The new mapping of my transmission improved the operation but issues remain and I am not satisfied. Inconsistent operation, harsh up and down shifting, and that damn hesitation when accelerating from slow speed. My dealer initially tried to tell me the operation was normal but finally admitted that the sales manager noted the same issues with his new M37 company car. I have the latest update per the new technical bulletin but conclude it is only an improvement not an actual fix. After four Infiniti cars this may be my last one. How can Infiniti produce an auto with so many great qualities and then screw it up with a poor transmission that they can't seem to fix. And what were they thinking before the first one was sold? They had to realize the problem but went ahead anyway. Unforgivable.
After I dropped off my M37 and I recevied a call from service center that they couldn't duplicate the problem for the transmission. And said this is the common complaint from new buyer of car. He said I will be used to it. They scanned and couldn't find out any mal functions on transmission. I will take back my car tomorrow but still worry what if the same problem occurs in the future. Service guy said they never have heard about new software update for the transmission.
While I can live with this until the end of my lease, after five various Infiniti's I doubt I will stay with the brand. This is just no way to treat the (repeated) purchaser of a $50,000 vehicle. They should be ashamed of themselves releasing a car like this and the subsequent treatment of an obviously loyal customer
I am not sure I agreed with you sentiment. It is a shame that Infiniti release a car with the transmission program not completely work out and they suffered by having slow sales and has to put up with subsidised lease program to move the cars. But the purchase decision is yours.. Don't you do any research before you buy the M? The transmission problem was discussed on every car mag reviews that I saw and in every single M forum that I visited.. You have ample opportunity to weight the + and - of the car before making the purchase. Don't blame Infiniti for your buyer remorse... Blame yourselves for making the wrong purhcase decision.
My car was leased in the second week of April, 2010. At that time zip, zero, nada, gar nichts, etc was written about the transmission issues. I'm going to go one further; I don't need a lecture from someone who neither knows nor was there! The test drive available, around the block, was not time to reveal the defect! Being our fifth Infiniti in 7 years I had a lot of faith in the dealer, the brand, and our 2006 M-35 which we still have. I was currently driving a 2007 G-35s with a six speed manual and had little experience with automatic transmissions, but was forced out of my G due to knee surgery and the pain associated with a difficult and slow recovery. After 3.8 million miles over 39 years in 20+ manual shift cars anything that eased my pain was a welcome relief. If you haven't walked in my shoes don't be so fast with flippant, ignorant judgements!
I think you were a little hard on bienster. During my test drives last year, before purchasing the M37, I did notice harsh shifting immediately after start off which I finally determined was the first shift into second gear which happened almost immediately. Did not notice the harshness in the other gear changes. The dealer told me the transmission would smooth out after it "learned" my driving habits. Wrong!
I read every article I could find on the car in many car mags , including Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc. and remember only one writeup mentioned that the tranny sometimes seemed "confused". What an understatement. Even the article from Consumer Reports did not mention any issue with the transmission performance and they are not bashful about presenting a problem. I read a few forums but did not get the sense that this was a major issue
In the end, I say, yep, it is my fault that I decided to purchase this car. But I did not know or expect that the transmission would be as eratic and aggravating as it has proven to be. Maybe I just got one of the bad ones. My other Infiniti autos were great cars and I fully expected if there was some kind of issue that Infiniti would promptly correct the problem. Apparently, a bad assumption.
There are actually updates for both the ECM (ITB11004 engine) and the TCM (ITB11008 transmission). So make sure you mention both when you bring your car to the dealer. The more I drive the M after the software flash, the happier I am. It has made a REALLY big difference by eliminating the "hiccup' when you start up from a stop, and it has even smoothed out low-speed downshifts. It's probably the best thing to happen to my M since I got it.
one more update was also applied: ITB10066 which "adds Call Waiting, gives you the ability to call contacts in your address book by name, fixes some iPod and Bluetooth issues and enhance Navigation performance." That upgrade definitely made things better and increased functionality.
The software updates to the engine interface and transmission interface/control you describe apparently became available abour 5 weeks ago. I had the exact same problems described on this thread with my 2011 M37. The dealer test drove my car and agreed something was not right. They found these new Tech Bulletins and loaded them in my car. I must say, I also was very excited that most of the issue was corrected. It was clearly a major improvement. However, it seems to have worn off... I know a software update will not wear off, unless somehow some default parameters kicked back in. I am wondering now if there is some other part within the system which is negatively adapting to these changes, byt either trying to do its designed job or that pary (or subsystem) is degrading or failing. I will be back at the dealer's again next week to complian again and see what happened.
Thank goodness for this posting! I thought I was starting to lose my mind. I had the re-mapping of both the engine and transmission control modules done almost immediately after their release and found the improvement significant. Over the last couple of weeks I have found many of the old quirks returning. Driving at 22-25 MPH when the car is first driven for the day I find the ride rather "herkey-jerkey." At turnpike speeds downshifts seem to take an eternity. After all the criticsm I have received for my original complaints I was starting to think I'm nuts. I guess I have plenty of company. On another note, I thought my navigation system besides being years out of date on multiple locations in my geographic area leading me not to trust it in other areas, was slower than watching the grass grow. I was reluctant to complain after the criticism I received for my transmission complaints. Now I see there is a "fix" for that as well. That is a lot of "fixes" for a $50,000+ car. I'm wondering if anyone else feels that maybe Infiniti should have gotten the car design right before they released it on the public?
If you haven't walked in my shoes don't be so fast with flippant, ignorant judgements!
But isn't what you lay out identify your problem? Why trusted any manufacturer? It is not like we don't have a lot of choice in the market. If you decided to buy a car blind without any review and any real wheel time to test it out, whose fault is it? Blaming the manufacturer does absolve your basic need to do dd on your purchase. It is not like Infiniti didn't have transmission shift problem in the past. I have 3 inifiniti in my household now, an 07 G35, a 10 G37 and a 11 M37.. My 07 G35 has transmission shifting issue and they fixed it about 1 year after I bought the car. My 10 G37 has shift issue also and Infiniti has a TSB fixing the problem and 11 has a TSB solving the program.. Each time I know the problem before I walked in and leased the cars. And I was compensated by the low money factor and rebate etc.. For my money it was the best car I can leased, transmission shift problem or not.. After all this is the purpose of this forum, to exchange information about our car and to let other know the potential problem of the car before or after they buy the car. I assumed that you won't buy your next car without reading extensive review from exisiting owners and test drive the car extensively first. So it is a good lesson to learn...
