Infiniti G35 Maintenance and Repair

carnaught

Thanks for the phone no. I am not very optimistic that the brake pads will be covered, but I am going to try. I'll give this board follow-up.

froze

For those of you who find the driver's seat uncomfortable, there's a tsb out on it. I called consumer affairs, and they called the dealer who had to order a "pad kit". Took about two weeks for them to get it and an hour or two to install. I took a short trip of about 250 miles today and experienced no discomfort at all. Definitely an improvement, but seemed to take a week or two to get it broken in. By the way, I've found both consumer affairs and my dealer to be both courteous and helpful on my complaints.

eticketride

What did this "pad kit" include? Can you visually notice that there was a modification done to the car? I am interested in this kit....Thanks for the info.

ethan777

i do own a infiniti G35c but i didnt buy it form the dealer. i had someone else order for me anyway..

the guys who ordered for me who has been wokring in the car bussiness for 6 years he told me that in the future if the car doesnt have a major problem or the problem that the warranty does not cover better not go the infiniti dealer.why?
b/c he said they will rip you off....

i read some post and some say the brake pad is all gone or only have 30% left something like that..well how do you know what he say is the ture or he just try to make some extra money from you.?

the frist day i got my car i hear the weird sound from the brake when i stop then relize the brake slowly...but i dont think it's b/c i wear off the brake...

i owned few other cars b4 and mostly i dont go to the dealer unless i have to b/c most often i can spend less money to have the same work done without over paying.

the seat makes noise: well it happens the first week i got my coupe. but i fixed when i adjust the back of the seat and it never happen again.

so in the future i will go check my brake somewhere else i can trust not some place i know i will get rip off for sure..

bigorange30

Or at least at my dealer. They have ALWAYS been very straight forward and honest with me. This company, along with Lexus, has the best service department in the market. They are well trained and they treat the customer like he is a king. If I disagree with them on something, I have always gotten my way so far. Well, one time they refused to tear into the wireless headphones to the DVD player because they were made by China Electronics. There was a microswitch not mating when my kids put it on their heads. I took it apart myself and removed the microswitch. I have them change my oil and wax it too. I don't let them rotate the tires. I do that myself. The loaners are sweet extended test drives.

froze

I don't know what was in the "kit". It did not change the looks of the seat in any way that I can see. Looks fine. One small wrinkle in the corner that may have allready been there. Not sure.

ed1026

Earlier on this board (message 455) someone posted a message about the seat belt on the g35c rubbing on the leather seats and making an annoying noise. I have the same problem and the only solution so far has been to turn up the CD player. Has anyone figured out how to make it stop - I know it sounds petty but it really is annoying.

odesskiy

I have a month old G35 Sedan with 1K miles on the odometer. It seems that every day the car develops new squeaks, buzzes and rattles. It's driving me bananas! I drove a Lexus GS400 for four years and not even ONCE have I heard anything - it was a freaking vault! I usually drive with my stereo off or on very low, now I have to crank it up just to drown out all the noises. If I could get rid of the car now, I would - I knew I should've stuck with Lexus or Acura. I've never owned a car with such poor interior quality as this G35. Of course, I've only owned Toyota and Honda products. I thought I could live with cheap plastic interior, but I can't live with all the noises. It seems they are coming from everywhere - both front doors, pillars, dashboard, glovebox, rear seat, windshield wipers - take your pick. Some "Car of the Year"! I remember seeing someone here trying to envoke their rights under the "Lemon Law", wonder if they had any luck. I'm taking the car to the dealer next week, but I am pretty sure it would be utterly impossible for them to get rid of all the noises - they'd have to disassemble and put back together the entire interior. If the dealer can't fix it, I will put in a call to Infiniti's Customer Care. Don't know what to do if that fails. I really think this car should be either replaced or bought back. I think G35 owners with similar problems (and I see quite a few of them on this board) should consider a possibility of a class-action lawsuit. Nissan/Infiniti really dropped the ball on this one. It's a real shame too, because the powertrain and suspension are top-notch. But nothing can make up for the horrific interior. I wouldn't expect this level of quality from even a $10K Kia or Hyundai. I'd love to hear any advise as to what options are available as far as getting these problems resolved.

