaded, even has a DVD player. What an awesome car.
I think I'll take it in for re-programming and see if that fixes the problem.
I currrently own a 04 S55 and I'm looking to get rid of it before it becomes a deeper money pit. I really do love the car and it grabs loads of attention but I'm ready for something else. I really like the M45 but have not gone to drive one yet because I'm afraid I'll buy it on the spot. So... I've looked online at some pre-owned ones and they are pretty cheap. I would never buy a new one after seeing the depreciation of this model. But anyway, is there anything that I should be aware of on the M45 before I seriously consider the vehicle. I would probably purchase one with anywhere from 15K to 45K miles. Any input is welcome.
Did anybody have the steering issue with 2006 M35 sport? Recently bought one with 36,000 miles. Change the whole set of tire to Michelin pilot Sport All Season. Alignment once.
The car can't keep in the center of road. You have to hold the steering wheel all the time to adjust the random pulling effect (right or left). The driving feeling is so unsafe.
After some research on the forum, it looks like some steering rack issue.
Have been to dealership several times. One dealer said it's the typical way of this car. The other said it is tire-related. But none of dealer want to work on the steering rack.
Very disappointed . any suggestion?
Just update some information about the steering issue about the 2006 M35 sport. After contacting infiniti comsumer affair, the rep claims they can't do anything if the dealer can't reproduce the problem. Asking for her supervisor, the same speech. They all think the wondering is normal for the M.
What can I do now, after three dealers,rep and supervisor in the infiniti comsumer affair?
2) file a formal complaint with the NHTSA.
3) Infiniti is trying very hard to avoid a recall on this. Review this forum, Fresh Alloy and Nico forum. Print out all the entries on this topic and send it to the supervisor at Infiniti (and give a copy to the infiniti regional service advisor when you meet him).
Point out that this is a known problem and that should any accident occur due to the problem, it is well documented and will likely be an Infiniti legal problem to deal with.
You might want to go out for coffee with your salesman or sales manager and discuss the problem. Maybe they can help convince the service manager that he really can recreate the problem. Remember, Infiniti does not require a video of the service manager experiencing the problem....he just has to say he has experienced the problem and infiniti will pay for the replacement steering rack. The salesman/sales manager might be willing to help, but that, of course, depends on the dealer and your relationship with them.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/defectsearch.cfm
First my 2006 year car had a new steering rack replaced by the dealer at 27,000 miles. The original rack became quite loose after 1-year.
Shortly thereafter I put on Cont Extreme Contact tires. Now it drives quite well. The new tires have much more aggressive, open tread than the OEM Goodyear tires. More like a snow tire. They are excellent in the rain and good on what little snow we had in 2008.
Postings on forums state Michelin's improve but do not cure the trammeling issue.
My further opinion is the engineering of the steering lacks on-center feel. That is fundamentally incurable.
The M35X is a beautiful car with great features at a very good price. I see Infiniti offering $10,000 off MSRP now.
Make sure you can live with the stiff ride.
Put on the Contis before leaving the showroom and sell the Goodyears on Ebay. Or better donate them to charity and take a tax deduction. It is worth the extra $1,000 since the car is a bargain.
It's great now that premium gas is down 50%. It is a gas eater due to weight, 4 wheel drive and gearing.
Before I go back to my dealer about the steering rack does anyone know if this fix is covered by the warranty and if this is indeed the best way to correct the issue? The gas mileage sucks but that I can live with for now - the steering problem not so much.
The M still does not track that well but the roads in my Westchester, NY area are horrible. Otherwise the car is great.
My theory is the design of the steering lacks caster in the alignment. It is incurable. More caster would increase the steering's tendency to go straight.
Gas mileage is not very good. Killed me last summer. It is a heavy car with 4-wheel drive and the top gearing is low. No 7-speed on the M35X even for 2009. No real cure. Go light on the pedal and easy on the a/c. Keep the air cleaner clean. Sluggish on regular gas use mid grade or premium.
My lease is over soon. Thinking of Audi an A4 (a bit small not cheap but wonderful),
Caddy CTS 4 wheel drive (beautiful, aggressive prices, no backup camera, great warranty, On Star, but who knows about GM service and quality?)
Infiniti G-37 sedan (a bit small and rear seats do not fold down),
Good but uglies: Acura TL and Infiniti FX. (don't know if I can look at those for years).
As for the steering rack - I'll make an appointment with my service rep and hope that they notice the same thing I do (somehow I suspect that Murphy's Law will temporarily disappear...). The car has OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050As that have a fair amount of mileage left on them and none of the boards have pointed to these tires as a culprit. Will keep you all posted.
Dutifully, they checked the alignment and found nothing out of the ordinary and said that the grabby/wandering steering is typical of a "sport" model with 19" wheels and low profile tires, particularly on bumpy/uneven road surfaces. Unless Infiniti issues a technical bulletin they are not going to be doing any steering rack work. I also asked the service manager about gas mileage and he said that 14-15 MPG is typical of what they're seeing until the car is sufficiently broken in and after which it should get closer to 18 MPG (apparently 27K miles is not broken in enough).
Ask to meet with the Infiniti service representive the next time he visits the dealer. Tell them that it is a safety concern...your wife drives the car and at times it jerks and is uncontrollable. Make them write that on the service ticket from today's visit...or make them write up a new ticket saying "customer concerned about safety. At times the car is uncontrollable when it catches a tar strip of similar in the road". Make sure that the infiniti rep sees that those words are on file.
(note: at some point Infiniti is going to wind up in court on this issue due to an accident. With documentation such as I am suggesting, they will have a great deal of difficulty saying they were unaware of the issue).
The tires really are the bulk of the problem and changing them seems to be a significant part of the solution. Not all the cars need a new steering rack, but you want to be on record, just in case you have a problem down the road.....and need an extended warranty repair.
As far as gas mileage...your car is broken in. I got 16-17 on my 06 M35 and I only rarely floor it. Most of my driving is in a spralled out city with a fair number of lights. If I were in NY with lights at every corner, I would expect significantly less MPG. I always burn regular fuel. I now get about 19 on my 08 M35 (5000 miles) using regular with no ethanol which is available at a few local stations.