But I did not know or expect that the transmission would be as eratic and aggravating as it has proven to be
yap.. It is dangerous to buy first year auto regardless of brand. Cars are getting so complicated that manufacturer really has no chance of testing and fixing all the problems before they release their car. And the first year owner become the geniue pigs that will test out the cars. The only way to really protected ourselves is to buy cars in the 2nd years (or at least have enough owner review published) or later and lease the car instead of purchasing them.. Lexus has a lemon or two (engine valve problem that need rebuilding engine at the dealer, frightening thoughts). BMW has a problem with the 3 series high perfromance fuel pump (some owners in bimmerfest reported to have 3 and 4th fuel pump replaced under warrenty ).. Mercedes does not seems to have any major problems going on now, but I would not trust them either...
topgun- As you note, the point of this boards is for folks to share experiences about the car/purchasing experience, and perhaps even their view of the dealer or manufacturer, so the rest of us are more informed. It's good for all of us that people take the time to post their stories. Criticizing those same people for their purchasing approach, opining on the lessons they should learn, and telling us how prepared you think you are when you buy doesn't tell us anything about the car and only discourages people from sharing their stories. That doesn't help any of us and doesn't seem to be the point of these boards.
bienster- I don't blame you for venting your frustration with Infiniti- you think you can gamble on a premium brand with a pretty good reliability history, and it sucks when the gamble doesn't pay off. But, thanks for sharing your experiences, and hopefully your next car purchase ends up better than your M37. Thanks to posts like yours, I paid more attention to the transmission during my test drive, noticed the quirks, knew they would not go away, and ultimately did not buy the M37x. Too bad, because it is a really sharp looking car inside and out.
I totall agree with you. I greatly appreciate bienster's posts. I can sense and appreciate his frustration, and we can all benefit from his experience. The opinion of someone else that's it's your fault for buying a (somewhat) defective product is unfair, to say the least.
I am very interested in the 2012 M37x, but I'll need to carefully reconsider that as an option. Forums like this can be a real eye-opener, and people should be encouraged to share the good and bad.
Criticizing those same people for their purchasing approach, opining on the lessons they should learn, and telling us how prepared you think you
heh heh, I think the only thing we learned from the venting is that buying the first year production car is dangerous and buying it in the first 2 to 3 months is even more so. But as you pointed out, it is an individual choice to make so why blame the manufacturer when the gamble did not pay off? And in this case, I think Infiniti is doing the right thing. They come up with a fix.. We will see if the fix actually work well or not.. But Infiniti definitely are paying for their sins and has to subsidy M heavily and the early adapter definitely suffered from the problem...
when you buy doesn't tell us anything about the car and only discourages people from sharing their stories. That doesn't help any of us and doesn't seem to be the point of these boards.
I did share my thoughts on the M in this forum when I first got it. It is in the late Dec time frame. You are welcome to search for it. I like the M a lot. I sold my LS460 with a lease payment of $1030 because of their valve spring recall (and by the way I did not go to internet to vent about the recall) for an M37 for a lease payment of $590 (tax included in both cases) and I don't miss the LS a bit.. The LS is more luxury and quiet, the sound system is 2 to 3x better than the M and the acceleration is faster. However, driving with the M give me a much more secure feeling, the interior is very inviting to my eyes, and the safety features (lane departure/blind spot) help me a great deal when driving the car at night..
I have the same transmission issue and the car did o.k. in C mode but not very enjoyable in sport mode.. Took the car in for the transmission and ECM reflash a couple days ago and right now the car is on Sport mode full time .. Still evaluating the change but it is doing pretty good so far.. The shifting is a lot smoother and the jerking motion while slowing down in Sport mode is gone (mostly).
One thing I would like to point out is that Infiniti is not doing well with M and it has a pretty good incentive, money factor and residual for those who lease the car. It will be good to evaluate this car not just based on MSRP but with our payment in mind. In my case, the LS that I replaced has an MSRP of 75K and the M that I have not has an MSRP of 59K but the payment is about 40% less when compare the M to the LS. And LS is definitely not 40% better car than the M. I cannot find a better sedan with less than $600 payment in the market today..
My point of posting is hopefully potential buyers will look at the M in totality (the cost, the good point, the bad points, the reliability, the dealer). The transmission problem posted problem for all the early owners.. But if someone is buying the car now, may be they can make out with the combination of fix and heavy sub from Infiniti....
Had the transimission refrest for 3 1/2 days now. The transmission was on sport mode in these 3 1/2 days. WOT shift from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4 work pretty work. I will give it an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. I also has a 10 G37 which got a transmission refresh a couple days ago and I would give that refresh 10 out of 10. The shift on the M with the new fresh is pretty smooth (i.e. no jerking).. But I can still feel the shifting and power was fairy liner during the shifting. I have not find a strech of freeway that I can do a WOT from 1 to 7 yet.. The transmission jerking while I try to brake are gone.. so all in all driving in sport mode came from very annoying to pretty enjoyable.
The audio systems still not working as I like. The volume adjusting function does not work at all. And the high and bass seem to be pretty muddy.. I have treble set to -1 and bass set to -1 for now.. Anyone find a solution to the audio sound quality issue? Would changing the speaker help?
Wildfire, I have experienced the same with the software "fix" for my transmission problems. I had the new transmission software fix loaded about two months ago. Definite inprovement but within a couple of weeks the transmission operation was back where I started. Very disappointing.
Last week, back at the dealer for the latest fix to fine tune the transmission. Much improved......for about a week. Now it has again returned to the original operation. Help!! Has anyone found a solution for this problem. I have even toyed with selling the car and have only had it for six months.
I have an M56x and have been looking for others with similar trouble... Mine was also updated with the new transmission code, but I too have the issue with delayed throttle response when starting from a stopped position. Very frustrating.. I haven't heard of a new update to fix the problem so I'm sure it's even worth taking it back to the dealer... Thoughts?
Actually there is a fix for the fix. No, I'm not double talking. The original fix was to remap the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and the Engine Control Module (ECM) which were both done to my car at the same time. There was quite an immediate improvement but it seemed to wear off. At first I thought I was crazy but many people eventually posted the same results. The second visit to the dealer yielded a re program of the re programmed ECM. It's better than a Yugo or a Tata, but it is far less than I expect from a $50,000+ car.
