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Comments
I find it hard to believe this can happen to anyone who would then say "I haven't talked to the dealer yet".
Personally, I wouldn't drive the car another 10 feet if this really happened and would insist on having the dealer tow it in immediately for analysis/repair.
This (if true, and I am highly suspicious about that) could seriously injure or kill a whole lot of people if it happened in the wrong circumstances.
For a brand new design I would expect 1% problem cars.....1200.
When the Audi purportedly had the self acceleration problem [80's] after spending $20,000,000 researching it, they never did find a problem. Couldn't duplicate it in lab or on the road.
For a brand new design I would expect 1% problem cars.....1200. "
Actually autosite.com doesn't support that assertion, but I would expect a 10-20% issues overall.
I frequent a lot of the Nissan and Infiniti boards and forums also and haven't seen anything like this reported, anywhere by anyone except right here.
I came very close to getting the G35C back in late December '02 and still plan to make that my next vehicle (one of the primary reasons I still follow this board.)
If a true issue, then you report to your dealer and Inifiniti immediately and not go posting on some message board somewhere asking if anyone else is having the "problem".
If something like this does happen, you have to immediately stop the car and have it towed in to the dealer.
I'm virtually certain that the dealer will be able to read the error code in the cars computer, regardless of what other posters on these boards have said their dealers did or did not do about it.
There's simply no way a car does this and doesn't record the issue in it's computer for retrieval.
On Nov 8/02 with 21197 KMS ( 13,248 miles) my front pads were replaced Cost - Cad $ 211.45
On Feb 17/03 with 27,863 KMS (17,414 miles) front pads and discs were replaced. Cost - NIL , dealer replaced as goodwill.
On Sept 11/03 with 44,051 KMS (27,531 miles)
Rear brakes replaced and drums turned Cost Cad $ 342.54
Front pads replaced . Cost - Cad $ 180.82
Front Discs replaced. Cost Nil (Dealer goodwill)
Although I haven't posted anything here in some time, I am a regular reader and once I heard about Infiniti's decision to step up and be counted by standing behind their excellent product, I called Infiniti Canada who told me to document the brake history and to fax them copies of my paid invoices which amounted to Cad $ 734.00.
I did this last week and spoke with them today. They advised me that that a 100% refund of all amounts paid will be mailed to me next week.
So I suggest that any other Canadian owners with same issue not wait for any letters, simply fax Infinit Canada a recap and copies of your work orders. Their Fax number is (905) 629-6553
Only other problem I have with my G is a rocking driver seat for which dealer has already replaced the seat tracks about 6 months ago. Guess it is time to pay them another visit.
By the way I also bought another car 2004 Acura TSX,for the wife, have to say it is also a great car.
On a last note, I would like to thank everyone here who takes the time to contribute. If it wasn't for everyone here taking the time out to make a difference, I sincerely doubt that this issue would have come to such a good conclusion.
And a big thank you to Edmunds for giving us a forum on which to communicate.
19 months later and still loving my G.
When many speak, sometimes people have no choice but to listen.
How do you compare the Acura to the Infiniti, gabman? Is there torque steer associated with the Acura of is this a non-issue?
With that said, the TSX is a great bang for the dollar, but you still have to remember it is a 4 cylinder car. Even though there is more than enough power and the interior is both spacious and
very very well appointed, you still hear the whine that only a 4 cylinder engine can make.
I still love driving it , when I am allowed (LOL),
the handling is very tight and the drive very enjoyable.
My G's front light plastic lens covers are both cloudy and marred (i.e. scratched and mottled). Does anyone think this would or would not be covered as far as replacement? Car has 23,000 mi. and it's going in Fri. for rear brake pads.
There are a couple of products on the market that are supposed to be able to clean the lenses. I need to check them out too, epsecially for my Maxima. One is made by 3M and another by Meguiar's I think.
Know what you mean about being allowed to drive something ;-)
Great service, friendly people and the work is done right the first time. They replaced the rotors and the brake pads and did some other work.
It is worth the long ride for those of us in Maryland and DC. We no longer need to endure the poor attitude of our other local dealer(s). Passport sets and raises the bar for others. I rate them a 10 out of 10.
Expect Passport to take away business from other local dealers. I recommend Passport to anyone in the Washington, DC area.
This may seem strange, (I personally have never had pain from sitting in a car seat) but we actually had to return the car - for a substantial loss - due to just that.