carnaught

Previous posts of mine have documented my outrage of replacing brake pads at 15,000 mi., with "40 per cent" left on the rears. Thus far, Infiniti continues to refusing to cover this stating "normal wear and tear" and listening, at one point on the Infiniti consumer line for 90 sec. before declaring an emphatic no. I therefore doubt they will address numerous squeaks and rattles, but give it a try. I find the car is a gas to drive, zippy and cool looking but not on a par with Lexus as far as quality of materials and workmanship. The interior reeks of "Nissan", not a supposed upscale division. Don't give up, however, and keep us informed. You may want to go on freshalloy.com and see what posters there have to say. Some think that Nissan monitors that board.

rdb1

I filed a claim with the BBB against Infiniti because of all the rattles in my G35. From the day it was delivered to my home, it rattled. I had my G in 5 times for the same rattles. The car now has 12,000 miles on it, and it still rattles. The windows, doors, dash, and windshield areas all have rattles or squeaks. We went to arbitration, and the arbitrator determined that my car did not fall under the CA lemon law. The arbitrator said that I have to give Infiniti more opportunities to take care of the rattles. I asked that the driver's door be replaced. Infiniti said, "No." The technician even took my car home for 4 days so this way he could drive it around to try and figure out where all the rattles were coming from. After we needed the front brakes and rotors replaced at 9,700 miles, we've determined that our G is a P.O.S. We're already looking at replacing it with another BMW.

cheerioboy26

Sorry to hear of your problems. There are a number of bulletins on some of those issues. I'm not sure where the site is that lists the full text (I think it's at NHTSA; the link is probably somewhere in the G36 board at freshalloycom) but this one will give you "the short version" of each of them and it includes the number. It may be a good starting point.

http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/infiniti

You can get to the bulletins via one of the menus at the top IIRC.

tom17

I had a G35 loaner for most of the week since my Q45 was in for service. It was one of the original ones with about 14K miles on it. I immediately noticed that the brakes are VERY sensitive. Just touch the pedal and the car stops!! Press it normally and everything goes flying. Seems to me that this is the cause of the extreme wear. Some postings indicate the problem has been fixed on the newer cars. Can anyone with a recent G35 comment on if their brakes are extremely sensitive and grabby? Thanks.

tom17

I had a G35 loaner for most of the week since my Q45 was in for service. Put about 100 miles on it, never could get the seat comfortable. In both my Q45 and I30 I set the front all the way down and the back all the way up. Then I recline the seatback. In the G, the front does not go down very far and when the back is raised, the whole seat goes up. The lumbar seems to be too low also. Has anyone complained about this? Is Infiniti planning on fixing this? Other than this problem and the brake pad wear, I love the car and would buy one immediatly.

carnaught

Before our brake pads were replaced the car made a noice like running water....it would come and go. The brakes themselves seem to work well but in retrospect the wheels were considerably LESS dirty from brake dust during this pre-replacement period. Don't know if this'll help but good luck.

kitty5kk

I have a 2003 Garnet Fire Sedan with 7000 miles on it which I purchased in September 2002 from Infiniti of Norwood, Ma. From the day we picked up the car, I have had nothing but horrendous service from that dealership and also Harte Infiniti in Hartford, Ct. The car had scratches in several places when we picked it up and we were told to make notes and they would take care of them. Norwood outsources their body work and when I got the car home after having the hood repainted, I noticed what looked like popped air bubbles in about 10 places. Apparently they tried to wetsand the bubbles but it didn't work. I have yet to get this problem resolved. I have been back and forth with Norwood and asked if I could bring it to Hartford as it was much closer to my home. Hartford made an effort to buff them out but did not accomplish it either. I do not want to go back to Norwood as it is an hour and a half from my home in horrendous traffic. I asked to be put in touch with a regional service manager in the hopes that something could be worked out. No one got back to me from Harte or Norwood. I have e-mailed and spoken to a rep at Infiniti consumer affairs and they have been no help. They say that the only one who can put me in touch with a regional manager is the dealership. So I guess the way they solve their problems is by ignoring them and hoping they will go away. I am so tired of getting the runaround from all sides. They are terrible at getting back to you regardless of whether you e-mail them or call them. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get around the blame avoidant dealerships and non-communicative consumer affairs department and get this issue resolved? As my husband put it, this is one sweet car, but I have yet to be able to fully enjoy it. Thanks for your help.