In postings I was criticized for buying a "first year" car. Carrying that to the extreme, nobody should buy a first year car. The only problem with that logic when manufacturers do not fully test their cars before introducing them is that the second year cars defacto become the first year cars. Anyway, four out of my five Infiniti's and four out of four of my Lexus's have been first year cars and there has not been a single issue or complaint with any of them. Between the de-contenting of this car compared to the previous edition and the sundry performance problems, Infiniti really did a good job of damaging their reputation.
I have been living with my M37 transmission "fix for a fix" for about a month and , overall, it is an improvement from where I started. The shifts are terrible when the car is cold but improve after about 10 minutes of driving. Still not great. The delayed throttle response is still there without much, if any, improvement after the fix. I guess I am just learning to live with the issue. I have noticed that the shifting is better if I drive it hard but can't do that all the time.
I have not contacted the dealer since the last visit but the service writer promised to contact me if another bulletin is issued. If I don't hear anything I plan to contact him again in about a month. Let's keep the pressure on.
I went back and talked with dealer again too after the SW fix. I have been doing a lot of test driving and completely agree that it takes about 10 minutes for "transmission" to heat up enough for best level of shiting. I think if it were the engine it would warm up quicker. What I have also noticed is that the adaptive shift points really seem to work. I have found that if I drive the car moderately for a few days, the shifting is moderate. If I drive aggressive even a little bit, the shift becomes very aggressive and is somewhat rough when trying to drive easy. But, if you go back to driving with moderate aggression, the shifting will change... Its not bad now. My only issue is when transmission is cold.
Have the transmission reflashed for almost 2 months now. Transmission selection still stay in Sport mode. The shifting work decent right now. I am in California, so I don't have the cold start issue. Overall impression, the transmission in my M37 now is slightly worse than the 08 LS460 that I had before the M. When braking hard from higher speed (40-50 mph), the hard decoupling of the transmission problem (fell like a hard jerk) came back and opened a ticket with my dealers (looks like other customers has the same problem). I would give the transmission a 7.5 out of a 10 at this point. Still like the car a lot for the price I paid (590 a months for 36 months lease.. Delux touring..). Still like it better than the LS460 that I replaced (one that cost $1030 a month). The blind spot warning and lane departure are my favorite features in the cars. It help termendously when driving in the evening and late at night. Overall I am really enjoy driving this car.
It has been about 3 months since my last transmission SW update. At this point I think 7.5 out of 10 is generous for the transmission performance. Shifting is still eratic and the throttle hesitation is the same........very annoying. I've tried other settings but usually keep it in the normal setting. If this were an economy car probably would not complain . But a $50M luxury car? No excuse.
Except for the problems mentioned here, I love the car. What a shame to have the driveability issues we have to put up with.
wildfire, I just noticed this M37 / M56 Thread while I was perusing MyG37.com Forum. One member directed me here because I am so disgusted with my 2010 G37X with the Herky-Jerkiness, lagging & hesitation for almost 1 year, since I leased it. I am in the midst of trying trade Out of my lease - I am working with Infiniti of NA rep who has followed up on my complaint filed through the Infiniti Web Site and also persuing with the Service Manager at my dealership. I am seriously entertaining Swapping Out for CPO 08 or 09 M35X (not sure if they had a M37X in 09), which had the 5 AT. That's the same tranny that was in my 2007 G35X. Sooooooooooo much better, yes the 7AT gets better mpgs, but at huge sacrifice of performance. I see from this thread alone, that there are many 2010/2011 M 37 complaints about the same thing: This crappy 7 speed Auto Tranny..
I am so disgusted with my 2010 G37X with the Herky-Jerkiness, lagging & hesitation for almost 1 year, since I leased it
Did you do the transmission reflash for 10 G37? I have a 2010 G37 coupe as well as a 11 M37.. And we did the reflash for both cars a couple days apart.. I give the G37 reflash a 10 out of 10.. it is very smooth and powerful now...
There have b een two different re-programs for the TCM and one for ECM. The second re-program on the TCM finally did the trick. It's almost a normal car now; just a drop finicky when first started. Living in southern Florida, it warms up within one half mile and is actually acceptable. The big question is whether the fix that worked on my M-37 will work on your G-37. If it does, it should basically end the herky-jerkies and you should live in blissful contentment. Good luck!
I am getting the transmission "fix" on Thursday...but yesterday I found myself doing 70 on the interstate with a truck barrelling down on me from the rear. I pushed the gas about 3/4 of the way down to accelerate into the passing lane and the car....SLOWED DOWN. First there was a second or two of a pause while the car found the lower gear...then a jerk and the engine suddenly raced to about 6000 RPM....which I suspect is above the power band. Hearing the engine race like that I let up on the gas a little and engine braking started. It was both ugly, scary and dangerous.
I am already shopping for it's replacement because the cost is almost zero to get out of the lease....or I might just go the lemon law route since I reported the problem in Dec. (and my dealer said he couldn't recreate it....ha!)
Hopefully the fix will stop this from happening or Infiniti should consider a safety recall of the 2011 M37's before someone is killed.
The fix definately improved shifting a bit. I'm running in sports mode now and it seems to be better. I took the car on the interstate....ran it up to 70mph and then pushed the accelerator almost to the floor. The same drop in power as the transmission decided what to do..and then rev'd to 6K....kept in that gear for a very short while and then upshifted and accelerated. So the problem is still there....if you want to do any evasive maneuvering on an interstate, get a different car.
I'm going to cut my m37 lease and buy my way out for $1000 after 1 year of driving. I just don't like the car enough to keep it...and for $1000 it's not worth keeping it.
I have an M56 and just had the new ECM/TCM s/w updates installed. It definitely fixed the hesitation when at a complete stop, but I agree there is still a bit of hesitation before it downshifts when driving at higher speeds. ...Strange that it's taking Infiniti this long to fine tune the transmission s/w, but I don't believe it's as bad as you make it out to be... I'm not sure I'd call it a safety hazzard. I think it's fairly minor and I can live with it until a newer update comes out. Hopefully someone will post the update when it's released...
