2001 INFINITI I30 Engine Problems

TL* TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNED A 2001 INFINITI I30. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER DAUGHTER WAS IN LINE AT A DRIVE THRU, A SMELL EMITTED THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. AS THE BURNING SMELL PROGRESSED, SHE ALSO SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE LINE AND CHECKED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WHERE SHE SAW FLAMES COMING THE ENGINE. AUTHORITIES WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE OF THE FIRE; HOWEVER, BEFORE THEY ARRIVED, THE VEHICLE HAD EXPLODED. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON EXPLOSION. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AT THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT AND FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO THE EXPLOSION AND WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A TAKATA RECALL ON THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V008000 (AIR BAGS) THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11324391

Incident

May 4, 2020

CAR HAS DEVELOPED ISSUES STARTING AND MAINTAINING SMOOTH IDLE ONCE STARTED. INITIALLY, A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE ISSUES AS THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. IT WAS CHANGED AT A COST OF $800. THIS DID NOT ALLEVIATE THE ISSUE. AFTER FURTHER TESTS, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THIS HAD TO BE CHANGED BY AN INFINITI DEALERSHIP. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY AND WOULD COST $1300 TO REPAIR AND FIX THE PROBLEM. I INQUIRED IF THIS MEANT THE ECM WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT AND THEY SAID IT WOULDN'T. AFTER REPLACING THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE CHANGED SINCE IT INTERACTS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY AND ECM AND THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE TO MAKE IT ALL WORK PROPERLY. THIS WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $3900. AT THIS POINT, SINCE THE CAR'S BLUE BOOK VALUE IS LESS THAN $3000, IT NO LONGER MADE SENSE TO MAKE THE REPAIR BUT I DID HAVE TO PAY THE $1300 TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACED THROTTLE CONTROL BODY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE TO INFINITI (AND NISSAN) AND THEY KNOW THE EXACT STEPS REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MY COMPLAIN IS THAT THEY DO NOT DISCLOSE THE FULL SPECTRUM AND COSTS OF THE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER THEY'VE HAD YOU PERFORM AT LEAST ONE OF THE THREE OR FOUR REPAIRS "NECESSARY TO UNCOVER THE FULL EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM" THEREBY ENSURING THEY GET PAID AT LEAST $1000 OR MORE JUST TO GET YOU ON THE HOOK FOR A LARGER BILL LATER. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A BAIT-AND-SWITCH SERVICE SCAM AND I'M HOPING THE NHTSA TAKES THE MANUFACTURER TO TASK ON THIS AND ISSUES AN IMMEDIATE RECALL RELATED TO THIS SERIOUS ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW THAT REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL COSTS TO THE CONSUMER TO REPAIR A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10954280

Incident

Feb 10, 2017

Mileage

131,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 INFINITI I30. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND WILL NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

NHTSA ID

10616379

Incident

Apr 23, 2014

Mileage

130,000 mi

THE CORE RADIATOR SUPPORT IS RUSTING OUT WHERE A SUPPORT PIECE HOLDING UP THE ENGINE IS ATTACHED. IT HAS RUSTED ALMOST THROUGH AND IF IT RUSTS THROUGH, I WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF STRESS ON A SECONDARY SUPPORT FOR THE ENGINE, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO THE ENGINE FALLING OUT OF PLACE. I READ THROUGH SEVERAL FORUMS AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THIS MODEL (AND ITS SISTER MODEL THE NISSAN MAXIMA). THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME IF PEOPLE WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS AND THE SUPPORT FOR THEIR ENGINE CAME LOOSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547832

Incident

Oct 14, 2013

Mileage

112,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 INFINITI I30T. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20-65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER PLACING THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD FIRST NEED TO BE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 136,000.

NHTSA ID

10443568

Incident

Dec 6, 2011

Mileage

136,000 mi

2001 INFINITI I30. ELECTRONIC MOTOR MOUNTS FAIL, CAUSING CASCADING FAILURE OF IDLE AIR CONTROL AND DESTROYING ECU. ALTERNATELY, THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE FAILS AND DESTROYS THE ECU WHICH IN TURN DESTROYS THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR MOUNT CIRCUIT WHICH RESIDES ADJACENT TO THE IACV CIRCUIT ON THE ECU MAIN BOARD. THE RESULTING SHORT CIRCUIT IN EITHER CASE CAUSES ACRID SMOKE TO ENTER THE PASSENGER CABIN OF THE CAR AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO REV WILDLY WHICH, IF NOT, ACCOUNTED FOR, COULD CAUSE AND AN UNSAFE SURGE FORWARD IF STOPPED. BY EMPIRICAL INTERNET RESEARCH AND MORE IMPORTANTLY - FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIAN, THIS IS A PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY SEVERAL DRIVERS/OWNERS OF THE 2001 INFINITI I30, AND 2001 NISSAN MAXIMA WHICH ARE "SISTER" CARS. THIS REPAIR IS VERY COSTLY REQUIRING A NEW ECU, IACV AND ELECTRONIC ENGINE MOUNTS PLUS THE COST OF REPROGRAMMING THE CARS IDLE LEARNING CURVE - TYPICALLY RANGING BETWEEN $2000 AND $3500. THE MFR KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE BY THEIR DEMONSTRATED "PROCEDURE" FOR REPLACING THESE PARTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10298931

Incident

Oct 15, 2009

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 INFINITI I30. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION AT THE RADIATOR AND ENGINE SUPPORT OF HIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CORROSION COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FALL OUT. SINCE THERE WAS NO WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE IS COMMON FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10265267

Incident

Apr 7, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 INFINITI I30. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOR A TUNE-UP, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON MARCH 02, 2007, THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR, IT ALSO CAUSED HIS COMPUTER TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST HIM SINCE THERE ARE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108000.

NHTSA ID

10188369

Incident

Mar 2, 2007

Mileage

105,000 mi

SINCE OCT 25 2006 I HAD TO REPLACE 2 SETS OF OXYGEN SENSORS AND A LR WHEEL/ABS SENSOR AT MY EXPENSE AND ALL BEFORE 49,000 MILES. I THINK A SENSOR PROBLEM EXISTS OR SOMEONE IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ME. *NM

NHTSA ID

10177445

Incident

Dec 27, 2006

Mileage

48,000 mi