carnaught

We're still haggling with Infiniti consumer affairs about the brake pads. With our second call to them, we were told by "Angel" that he'd call us back in "1 to 2 days" last Thurs. and have yet to get a call back. Yeh, they want your business badly but when push comes to shove, they don't back up their product. It has soured us on Infiniti. BTW, the level of service in general from Infiniti doesn't come close to other "luxury" brands. It's almost like the French govt. (who owns Renault, Nissan's parent) is playing a major role here. You may want to post on freshalloy.com as supposedly Nissan monitors that board.

msiseng

My car is back after two weeks in the shop. New brakes, new A/C, new seat track, full detail, new rear brake switch, etc.... After much aggravation, it is ready to drive.

Infinity just wants sales and could care less about you as a consumer. You all are sooooooo correct, other manufactures are much better. As I posted before and received some negative mail from Infinity (they must monitor this board), I will make this statement again: Infinity has a LONG way to go before it plays with the big kids like Jaguar and BMW. For now, Infinity is in the same sandbox as Toyota and Honda. Not great and not horrible.

To those who sent the mail: have you owned a Jaguar and experienced their service? If not, then please keep your comments to yourselves. No comparison at all.

Going to try a new dealer next week for more service. The service manager took a lot of time on the phone with me and I am not even his client..yet. Anyone in the Washington, DC area looking for a recommendation, feel free to email me. You may need to drive across town, but it may be worth it.

Hopefully this cross-post will let dealers know there are other dealers who care about the client and want to gain their business.

carnaught

Re: the replaced rear brake pads for premature wear, Angel with Infiniti consumer affairs did call my wife back today and will give us a credit with the dealer. Although this will need to be applied to my forthcoming (and soon) replacement of the rear brake pads it DOES somewhat restore my faith in Infiniti backing up its product.

bigorange30

whose name you didn't know how to spell?

ficuss

a car I described as "who" or "whose". A car is usually described as an "it" .A few prople here have spelled it as an "Infinity". Don't make that mistake when looking for Infiniti cars on the net. You may not like where you land.

kwets5

Well I am hopefully taking delivery of my long awaited (3 months) diamond graphite coupe. I am very excited to say the least about getting the car and one concern that I have is the radio. From what I've heard from other coupe/sedan owners and several messages have appeared here say that the Bose sound system is no-where close to being premium. I would like to here what everyone has to say regarding their thoughts of the premium sound system and if anyone has made any upgrades. I have to have a good sounding stereo in my car, not really into getting custom speakers or anything like that, but if this sound system has a lot to be desired I am wondering if anyone has done any minor adjustments to improve the sound...bazooka tube, additional speakers...etc.

Any advice and or info would be greatly appreciated.

carnaught

Actually the Bose stereo system is about the nicest feature of the otherwise cheap interior. I'm pleased with the sound and performance of the sound system and the car is a hoot to drive...enjoy.

msiseng

The Bose sounds very nice. Some have problems with the Bose Circuit Board. Mine was replaced and the system is great. There is a TSB for this as another poster mentions previously.

Congrats on your coupe!

bocatrip

I have recently heard a lot of negative feedback on the Bose System, specifically on the G35 Coupe. One member mentioned that he had made an adjustment on the speed dial ( not sure what that is) and the system now sounds fine. Anyone else out there have any issues with this system on the Coupe? The sedan owners seem to be satisfied.Most of these comments can be found on the freshalloy forum.

timaphylin

I took my Sedan to service today and reconized that the similar loaner G35 is more aggressive when I step on the gas padel. My own car seems lack of power. Anyone experienced the same problme? Is it related to my driving style, computer setting? Only 2700 miles on my G now.