After having a pair of M35s, the M37 is markedly better. More powerful, better gas mileage, improved styling. BUT there are a few issues. First, on occasion, there is a noticeable clunk from the transmission when coming to a stop. That's relatively minor. Second, the Bluetooth system is an abomination. The Bluetooth works just fine, but what it takes to place a simple phone call is mind-boggling. Choices upon choices upon choices. It would be nice to speak the digits and do no more. Some mad person, however, designed a system that can only be described as Byzantine. Third, the sensor for the outside temperature is incredibly slow. It typically takes a half hour of more before the reading is at all accurate. I mentioned this to my dealer who compared my car to another and said they were the same. Yes, they both are terrible. I had the same problem on my earlier Ms. Still, a very good car with a few problems that seem eminently fixable.
I just purchased a fully loaded M37x and have driven it for approximately 1300 miles. I have experienced all the transmission issues expressed in the other message threads. I stopped in to see the General Manager at the dealership this afternoon and he said there have been no problems like mine reported to him - HARD TO BELIEVE given the threads in this blog.
I plan to take the vehicle in and request the remapping or software patch or whatever it takes to solve the problem. I was driving a Camry for 14 years before driving this new Infinity and never had any problems like this. I am extremely disappointed.
Sorry you are having the same transmission problems with your new M37x as we have had, I cannot believe that Infiniti is still selling new M37's with this issue. As for the General Manager saying that there are no transmission problems with the car, he is either lying or is a moron. They just do not want to admit that there is an issue like this.
Good luck in solving the problem with your new car. My experience is that it can be improved but not completely fixed. Sad.
I'm starting to think Infiniti just does not get "IT." Since they had these problems with the seven speed transmission in the "G" series, they really should have worked them out before releasing the "M" in all it's iterations to the public. They certainly should have done the patches to all cars in inventory before letting them out to the public. I'm starting to really believe they just don't care and lots of their dealers are acting the same way.
I have to agree with all the critics when they say the repair is an improvement but it still is not what the transmission on their premier line of cars should behave like. While I'm at it, the Blue Tooth sound quality is terrible on the phone and highly cumbersome to use. The navigation system is many years out of date and acts much like the one in the Allstate Insurance commercial. Until Infiniti wakes up and smells the coffee the customer will never be totally happy with the car. It is really hard to fix something you refuse to admit is wrong. By now I think everyone has heard and is tired of the ..."this is the first time I'm hearing of this problem" line. If more people voted with their wallets eventually Infiniti might get the message. Until then Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).
I have the exact same issue with my new M37. I have taken it to the dealership and they told me that this is the way the car was designed because everything is controlled by computers but I am finding it very unsafe. I am now going to take this further with Infiniti. I have never experienced this in any vehicle I have driven including my M35 or any sports car that I have driven either.
I am also getting increasingly annoyed that when I provided evidence that others are having the same issue as found on this forum for example, the dealership told me to ignore any internet information that I found. How insulting....
Well I took my brand new 2012 M37x into the dealership with the transmission complaints, asked for the software patch and was quickly informed that the 2012 has already been programmed with the software patch. They told me that they reset something that would allow the car to learn my driving habits and it should resolve the problem. The mechanic said he was not able to reproduce the problems I repored....surprise, surprise!
The car is shifting a bit smoother but I still have pretty much the same issues. They told me they would contact the manufacturer if the issue persists. Oh yes, and I have also just experienced the problem identified in another thread i.e. at approximately 65 mph I slowed down quickly when a car cut in front of me, the transmission clunk down a couple of gears and the engine starting racing up to about 6000 rpms simultaneously. I do not trust this car and I would give it back to them in a minute if it could be arranged.
I just fixed all the unpleasant issues I was having with my 2011 M-37 and saved myself a bundle of money in the process. I took my 2011 M-37 to CarMax and recoved some value from it. Our 2006 M-35 was accepted as a trade. Since we like to only deal with one location for all our service needs, we now have two 2012 Genesis 3.8 sedans with "the works." They are just a joy to deal with. The power band makes perfect use of the eight speed transmision which is so smooth that it approximates a CVT. A few items included in the Infiniti are missing like a cooled front poassenger seat and one touch rear windows but are more than made up for with the inclusion of a compass in the mirror, really good Blue Tooth, an up to date accurate navigation system, seperate heating and cooling controls in the rear, a six disk DVD system, heated rear seats (which I will never use in southern Florida), parking proximity sensors front and rear, and the ability to use regular grade gas all for $160.00 less per month than I was paying on my Infiniti with 12k miles per year instead of 10k.
All is well that ends well. Goodbye Infiniti; I hope you survive the mess you got yourself into.
People reading this thread may think all M's have this issue. I got mine in Feb. Had a BMX 535XI prior. I love my infiniti NEVER had any issue with shifting and I drive in sport mode all the time. This car is a rocket and a pleasure to drive. I have noticed no issues with transmission. The car does have some issues as all cars would, but overall it is the most enjoyable drive I have had. So if you are interested in this car check it out. There are some people having issues but if you read any thread you will see issues. To the guy with the Hyauandai above, good luck with that, friend of mine has one raved about it for a year and the the all hell broke loose, that car is in the dealership more than a range rover, at least a few days every month.
Like a previous poster, I had a 2011 M37 on a 39 month lease. My problem with the car was that it drove nicely around town, but if I took it on an interstate and wanted to pass another car, I would put my foot on the accelerator to speed up and the car would pause while it searched for the correct gear to downshift into and even then it would jump around between gears. There is a service bulletin and infiniti applied it to my car, changing the shift points (and dropping the mpg) and it made the shifting a bit better, but the car still had significant lag when you caused it to downshift. I finally gave up and my dealer was terrific...and worked with me to come up with a minimal buyout cost. The m37 is now his.
The previous poster moved to a Hundai....I moved to a mercedes e 350 Bluetec (diesel) ($59000+ sticker price) on a 2 year lease (12K miles). The montly payment is actually less than I was paying on my Infiniti...and the mercedes is actually quieter than my M37.
(The 77% residual value and a $4000 discount on top of the dealers normal discount for buyers moving from infiniti to Mercedes made the low payments possible.....as with the infiniti lease, I paid the first months rent and registration costs up front...no "capital cost down payment"),
Thanks, my M is at the dealer now getting fixes for problems with the tilt down mirror feature and a problem with the steering wheel drifting downward after programming the seat setting. I'll mention it to them when I pick up the car. This my third Infinity (the 1st two being G's) and will also probably be my last.
