2004 Infiniti G35 Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI G35. WHILE PULLING IN THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE POWER STEERING SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

I DROVE TO BALTIMORE FROM DC AND BACK WITH NO ISSUES, THEN TURNED TO GO INTO THE ALLEYWAY BEHIND MY HOME. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WOULD NOT TURN AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON, INCLUDING THE BRAKE LIGHT. MY BRAKE PAD FROZE MIDWAY DOWN, STOPPING THE CAR, BUT NOT BUDGING, EVEN WHEN I TAPPED THE GAS PEDAL. I PUT ON AND OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, TO NO AVAIL. I TRIED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AROUND, BUT COULD NOT. THEN I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT, BUT IT TOOK ME THREE TRIES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, THE BRAKE PAD STARTED FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AGAIN AND THE CAR HAS BEEN NORMAL EVER SINCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY THROUGH TOWN AT 30 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED AND ALL THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST INTO A PARKING LOT OFF THE ROAD. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED CAR IGNITION TO OFF POSITION. I TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED NORMALLY. I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STALLED. I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO PARK AND TURNED CAR IGNITION TO OFF POSITION. I WAITED A FEW MORE MINUTES, STARTED THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. *TR

I WAS ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND I LOST ENGINE POWER AS WELL AS POWER STEERING. ALL ENGINE LIGHTS TURNED ON. I LOOKED THIS UP, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SO THERE WAS RECALL ON THE INFINITI G35 SEDAN, BUT INTERESTINGLY NOT ON THE COUPE. THE RECALL IS REGARDING THE CAMSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR. I HAD MY CAR TOWED AFTERWARDS TO MY MECHANIC AND HE VERIFIED THE PROBLEM WAS THIS SENSOR AS WELL. THIS CAR FAILURE WAS VERY SUDDEN AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

ON MARCH 11 MY 2004 INFINITY G35X EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ALARMING SYSTEM FAILURE. THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE BRAKES FAILED, IN FACT EVERY COMPONENT NOT RUNNING ON THE BATTERY FAILED. THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS LOOKED LIKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON A SIDE STREET, AND NOT A HIGHWAY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A P-0340 CODE AND REPLACED BANK 1, CAM SENSOR. THIS VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 41,000 MILES AND IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I NOTICED ON-LINE THAT THIS PART WAS PART OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL IN MODEL YEARS 2003 AND 2005, BUT NOT MY YEAR, BUT ALSO THAT THE FAILURES REPORTED WERE AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE AS MY VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT HAD I BEEN ON A STREET WITH MORE TRAFFIC AS I HAD ONLY BRUTE FORCE CONTROL OVER THE BRAKES AND STEERING. MY IMPRESSION AT THE DEALER WAS THAT THEY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE DISPLAY OF WARNINGS ON MY DASH PANEL. THE DIAGNOSIS TOOK VERY LITTLE TIME, THE REPAIR WAS COSTLY, THE EXPERIENCE WAS EXTREMELY MEMORABLE. *TR

2004 INFINITI G35 WITH ONLY 47000 REQUIRES 1 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN 3000 MILE OIL CHANGES AND INFINITI STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL. ALSO RACK AND PINION STEERING HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT INFINITI REFUSES TO CHECK OIL USAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI G35 SEDAN. THE CONTACT FELT ABNORMAL PULSATION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE INSPECTION ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND HAD THE REAR AND FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS, ROTORS, AND PADS REPLACED. ALL OF THE REMEDIES HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT IN CORRECTING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,802 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,042. UPDATED 2/18/09 *CN THE STEERING WHEEL KNUCKLE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/20/09.*JB