We purchased the coupe on Sunday and Monday we drove it to work - 40 miles one way. By the time we got home, mine and my wifes thighs and legs were very painful. We immediately called the dealer and they did allow us to "trade" into the sedan MSRP to MSRP on Tuesday night. But after two more days the pain was not going away, and in fact would be much pronouced followed any ride in the car. On Saturday we went back to the dealer.
They explained it wasn't their fault we had pain. If we wanted to sell the car back to them they would give us $4,400.00 less then we paid with only 387 miles on the car.
I am not fat (5' 10" 185lb), and my wife is much smaller. This happened with two cars (the '04 Coupe and Sedan) and I can't believe we're the only ones to experience this.
If anyone has experienced discomfort please post.
Thanks
It does not take away the pain altogether, but does help the issue a great deal. In the end, it may save you $4,400.00. Also, how did the dealer derive this figure?
Another thought: will the dealer take the car back if you buy something else from them?
I spoke with the service manager about it and he said we were the only ones to complain of the pain and he had zero ideas.
I am contemplating speaking with an attorney about a class action suit if this is a wide spread issue. What I do know is that a $35,000 car with seats that are painful is ridiculous. My thighs still hurt and its been almost a week since I've driven the car.
BTW, the only one(s) who comes out well with a class action lawsuit are the lawyers.
Your right about that, but this is more principle than money - although the money hurts. If I had just changed my mind on the car I would expect to be in this position. I perceive this to be a defect in their product, one that has caused financial and physical pain.
I read most of the posts in this series and no one said anything about seat discomfort - that I saw. Had someone posted questions or concerns I would have taken the car for a long (1 to 2 hours) test drive, which would have uncovered the problem. I want everyone to know about it so they will not be ripped off as well. If they do not experience the same discomfort, good for them.
As for what to buy, I don't know. We had an A6 and loved the car, but not the monthly, and sometimes bi-monthly - trip to the shop. We had looked at the new TL, I like it but my wife does not. The TL did not handle as nice as the G35 sedan either, or ride anywhere near the A6 - IMO.
I really want something reliable. Lexus is at the top of the heap, but they have really lost their style, again IMO.
Any suggestions?
Go get a Jaguar X-Type 3.0 AWD or S-Type 4.0 if you cannot get the Audi or the Acura. Stay away from the '02 X-Type and you should be fine.
As for the seat discomfort, there were a few posts regarding this. My sales person once said these were racing seats designed by real race car drivers. Funny how they like to turn a negative into a performance enhancement. Who knows if this is really the truth?
Your service manager has never heard of this? Then what is the TSB for?
Safety issues have a greater probablilty of being heard than discomfort issues. You could try filing with the NHTSA. Unless it is safety related, they may not do anything. If you are convincing, then they can "urge" Nissan/Infiniti to do something much better than any attorney can.
Calling Infiniti Consumer Affairs will just put you in an endless pit of entry-level recent college graduates. Most are pitting for a real job within Nissan of America. It is a waste of time.
Again, where did the $4,400.00 come from? Sounds like arbitrary sales-babble.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Thanks.
Local Infinity dealer stopped providing a service of recommending and servicing the swap for both the Sedan and Coupe. Have not called tire Rack yet, and they won't suggest over their web site Have the "summer" Pilot Sport w. 18" wheels, non-Brembo. Blizzak LM22 mentioned in one posting.
I live in the Northeast, 42 inches of annual snowfall with 77 last year, usually heavier snow, not powder. Doesn't anyone drive their cars in snow? I've seen postings from Canada and the upper Midwest and can't imagine I'm alone with this problem and need the car all year round.
Drove my (still have it)69 Vette year round for 13 years in Chicago (P245-60-15 Goodyear Eagles last), similar weather, and never swapped tires, though it made for an adventure in travel with only 1 tow out of the snow. Then again, I'm not 21 and fearless any more.
Am not sure if they make the tires for the G35 and it is worth investigating.
Would not recommend driving the RWD G35 in the snow without these tires unless you are a stuntman for a movie studio.
*How I solved it*
Below is link to a store called "Sportmart." I bought an exercise mat, folded it in half, and sat on it for several days.
At first, it is slightly uncomfortable, but not the acute pain of sitting on the seat w/o the mat. Although I bought the mat as a temporary solution until I could figure out what to do, oddly enough, sitting on the mat actually stretched out the seat.