:mad: :lemon: I have a 2011 M37 that has 14K miles on it. The transmission problem is real and the symptoms confirmed by the head service guy at the dealer. However, Infiniti claims - the car is functioning as designed. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. If I design a car to stall at 70 mph, that does not make it right. I drove an Acura for 20 years and wish I did not switch!!
Issues: 1) The shifts are very rough - especially at low acceleration 2) Car is slow to find the right gear when attempting to accelerate. THIS IS DANGEROUS! Your other option is to floor it and have the car racing. Either way, this is very unsettling. 3) Sport mode down shifts in very unexpected ways. 4) At time the car shifts with a "clunk" - the service tech was in the car when it did this as well.
The local dealers can do nothing but communicate the problem. You need to post issues and get Infiniti to fix this. Service tech said these are all problems related to the 7 speed trans (about 3 years old so you would think they got it right) and their ever increasing effor to improve fuel economy. At the expense of safety and confidence in the car? What??
Call Infiniti Consumer Affairs at 800-662-6200. Tell them they need to fix it. It is unacceptable to say "that is the way we designed the car"...
I had the same problems...and as I said in a previous post, I bought myself out of the lease 13 mos into a 39 mo lease. I also filed a NHTSA complaint because I felt that the almost stall when accelerating to pass a car on an interstate is a safety issue. If you feel that this is a safety issue, you might consider doing the same....
It is so sad to hear of both the problems you are having and the response of both the dealer and Nissan/Infiniti at the corporate level. They seem to be doing the same song and dance routine my dealer did; there's nothing wrong with the car, the problem is the driver. That attitude can only lead to the downfall of both the dealer and the Infiniti brand. When I started to complain about the transmission issues the dealer told me that I was the first they were hearing about this from. When I complained about the power windows opening after they were closed, or closing after they were opened, I got the same song and dance. Same thing with the quality of sound on the phone. Only this time they said it my phone not their car. Even though I replaced both M class Infiniti's in July I just got a recall notice for the power window issue and the bluetooth sound quality. As long as Infiniti has their mindset that they only make perfect cars and the only mistake they make is selling/leasing one of their perfect cars to a less than perfect customer, they will be heading down the highway to doom like a run away train. You can't fix a problem if you refuse to admit you have the problem in the fist place. As an aside, my two Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedans have and eight speed transmission and couldn't be better. They are totally predictable and smooth as glass. While they are missing a few features my M-37 had they have many features my M-37 did not have and they cost $8000 (each) less. One thing I don't miss is the lousy dealer attitude. After five Infiniti's I'm done with them. I vote with my pocketbook! The very best of luck to you. You are going to need it along with the patience of a saint.
Anyone know if Infiniti has released an updated fix for the transmission problem? I thought most of the issues were resolved when my dealer updated my car's ECM/TCM software a few months ago, but I'm noticing the same scary delayed-shift issue when driving at higher speeds. ...Like previous posts, I'm seeing the same 1-2 second hesitation when hitting the accelerator hard to pass someone... There's a delay before the car surges.. I'm starting to agree that it's a safty hazard.. So frustrating that they haven't fixed it yet!
The only reason I can think of that you did not receive the notice for the windows and bluetooth is that possibly your car already has the modifications. My car was one of the very earliest to hit the showrooms. It was leased in April of 2010. Besides all the transmission issues sometimes a window would open a few inches after being closed or go back up a few inches after being opened. Just like with everything else, they told me that I was the only person experiencing the problem and that I must be doing something wrong. They're nuts!!!
Over the years I've had 5 Infiniti's, 4 Lexus', 5 Mercedes, 1 Datsun 240Z, countless Nissan and Toyota products, and 1 Porche 944. I never had a window or transmission problem with any of them. The reason Infiniti can't get the problem resolved is that in their heart of hearts they believe the real problem is with their customers not their cars. They should never have released their bug infested cars for sale until they were reasonably defect free. I no longer have any Infiniti products. I got two fully loaded Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedans and we couldn't be any happier. That's why I did not save the recall notice. What it said they would do is replace all the window switches and put in a better quality michrophone for the bluetooth.
As an aside, I almost got T-boned crossing a busy highway when my Infiniti hesitated for a few seconds before accelerating. It felt like a lifetime. It was then that I considered getting rid of the car. I think everyone who has had such an issue should file a safety report before someone gets killed.
Genesis has Aisin mission, it's smooth.....like Lexus
Wonder what kind of mission M37 has? and why are they not fixing it? ECU, TCU update did not do anything but made reaction slower than before! When I complained about engine almost stoped at a hill while driving slowly,,,, They set up, in-take air control,,,, doing my idle at 750rpm It was 600~650 before. What is this? I guess it happened because mission problem, locked to higher gear instead of proper gear. But tweaked idle set up.
After software update, rpm tends to be unstable ranging 600~1200 in a low speed...specially while I'm parking. It just moves up and down without my intention. Oh~wow~ made a reservation with a service center to show them and see what their reaction is.
I'm so sorry to hear of your continuing travails with the transmission issue. I still think they really don't have their hearts into the repair. They had this problem with the transmission in the G-37 a year before they put it in the M. I don't know why they thought that a transmission/engine combination that would not work right in a lighter car would work in a heavier car. It would appear that their engineering department has their heads up their rear ends. This is just not the way to keep your loyal customer base and get new customers.
I've lived in Palm Beach County, Florida for about 8 years. For the first 5 years or so I thought Infiniti was "the official car of Palm Beach." We had 5 of them on my block alone counting my 2. We are now down to one Infiniti. They are not selling well. I've seen just one 2011/2012 M in the past several months on the road. Since they redesigned the lights and exhausts on the 2012 Hyundai they are easy to spot. I can't count how many I've seen. After having tue luxury brands for the last 25 years or so I can't believe I'm relishing Hyundai ownership. My only wish is that they had a seperate stand alone facility for the Genesis/Equess line. Short of that they have really done a fantastic job with the 2012's. Unlike Infiniti who seems to have tried to see how much they could take out of the cars, Hyundai seems to have tried to see how how much they could get in to their cars. Between my lousy dealer experience with Infiniti of Coconut Creek and the awful experience with the M, after 5 Infiniti's I'm sad to say that I'll never go back. The car brand stopped being fun and stated becoming nerve wracking. I want to enjoy my car and have confidence in it rather than dread of what it is going to do next and how lousy the dealer will treat me.