Also, can I take my car to any other dealers for service instead of the dealer where I purchase? Please adv.

msiseng

You can take your vehicle to ANY Infinity dealer. Most make money from warranty work. They are often a separate business from the showroom. My dealer owns three brands (Toyota, Cadillac and Infinity) and they do the work for all three brands in one repair facility. This is also a SEPARATE business. They often sublet work to third parties.

Print the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) mentioned in previous posts and bring them to the dealer. Unless they do not want money from Infinity, they will do the work no questions asked. It is all how you state the issue. For example, you must say the rear brake pads "squeal" for Infinity to replace them with pad kit #BR-44060-AL585. The TSB addresses brake squeal specifically. Simply saying they wear prematurely may not work since there is no TSB for premature wear. Nice wording by Infinity/Nissan legal?

If you want the a/c unit replaced, you must say you hear a buzzing noise because this is how Infinity words it in the TSB. If you say it is not blowing cold air, you may not get a replacement.

Just read the TSBs, make sure they pertain to your VIN Number Range (VNR) and word your statements accordingly.

Regarding power, the computer adjusts to your driving style. My three different loaners were all faster. People have a tendency to push the envelope and drive them fast so the computer adjusts accordingly. My other cars work the same way..the loaners are all faster and the service advisors know why.

Punch your accelerator for a week and start quickly from stop lights. Watch the power increase as the computer adjusts.

I do not think you have anything to worry about. You could ask Infinity to check the ECU programming. This is free under warranty.

Those speaking to "Angel"...there must be 10 "Angels" at ICA. LOL. I got a different "Angel" a few times.

jaydoll

Thanks kitty5kk and carnaught.

I live in Htfd and ws going to take a ride up to Norwood tomorrow to look at a used sedan (Platinum with premium package) 37K. They are asking $28900 and seem to be willing to drop a bit on the price. But after reding all of your posts/horror stories, I think I will stick with my A4. It may be a bit small for me but when there is a problem, I take it to the Audi dealer and it is fixed. Who wants to buy a Infniti and have all of these hassles.

Thanks for saving me a trip

chrisboth

Look ion infinitinews.com - i forget what it's called..but whatever...anyone reading these posts are inundated with minutia and all the little things and the big things that are not quite right. Overall every problem most have have had with G are corrected in 15 mins at dealer. Trust me, Audi is no safer from issues and the comfort you have with a car means you'll prob put up with more crud than you might with a new one. These cars are rock solid with few probs that can't be rememdied very quickly.

rocketgirl

On the positive side of service.

Background: I bought my G35 sedan at Passport Infiniti in Alexandria, VA, because Richmond Infiniti did not have the car I wanted on the lot.

(1) I have a service agreement with Passport and since I go to DC once or twice a month on Sat. there is no inconvenience for oil changes. Passport is fairly new and their service dept was not open on Sat. in March. When my first oil change was due they agreed to mark me as a priority customer and have the Nissan side do the service. I was still able to pick up a loaner car for the day.

(2) My car had two recalls (brake dash lights and headlamp). I called Richmond Infiniti and had a wonderful talk with their service people. The gentleman took the time to explain that the brake dash lights were not connected to the brake pad wear nor rotor wear, but indicated electrical system trouble. The recall was to keep the lights from appearing falsely. I dropped the car off the night before and got a loaner. The service guy called the next morning to say the work was done and the car was being washed. When I picked up my car the service guy was (at least acted) pleased to see me and was bright, cheerful and friendly.

Brakes: I had them check my brake life while the recall work was being done. I have 90-95% of life left. My car (VIN range of M305XXX) has approx. 7200 miles on it.

Side observations: The loaner I had was a G35 sedan with leather seats but minimal everything else and no sport suspension. My G has just about everything except nav. and dealer aero pkg. I was glad to get mine back. The loaner felt looser driving (didn’t realize how much of a difference sport suspension made). Also when I closed the doors on the loaner they felt light (??). There wasn’t the tight foomph sound my G doors make.

