There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters.
We try to boil down it to the most important bits and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.
The latest recall involves the 2013 model year and is for a slightly different (albeit still dangerous) reason: Although millions of vehicles have been recalled because of metal air bag inflators that can explode, Infiniti says the recall involves Takata air bags that were built with the wrong baffles. The outer baffle can cause internal pressure and that pressure can cause the metal inflator to explode.
That excitement, however, quickly turned to anger and eventually a lawsuit because the system required an app on his phone that wasn't available for download. The lawsuit alleges although the Q50 was advertised as having the InTouch system, Zingerman couldn't use it for a year because the app wasn't available for download. The suit also claims Infiniti has constantly promised products would be released to make the InTouch system work, but those efforts haven't done the job.
The lawsuit, Leon Zingerman, Niles Family Dental v. Nissan North America Inc., alleges owners paid more than they should have (since the system didn't work) and Infiniti continued to advertise the system, even as the app lived in limbo.
keep reading article "Owner Files InTouch App Lawsuit Saying the System is Pretty Much Worthless", bringing their grand total to 706,000 following last year's initial recall. This newest recall involves model year 2002-2003 Nissan Maxima, Pathfinder and Infiniti I35 and QX4; 2002-2004 Nissan Sentra and 2003 Infiniti FX vehicles.
The problem continues to be the same, dangerous story – the chemicals inside Takata airbag inflators have become unstable, and can explode with such force that they send metal shrapnel flying into the cabin.
The recall is expected to begin in mid-August 2014, but parts might be limited as other automakers have recently expanded their Takata recalls as well.
keep reading article "To Infinity And Beyond? Nissan Expands Takata Recalls"Nissan said 334 model year 2014 Rogue, Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles might have loose lug nuts on both right wheels. The automaker discovered the problem in February when a right-hand automated air tool failed to tighten the lug nuts. An inspection of 2,293 vehicles at the Nissan plant identified 52 vehicles that contained a loose lug nut.
The recall is expected to begin this month.
keep reading article "QX60 Part of Recall for Wheels That Fall Off"... just not for Infiniti. Sorry to bury the lead there. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the investigation after complaints about leaking transmission fluid. The initial investigation included the 2013 Infiniti JX, but Nissan says only the Pathfinder needs to be recalled.
The problem is the internal oil cooler hose detaches from the cooler, causing the transmission leak. That's something worth noting for JX35 owners who have this problem at a later date.
keep reading article "JX35 Denied Recall After 7-Month Transmission Leak Investigation"Now Nissan is expanding the recall to 1 million vehicles, including the same 2013 JX35 and the 2014 Q50, and QX60. It also includes many Nissan models. The defective sensor is part of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) that determines if there's an adult, or child, in the passenger seat. When there's an adult, the airbag is supposed to get activated – except it's not working.
"Nissan says a combination of factors could cause the problem, such as high engine vibration at idle when the seat is initially empty and then becomes occupied. Even the posture of the passenger could cause the air bag to deactivate."
So why is the 2013 JX35 getting recalled again? Nissan admits the fix didn't work. Great. Let's hope they have better luck this time.
keep reading article "JX35 Part of Massive Recall Expansion for More Passenger Airbag Problems"Correction ... an ABS problem. That makes more sense. Nissan discovered the problem in 2013 and found that driving on rough or uneven roads seemed to be the key. Technicians said the antilock brake system (ABS) pressure output software setting could cause stopping distances longer than expected when the ABS was activated.
The recall affects JX35 cars built between September 15, 2011 and January 16, 2013, and QX60 vehicles built between January 17, 2013 and September 20, 2013.
keep reading article "Driving on Rough or Uneven Roads Can Confuse Infiniti’s ABS System"The reason? A failed sensor in the gas pedal could send the car into "limp home" mode. And if that wasn't enough, throttle valve deposits made while limping along could cause the engine to stall completely.
The recalled vehicles are 2006–2010 M35 and M45 cars, built between April 4, 2004 and October 5, 2010.
keep reading article "While Limping Home, Some Infiniti Cars Could Stall Out"Owners complain their vehicles lose all power when the transmission fluid leaks out because the cooler line connection fails. Only five owners have complained about the problem, but NHTSA also spotted the problem in early warning reporting data submitted by Nissan.
Turns out transmissions work better when the transmission fluid doesn't leak all over the ground, who knew? Well, Nissan for starters: Nissan [and Infiniti] knows there is an issue because they issued a dealer service bulletin in July of 2013.
Nissan said that during the front brake torque member casting process, molten iron overflowed from one mold into another mold.
So breaking the mold broke your car. The affected vehicles were build December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013.
keep reading article "JX Front Brakes Recalled Due to Reports of Failure"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.