I'm so sorry to hear of your continuing travails with the transmission issue. I still think they really don't have their hearts into the repair. They had this problem with the transmission in the G-37 a year before they put it in the M. I don't know why they thought that a transmission/engine combination that would not work right in a lighter car would work in a heavier car. It would appear that their engineering department has their heads up their rear ends. This is just not the way to keep your loyal customer base and get new customers.
I've lived in Palm Beach County, Florida for about 8 years. For the first 5 years or so I thought Infiniti was "the official car of Palm Beach." We had 5 of them on my block alone counting my 2. We are now down to one Infiniti. They are not selling well. I've seen just one 2011/2012 M in the past several months on the road. Since they redesigned the lights and exhausts on the 2012 Hyundai they are easy to spot. I can't count how many I've seen. After having true luxury brands for the last 25 years or so I can't believe I'm relishing Hyundai ownership. My only wish is that they had a seperate stand alone facility for the Genesis/Equess line. Short of that they have really done a fantastic job with the 2012's. Unlike Infiniti who seems to have tried to see how much they could take out of the cars, Hyundai seems to have tried to see how how much they could get in to their cars. Between my lousy dealer experience with Infiniti of Coconut Creek and the awful experience with the M, after 5 Infiniti's I'm sad to say that I'll never go back. The car brand stopped being fun and stated becoming nerve wracking. I want to enjoy my car and have confidence in it rather than dread of what it is going to do next and how lousy the dealer will treat me.
The iPhone 4 will play through the M37 system and charge at the same time if you do the following: 1. Plug it in using the USB port 2. Run iTunes on the iPhone for a few seconds. 3. Start a sound source (Pandora) or otherwise on the iPhone My M37 is from early 2010 and it works fine. Have not had a software upgrade.
Comments
They scanned and couldn't find out any mal functions on transmission.
I will take back my car tomorrow but still worry what if the same problem occurs in the future.
Service guy said they never have heard about new software update for the transmission.
I am not sure I agreed with you sentiment. It is a shame that Infiniti release a car with the transmission program not completely work out and they suffered by having slow sales and has to put up with subsidised lease program to move the cars. But the purchase decision is yours.. Don't you do any research before you buy the M? The transmission problem was discussed on every car mag reviews that I saw and in every single M forum that I visited.. You have ample opportunity to weight the + and - of the car before making the purchase. Don't blame Infiniti for your buyer remorse... Blame yourselves for making the wrong purhcase decision.
I read every article I could find on the car in many car mags , including Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc. and remember only one writeup mentioned that the tranny sometimes seemed "confused". What an understatement. Even the article from Consumer Reports did not mention any issue with the transmission performance and they are not bashful about presenting a problem. I read a few forums but did not get the sense that this was a major issue
In the end, I say, yep, it is my fault that I decided to purchase this car. But I did not know or expect that the transmission would be as eratic and aggravating as it has proven to be. Maybe I just got one of the bad ones. My other Infiniti autos were great cars and I fully expected if there was some kind of issue that Infiniti would promptly correct the problem. Apparently, a bad assumption.
and the TCM (ITB11008 transmission). So make sure you mention both when you bring your car to the dealer. The more I drive the M after the software flash, the happier I am. It has made a REALLY big difference by eliminating the "hiccup' when you start up from a stop, and it has even smoothed out low-speed downshifts. It's probably the best thing to happen to my M since I got it.
That upgrade definitely made things better and increased functionality.
On another note, I thought my navigation system besides being years out of date on multiple locations in my geographic area leading me not to trust it in other areas, was slower than watching the grass grow. I was reluctant to complain after the criticism I received for my transmission complaints. Now I see there is a "fix" for that as well. That is a lot of "fixes" for a $50,000+ car. I'm wondering if anyone else feels that maybe Infiniti should have gotten the car design right before they released it on the public?
But isn't what you lay out identify your problem? Why trusted any manufacturer? It is not like we don't have a lot of choice in the market. If you decided to buy a car blind without any review and any real wheel time to test it out, whose fault is it? Blaming the manufacturer does absolve your basic need to do dd on your purchase. It is not like Infiniti didn't have transmission shift problem in the past. I have 3 inifiniti in my household now, an 07 G35, a 10 G37 and a 11 M37.. My 07 G35 has transmission shifting issue and they fixed it about 1 year after I bought the car. My 10 G37 has shift issue also and Infiniti has a TSB fixing the problem and 11 has a TSB solving the program.. Each time I know the problem before I walked in and leased the cars. And I was compensated by the low money factor and rebate etc.. For my money it was the best car I can leased, transmission shift problem or not.. After all this is the purpose of this forum, to exchange information about our car and to let other know the potential problem of the car before or after they buy the car. I assumed that you won't buy your next car without reading extensive review from exisiting owners and test drive the car extensively first. So it is a good lesson to learn...
yap.. It is dangerous to buy first year auto regardless of brand. Cars are getting so complicated that manufacturer really has no chance of testing and fixing all the problems before they release their car. And the first year owner become the geniue pigs that will test out the cars. The only way to really protected ourselves is to buy cars in the 2nd years (or at least have enough owner review published) or later and lease the car instead of purchasing them.. Lexus has a lemon or two (engine valve problem that need rebuilding engine at the dealer, frightening thoughts). BMW has a problem with the 3 series high perfromance fuel pump (some owners in bimmerfest reported to have 3 and 4th fuel pump replaced under warrenty ).. Mercedes does not seems to have any major problems going on now, but I would not trust them either...
bienster- I don't blame you for venting your frustration with Infiniti- you think you can gamble on a premium brand with a pretty good reliability history, and it sucks when the gamble doesn't pay off. But, thanks for sharing your experiences, and hopefully your next car purchase ends up better than your M37. Thanks to posts like yours, I paid more attention to the transmission during my test drive, noticed the quirks, knew they would not go away, and ultimately did not buy the M37x. Too bad, because it is a really sharp looking car inside and out.
I am very interested in the 2012 M37x, but I'll need to carefully reconsider that as an option. Forums like this can be a real eye-opener, and people should be encouraged to share the good and bad.
heh heh, I think the only thing we learned from the venting is that buying the first year production car is dangerous and buying it in the first 2 to 3 months is even more so. But as you pointed out, it is an individual choice to make so why blame the manufacturer when the gamble did not pay off? And in this case, I think Infiniti is doing the right thing. They come up with a fix.. We will see if the fix actually work well or not.. But Infiniti definitely are paying for their sins and has to subsidy M heavily and the early adapter definitely suffered from the problem...
when you buy doesn't tell us anything about the car and only discourages people from sharing their stories. That doesn't help any of us and doesn't seem to be the point of these boards.