For the last two weeks, I've sat on the seat directly with no pain WHATSOEVER! I can even lean my right thigh against the right-side bolster as I used to with no pain.
Here's the link. If nothing else, the mat, though bulky, is pretty comfortable to sit on after you become accustomed to it. Good luck!
http://www.sportmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=978720&c- - - p=710956.693944&parentPage=family
What does BTW, TSB stand for? Anyone...
You may want to get a chop shop to look at revising the height of your seat. Not sure the dealer can help. Did you find it to your liking before you bought her?
My sister-in-laws' boyfriend has a 2003 G35. We live in the northeast also. He said it is "so-so" in the snow. He hasn't gotten it stuck, but doesn't recommend driving it w/out a good set of winter tires (he said he got around OK last winter because he tires were new, now that they have less tread....)
While the TSB fix helped a little, the foam works great.
Try it. The cost was $40.00 USD and so worth it. It is easier than having new seats made.
1) No winter tires available (front), second year in a row!! (bought my G35 on 01/03/03). I paid $37,000 for a premium brand that doesn't support its products??!!!!. Worst yet, the dealer (Cochran Pittsburgh), wash their hands and tells me that it is not Infiniti's fault??? that I should deal with Briedgstone or Michelin myself???. It is unbelievable, sometimes they make me feel that I bought a Malibu instead of Infiniti.... FYI, This car can not, repeat, CAN NOT be driven in snow with the original 18 inch package as it becomes a very dangerous machine.
Now, I have a car that is literally useless whenever there is snow on the ground....
2) Very disappointed with quality of exterior paint, and even worse, the support I have NOT gotten from Infiniti. I first complained on excessive amount of chips on the hood and on the side of the car (after just four months of ownership), and Infiniti did nothing, and said it was normal. Not even my old Mitsubishi Mirage had those issues, to the extent the Infiniti had!.
3)The latest, the brakes in my car lasted exactly 15,000 miles!. Infiniti will cover it until it get to 36000 miles, then what?? Will I have to change brakes every 15000 miles????.
I just feel cheated by this people!!!..First and last time I buy Infiniti. For the amount of money I am investing in a car, I'd rather pay a bit more and go with the proven brands: Mercedes or BMW, that would stand behind their products in a more consistent way. Infiniti just lost a repeat purchase and any potential first timer that I would have been able to influence.
To summarize, for perspective, I have had more issues in a year with a premium car called Infiniti at $37000, than what I had with my student-days Mitsubishi Mirage at $16000, in five years
Now I am more dissapointed with the cheap Infiniti build quality. No major problems with my Ford products (Jaguars and Explorers). No problems with my old Hondas, either.
Lucky I found a good Infiniti dealer in my area.
Not that I would EVER purchase Infiniti again, but didn't you know the car was RWD before purchase? Forget the tires for a minute..this is a variable you could control before purchase. Just playing Devil's advocate....
1) 18" in the snow - Why don't you get some 17" wheels with snow tires? Lots of coupe owners doing this. It's a pretty common approach for cars with custom or oversized wheels, including some of the Mercedes and BMW's that you mention. It also has the advantage of protecting those 18" wheels from the winter ravages.
2) Exterior paint - I'm not happy about this, either, but it's hard to single out Infiniti. I was also looking at the Mercedes C230 and Acura TL, but the forum threads for those had even more paint horror stories. So far there's not a single manufacturer I know of that's offering any relief for these problems. Don't think that running to Mercedes is going to solve this problem.
3) Brakes - Wow, you are ticked off about this. I was pretty happy when Infiniti stepped up to the plate with the 36,000 mile warranty, but you brushed that off pretty quick. My plan... if Infiniti hasn't improved their rotors by the end of the 36k, then I'll look at some aftermarket rotors. Then again, if this is the only high-dollar maintenance item after 36,000 miles, I'll count myself lucky. My '96 BMW 3-series cost me over $3000 in maintenance and repairs from 40,000 miles to 50,000 miles. So again, be careful running to BMW. You may end up even more disappointed.
Again, it's a shame that these issues have soured you so badly on a car so many people truly love.
I do and my car is in almost pristine condition. The paint job is wonderful. However, the windshield is another story.
I guess my point before i started to vent again was for those that have a good luck, more power to you but put yourself in our shoes. Almost 40Gs to have this many problems fixed or not, too much !!
Mark