Just my 2 cents.

msiseng

Read the following government website:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/results.cfm

Interesting material....

If Infinity will not fix your car, go here, print the evidence and file a complaint with the nhtsa. Infinity will fix the issue immediately.

Found a great Washington, DC area service dealer if anyone is interested, email me.

memphisslim1

Last Friday I took my 2003 G35 (with 20k miles) to the Infiniti service department. The problem I had been experiencing was that I could not get the transmission out of park. This has happened, briefly, a couple of times over the last week or so. When I pressed on the brake to start the car, the brakes made a funny noisy locking sound, and the ABS, VDC, and engine lights all showed on the dash, and I could not get the car out of park. It took me about 15 minutes of restarting the car and pumping on the brakes to get it out of park, but all of the dash lights stayed on while driving. So I called Thursday and got an Infiniti appointment for the next morning, and when I took it in, the service rep told me that Infiniti has a recall for the car for this problem (switch), but that consumers have not yet been notified. He said some people have had to be towed in for this problem, and he's seen it occur at 600 miles and 30k miles, while some G35s never experience the problem. The service rep said it is a switching warning signal recall, which locks up the autoshift. So I thought I'd post it to alert others about this problem. The rep said these are "first model years kinks" they need to get out.

When I got my car back Friday afternoon, it worked great--just like new. Plus they had replaced the brake pads, and the service rep never mentioned this, but I saw brake pad kits and labor marked "factory" (i.e., no charge) on the service itemization sheet. I am thrilled to have gotten a new set of brake pads, as I suspect the problem I experienced caused the brakes to lock at one point.

Also, my CD (#3) won't eject, so Infiniti service ordered me a new Bose CD/system (since the service department doesn't do audio work) and will install it as soon as it comes in this week.

All in all, great Infiniti service, plus the car was washed and cleaned inside and out!

I haven't had any major problems other than those mentioned above, and love the car.

norbert444

I just got the recall notice for the brake switch. I did not make an appointment since I also have the brake pads wearing out like crazy and expect to have that fixed also under warranty.

Where are you and what dealer did the brake pads without further ado. I am in So Cal and if your dealer happens to be here I can hopefully get the pads done without further hassle.

Thx.

memphisslim1

I am in Memphis, TN. The Memphis Infiniti dealer took care of the problem quickly and installed new brake pads (I didn't notice a brake pad wearing problem before the switch malfunctioned).

Still waiting on the new Bose CD/radio system to come in. I was wondering if anyone else out there had a problem with the Bose CD player hanging up CDs?

ryoken

Yes, the CD player jamming is a common problem. It's happened twice to me. The first time I had a nice long wait, as the head units were backordered. Second time was quicker. Once they replace your head unit, you'll have to wait a couple more weeks for them to ship your radio to Clarion to have the CD's removed and mailed back to the dealership.

memphisslim1

Wow, I had no idea what was in store for the CD/Radio replacment or how long it would take. One thing I've found is that the dealership doesn't offer much in the way of information as to what to expect in something like this (i.e., CD player replacement). Thanks for the heads-up.

timaphylin

How can I check the manufacture date on my G35?

cheerioboy26

look inside the driver's door. there's a sticker with the VIN and the date. It's in a format like this: 05/02 for me is May 2002.

tominfi

Anyone has this problem fixed? I agree with odesskiy on how poor the interior rattles and noises these g35 have, have the same thought of getting rid of it too. I felt like making a mistake not to own another Lexus instead.
Mine started to have this pop noise in the front door at 3.5k miles and continues to get worse since. Noise comes on pretty consistant at any speed on rough road and/or when the car twists and tweaks.
It has been through 4 repair attempts and -you guessed it- no cure!
Wonder how many more times I have to take it back to the dealer to get this thing qualified for a Lemon!
Need all your help please!!!

carnaught

I don't think that noises and rattles will qualify for Lemon Laws. They are not mechanical issues, just annoyances that drive us crazy. I agree though that although this is a fun car, it doesn't have nearly the quality of a Lexus as far as materials and service are concerned.