I did share my thoughts on the M in this forum when I first got it. It is in the late Dec time frame. You are welcome to search for it. I like the M a lot. I sold my LS460 with a lease payment of $1030 because of their valve spring recall (and by the way I did not go to internet to vent about the recall) for an M37 for a lease payment of $590 (tax included in both cases) and I don't miss the LS a bit.. The LS is more luxury and quiet, the sound system is 2 to 3x better than the M and the acceleration is faster. However, driving with the M give me a much more secure feeling, the interior is very inviting to my eyes, and the safety features (lane departure/blind spot) help me a great deal when driving the car at night..
I have the same transmission issue and the car did o.k. in C mode but not very enjoyable in sport mode.. Took the car in for the transmission and ECM reflash a couple days ago and right now the car is on Sport mode full time .. Still evaluating the change but it is doing pretty good so far.. The shifting is a lot smoother and the jerking motion while slowing down in Sport mode is gone (mostly).
One thing I would like to point out is that Infiniti is not doing well with M and it has a pretty good incentive, money factor and residual for those who lease the car. It will be good to evaluate this car not just based on MSRP but with our payment in mind. In my case, the LS that I replaced has an MSRP of 75K and the M that I have not has an MSRP of 59K but the payment is about 40% less when compare the M to the LS. And LS is definitely not 40% better car than the M. I cannot find a better sedan with less than $600 payment in the market today..
My point of posting is hopefully potential buyers will look at the M in totality (the cost, the good point, the bad points, the reliability, the dealer). The transmission problem posted problem for all the early owners.. But if someone is buying the car now, may be they can make out with the combination of fix and heavy sub from Infiniti....
The audio systems still not working as I like. The volume adjusting function does not work at all. And the high and bass seem to be pretty muddy.. I have treble set to -1 and bass set to -1 for now.. Anyone find a solution to the audio sound quality issue? Would changing the speaker help?
Last week, back at the dealer for the latest fix to fine tune the transmission. Much improved......for about a week. Now it has again returned to the original operation. Help!! Has anyone found a solution for this problem. I have even toyed with selling the car and have only had it for six months.
In postings I was criticized for buying a "first year" car. Carrying that to the extreme, nobody should buy a first year car. The only problem with that logic when manufacturers do not fully test their cars before introducing them is that the second year cars defacto become the first year cars. Anyway, four out of my five Infiniti's and four out of four of my Lexus's have been first year cars and there has not been a single issue or complaint with any of them. Between the de-contenting of this car compared to the previous edition and the sundry performance problems, Infiniti really did a good job of damaging their reputation.
I have not contacted the dealer since the last visit but the service writer promised to contact me if another bulletin is issued. If I don't hear anything I plan to contact him again in about a month. Let's keep the pressure on.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f21ba34/0
However, Infiniti at least continue working on it and trying to do their best (I hope).
Except for the problems mentioned here, I love the car. What a shame to have the driveability issues we have to put up with.
Did you do the transmission reflash for 10 G37? I have a 2010 G37 coupe as well as a 11 M37.. And we did the reflash for both cars a couple days apart.. I give the G37 reflash a 10 out of 10.. it is very smooth and powerful now...
I am already shopping for it's replacement because the cost is almost zero to get out of the lease....or I might just go the lemon law route since I reported the problem in Dec. (and my dealer said he couldn't recreate it....ha!)
Hopefully the fix will stop this from happening or Infiniti should consider a safety recall of the 2011 M37's before someone is killed.
I'm going to cut my m37 lease and buy my way out for $1000 after 1 year of driving. I just don't like the car enough to keep it...and for $1000 it's not worth keeping it.
Outside temp was better on that car as well...
I also think that this car has a lot of road noise...as was the M35...Otherwise it is a GREAT car!
I plan to take the vehicle in and request the remapping or software patch or whatever it takes to solve the problem. I was driving a Camry for 14 years before driving this new Infinity and never had any problems like this. I am extremely disappointed.
gb
Good luck in solving the problem with your new car. My experience is that it can be improved but not completely fixed. Sad.
I have to agree with all the critics when they say the repair is an improvement but it still is not what the transmission on their premier line of cars should behave like. While I'm at it, the Blue Tooth sound quality is terrible on the phone and highly cumbersome to use. The navigation system is many years out of date and acts much like the one in the Allstate Insurance commercial. Until Infiniti wakes up and smells the coffee the customer will never be totally happy with the car. It is really hard to fix something you refuse to admit is wrong. By now I think everyone has heard and is tired of the ..."this is the first time I'm hearing of this problem" line. If more people voted with their wallets eventually Infiniti might get the message. Until then Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).
I have the exact same issue with my new M37. I have taken it to the dealership and they told me that this is the way the car was designed because everything is controlled by computers but I am finding it very unsafe. I am now going to take this further with Infiniti. I have never experienced this in any vehicle I have driven including my M35 or any sports car that I have driven either.
I am also getting increasingly annoyed that when I provided evidence that others are having the same issue as found on this forum for example, the dealership told me to ignore any internet information that I found. How insulting....
The car is shifting a bit smoother but I still have pretty much the same issues. They told me they would contact the manufacturer if the issue persists. Oh yes, and I have also just experienced the problem identified in another thread i.e. at approximately 65 mph I slowed down quickly when a car cut in front of me, the transmission clunk down a couple of gears and the engine starting racing up to about 6000 rpms simultaneously. I do not trust this car and I would give it back to them in a minute if it could be arranged.
I want my Camry back.
All is well that ends well. Goodbye Infiniti; I hope you survive the mess you got yourself into.
To the guy with the Hyauandai above, good luck with that, friend of mine has one raved about it for a year and the the all hell broke loose, that car is in the dealership more than a range rover, at least a few days every month.
The previous poster moved to a Hundai....I moved to a mercedes e 350 Bluetec (diesel) ($59000+ sticker price) on a 2 year lease (12K miles). The montly payment is actually less than I was paying on my Infiniti...and the mercedes is actually quieter than my M37.
(The 77% residual value and a $4000 discount on top of the dealers normal discount for buyers moving from infiniti to Mercedes made the low payments possible.....as with the infiniti lease, I paid the first months rent and registration costs up front...no "capital cost down payment"),
after programming the seat setting. I'll mention it to them when I pick up the car. This my third Infinity (the 1st two being G's) and will also probably be my last.
I have a 2011 M37 that has 14K miles on it. The transmission problem is real and the symptoms confirmed by the head service guy at the dealer. However, Infiniti claims - the car is functioning as designed. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. If I design a car to stall at 70 mph, that does not make it right. I drove an Acura for 20 years and wish I did not switch!!
Issues: 1) The shifts are very rough - especially at low acceleration 2) Car is slow to find the right gear when attempting to accelerate. THIS IS DANGEROUS! Your other option is to floor it and have the car racing. Either way, this is very unsettling. 3) Sport mode down shifts in very unexpected ways. 4) At time the car shifts with a "clunk" - the service tech was in the car when it did this as well.
The local dealers can do nothing but communicate the problem. You need to post issues and get Infiniti to fix this. Service tech said these are all problems related to the 7 speed trans (about 3 years old so you would think they got it right) and their ever increasing effor to improve fuel economy. At the expense of safety and confidence in the car? What??
Call Infiniti Consumer Affairs at 800-662-6200. Tell them they need to fix it. It is unacceptable to say "that is the way we designed the car"...
When I started to complain about the transmission issues the dealer told me that I was the first they were hearing about this from. When I complained about the power windows opening after they were closed, or closing after they were opened, I got the same song and dance. Same thing with the quality of sound on the phone. Only this time they said it my phone not their car. Even though I replaced both M class Infiniti's in July I just got a recall notice for the power window issue and the bluetooth sound quality.
As long as Infiniti has their mindset that they only make perfect cars and the only mistake they make is selling/leasing one of their perfect cars to a less than perfect customer, they will be heading down the highway to doom like a run away train. You can't fix a problem if you refuse to admit you have the problem in the fist place.
As an aside, my two Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedans have and eight speed transmission and couldn't be better. They are totally predictable and smooth as glass. While they are missing a few features my M-37 had they have many features my M-37 did not have and they cost $8000 (each) less. One thing I don't miss is the lousy dealer attitude. After five Infiniti's I'm done with them. I vote with my pocketbook!
The very best of luck to you. You are going to need it along with the patience of a saint.
I have not received recall notice for power window & bluetooth sound quality.
Will you kindly let me know what it is?
Or post a notice?
Thanks in advance.
Over the years I've had 5 Infiniti's, 4 Lexus', 5 Mercedes, 1 Datsun 240Z, countless Nissan and Toyota products, and 1 Porche 944. I never had a window or transmission problem with any of them. The reason Infiniti can't get the problem resolved is that in their heart of hearts they believe the real problem is with their customers not their cars. They should never have released their bug infested cars for sale until they were reasonably defect free. I no longer have any Infiniti products. I got two fully loaded Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedans and we couldn't be any happier. That's why I did not save the recall notice. What it said they would do is replace all the window switches and put in a better quality michrophone for the bluetooth.
As an aside, I almost got T-boned crossing a busy highway when my Infiniti hesitated for a few seconds before accelerating. It felt like a lifetime. It was then that I considered getting rid of the car. I think everyone who has had such an issue should file a safety report before someone gets killed.
Thanks for your reply~
Genesis has Aisin mission, it's smooth.....like Lexus
Wonder what kind of mission M37 has? and why are they not fixing it?
ECU, TCU update did not do anything but made reaction slower than before!
When I complained about engine almost stoped at a hill while driving slowly,,,,
They set up, in-take air control,,,, doing my idle at 750rpm
It was 600~650 before. What is this?
I guess it happened because mission problem, locked to higher gear instead of proper gear. But tweaked idle set up.
After software update, rpm tends to be unstable ranging 600~1200 in a low speed...specially while I'm parking. It just moves up and down without my intention. Oh~wow~ made a reservation with a service center to show them and see what their reaction is.
I've lived in Palm Beach County, Florida for about 8 years. For the first 5 years or so I thought Infiniti was "the official car of Palm Beach." We had 5 of them on my block alone counting my 2. We are now down to one Infiniti. They are not selling well. I've seen just one 2011/2012 M in the past several months on the road. Since they redesigned the lights and exhausts on the 2012 Hyundai they are easy to spot. I can't count how many I've seen. After having tue luxury brands for the last 25 years or so I can't believe I'm relishing Hyundai ownership. My only wish is that they had a seperate stand alone facility for the Genesis/Equess line. Short of that they have really done a fantastic job with the 2012's. Unlike Infiniti who seems to have tried to see how much they could take out of the cars, Hyundai seems to have tried to see how how much they could get in to their cars. Between my lousy dealer experience with Infiniti of Coconut Creek and the awful experience with the M, after 5 Infiniti's I'm sad to say that I'll never go back. The car brand stopped being fun and stated becoming nerve wracking. I want to enjoy my car and have confidence in it rather than dread of what it is going to do next and how lousy the dealer will treat me.
Too bad; good bye Infiniti.
I've lived in Palm Beach County, Florida for about 8 years. For the first 5 years or so I thought Infiniti was "the official car of Palm Beach." We had 5 of them on my block alone counting my 2. We are now down to one Infiniti. They are not selling well. I've seen just one 2011/2012 M in the past several months on the road. Since they redesigned the lights and exhausts on the 2012 Hyundai they are easy to spot. I can't count how many I've seen. After having true luxury brands for the last 25 years or so I can't believe I'm relishing Hyundai ownership. My only wish is that they had a seperate stand alone facility for the Genesis/Equess line. Short of that they have really done a fantastic job with the 2012's. Unlike Infiniti who seems to have tried to see how much they could take out of the cars, Hyundai seems to have tried to see how how much they could get in to their cars. Between my lousy dealer experience with Infiniti of Coconut Creek and the awful experience with the M, after 5 Infiniti's I'm sad to say that I'll never go back. The car brand stopped being fun and stated becoming nerve wracking. I want to enjoy my car and have confidence in it rather than dread of what it is going to do next and how lousy the dealer will treat me.
Too bad; good bye Infiniti.
1. Plug it in using the USB port
2. Run iTunes on the iPhone for a few seconds.
3. Start a sound source (Pandora) or otherwise on the iPhone
My M37 is from early 2010 and it works fine. Have not had a software upgrade.