bocatrip

You guys need to go to Freshalloy.com and look at post #67454432. I think there are 26 TSBs of which I believe one has to do with your issue of the rattles and popping noise. Check it out. Good chance it will be covered under your warranty.Good luck!

mishima8105

I'm surprised that you g35 owners are having having some annoying problems with your cars. I was checking out what drivers were saying about their lexus is300s and didn't find any complaints. Something for me to consider. Does anyone have second thoughts about passing up on BMW 330i?

timaphylin

I noticed the rattles from the front dash, exactly in front of the driver area, only occur on freeway approximate 60 mph. oh.............how many more rattles in this car......
Also, my car with a little bit pulling to the right, eventhough the technician adjusted my tire pressure, problem still.

2003.5 sedan.

coolpop36

Yeah, I've got the dreaded door pop/creak also. Started off minor, then got progressively worse. Three dealer attempts later and the problem is much worse - now there are rattles in the door that I did not have before. Rattles are also starting to occur in the dash and rear deck.

I was so excited to get this car, and now I am somewhat disappointed, which is a shame because I really do like this car. I've already decided to trade it in at the end of the year for a 2004 4Runner. Had two (1997 and 2000) with no problems whatsoever - no rattles, no squeaks, nothing.

tominfi

It's not the matter of whether or not warranty will be in effect. As long as we have the date of the first service documented on whatever the problem (within a year from the purchase date, for "minor" rattles and squeaks etc.), Infiniti gets to fix it free of charge.
The question would be how many of us have the time and patience to keep bringing these cars back for more EXPERIMENTAL REPAIRS by its dealers? Or at worse, they just wash the car and give it back to us without even try to tackle the problems! This is the part that bothers me the most, it seems like their techs and service advisors just want to come in and work on routine maintenance services and make no effort in diagnosing and fixing other problems.
I bought the g35 for its technical specs, handling and looks, didn't think that it came also with lots of extras: problems! I owned Acura and Lexus before and never had problem with them, the only reason that prompted me to buy this g35 because the other two didn't have any new rear drive models at this price range.
Disappointed and stuck for I think I'd loose quite a bit of $ if traded it in this early age.

bocatrip

I feel for you and know that sometimes they are hoping to wear you out so that you may throw in the sponge and quit. That is entirely up to you. Some people can't take the grief and just look for an easy solution (selling their car for another). I don't believe you are that type so see if you can talk to the higher ups and constantly complain. "The squeaky wheel gets oiled!) Ask for a loaner and test your car before you give it back the next time. If it's not right....... keep the loaner until they get it right. There are many ways to try and get satisfaction. It's all up to you as for how much you want to invest in time. I understand it's grief... but you can't get satisfaction without effort.. Anyway.. good luck..

adrian8

You got that right tominfi. They like to hook up the computer to your car, tell you that there are several things it "could be" and charge $95, then say they don't have time to fix it. Wash it, and say come back when they aren't so busy.

jo743

The security light goes solid then to blinking when the car is locked. Ours also blinks
anytime the car ignition is off. Is this normal.
Thanks for any info. Joe

ryoken

I think it depends on your dealership and service advisor. I'm having trouble with the driver's seat being loose and wobbling forward a bit. There's a TSB, and they replaced some bracket, then flat out told me they didn't think it helped -- and it didn't. My advisor suggested I make another appointment (I have one tomorrow), because they have to have the car in the shop to call up Infiniti and start troubleshooting the issue. It sounds like they're going to try to diagnose it to me. I'll let you know how it goes.

bobp11

Mine does what yours does and blinks all the time when the ignition is turned off. I checked with the dealer about it after I bought the car and they said that the condition is normal.

envoydriver

Monday, an infiniti dealer diagnosed my brake shudder as warped brake rotors, they "turned" or "machined" them and then returned the car to me. Should i accept this repair or should i fight for new rotors? Is this an acceptable fix or just a cheap bubble-gum solution sure to cost me more in the end?