I really want to purchase a used M37 but I have read some horrific reviews about the transmission problems on the 2011 and 2012 models. Does anyone know if this is also present on the 2013s?

I am looking at a used 2011 M37 Sport with 40k miles for $27k
I am looking at a used 2013 M37x Sport with 27k miles for $37k

Is it worth the 10k extra for the 2013 model? If the same transmission issues are present shoulld I just go for the 2011 and save the extra $$?

Any input would be extremely helpful

What horrific reviews are you referring to? I did a reprogram (service bulletin) when I first bought mine but I've not had any issues.
EDIT: I should also add that I'm only at about 17K miles on mine.

There are threads on all sorts of forums about the laggy transmission not accelerating at different times even causing an accident here and there...engines revving way up at low speeds and then not reacting when accelerator pushed....downshifting suddenly at high speeds....they are all over review forums and software updates were issued for the 2011s and 2012s that most people said initially helped then the software that adapts to the driver reverts to the same issues

Just like Wideopn11 said, I have an 11M37S and on my routine service it got reprogrammed and I have not had any problems with her, works great, it just all depends on you and want You want bruh, they are some really awesome cars man, good luck & keep us posted

I have a 2011 M37x with 62k on the clock (also had the service bulletin done before I purchased). I have no issues. There is a difference in the shift lag when comparing ECO to Standard to Sport. I only drive in sport mode as of late and have zero issues or complaints.

rickblaine10 wrote:There are threads on all sorts of forums about the laggy transmission not accelerating at different times even causing an accident here and there...engines revving way up at low speeds and then not reacting when accelerator pushed....downshifting suddenly at high speeds....they are all over review forums and software updates were issued for the 2011s and 2012s that most people said initially helped then the software that adapts to the driver reverts to the same issues

It would be great if you could link to some of these articles. I've not read about any serious issues nor experienced any problems since the re-program from the service bulletin. Sport driving mode is designed to downshift and rev match when you brake (hard braking/spirited driving will amplify this). It's always functioned the way it was designed in my experience. To be fair though I use manual mode and shift myself most of the time.

I will look up those articles to post

In the meantime what do you think of this deal?

http://www.hannaimports.com/detail.aspx ... 0416134509

rickblaine10 wrote:I will look up those articles to post

In the meantime what do you think of this deal?

http://www.hannaimports.com/detail.aspx ... 0416134509

Looks very nice and very well priced. I picked up my 2011 malbec black and love it and it had 40,100 miles on it. Single owner lease. I have the transmission problem you speak of but my car hasn't been updated yet. I was surprised because it was a leased vehicle. It does hesitate sometimes, I stress sometimes, when I pop out into a lane and punch it. Now that I'm aware of it I'm simply more cautious about it. In sport mode when coming to a stop it can down shift a little rough but again, all the guys I have talked to said the tranny update will fix it. The car will tune itself to your driving habits which I'm sure you know so when you first hop in, don't totally judge the car based off one test drive. go to car max and drive a few of them if they are available. drive an S vs a base and see what you think. The S will be a rougher ride but better handling as you know but there is a difference in the ride quality of the S and the base.

I just looked at the autocheck and it says there was frame damage due to an accident in 2011. This seems to be why the car is priced 7k below kbb. Anyone with suggestions buying a car like this? It looks to be repaired but again just visually.

rickblaine10 wrote:I just looked at the autocheck and it says there was frame damage due to an accident in 2011. This seems to be why the car is priced 7k below kbb. Anyone with suggestions buying a car like this? It looks to be repaired but again just visually.

When I bought mine...I told the sales guy that my mechanic has to look at the car before I buy the car. I am lucky because a very good friend of mine is also my mechanic who specializes in all things Japanese. So I took it to him and had it looked over, and he said "buy it"...so i did. If you have a guy, I suggest you do the same.

I should also say I HATE car dealerships, warranties and anything new-ish....but f*** the M37 is just sex on wheels so bought one.

One thing I do regularly on my cars now: a complete transmission flush every 30k miles. This is not just a drain-and-fill. I have the dealer use the BG system that automatically cycles the gears while under "power" and makes sure that the most amount of transmission fluid is replaced.

Costs a bit, but if it prevents my transmission from having an early failure (as happened to my 1995 Q45 at about 104k miles ... I bought it used as a lease return - my mistake), then it will have been worth it!

I am now at 151k miles on my 2003 M45. Just had almost all the fluids in my car replaced/flushed on Monday.

With the exception of brake fluid (which will be done at the next rotor/pad change), the engine oil, transmission fluid, differential gear oil, power steering fluid, fan fluid (yes, this is not a joke on Y34's ) was replaced!

Z

agoodall wrote:but f*** the M37 is just sex on wheels so bought one.

Cool!

Z

rickblaine10 wrote:I just looked at the autocheck and it says there was frame damage due to an accident in 2011. This seems to be why the car is priced 7k below kbb. Anyone with suggestions buying a car like this? It looks to be repaired but again just visually.

I personally wouldn't, however only because autocheck says that it doesn't mean it has frame damage. All it means it was in a wreck that was severe enough that frame damage could occur. That is underpriced for a well equipped M so it all makes sense now. A dealer would be asking above $30k for a clean car like that. Just keep searching and you'll find it, or have a trusted mechanic inspect the frame and if checks out go for it. I would still try getting it closer to $25, since you take a huge hit on resale value down the road.

good luck

Mjkkb2 wrote:

rickblaine10 wrote:I just looked at the autocheck and it says there was frame damage due to an accident in 2011. This seems to be why the car is priced 7k below kbb. Anyone with suggestions buying a car like this? It looks to be repaired but again just visually.

I personally wouldn't, however only because autocheck says that it doesn't mean it has frame damage. All it means it was in a wreck that was severe enough that frame damage could occur. That is underpriced for a well equipped M so it all makes sense now. A dealer would be asking above $30k for a clean car like that. Just keep searching and you'll find it, or have a trusted mechanic inspect the frame and if checks out go for it. I would still try getting it closer to $25, since you take a huge hit on resale value down the road.

good luck

Excellent advise. I would just like to add you should consider how long you will have the car also. As said above, if it checks out get it. I know most of us don't have our cars more than a few years or we get the redesigned model once the second year model hits.

szh wrote:One thing I do regularly on my cars now: a complete transmission flush every 30k miles. This is not just a drain-and-fill. I have the dealer use the BG system that automatically cycles the gears while under "power" and makes sure that the most amount of transmission fluid is replaced.

Costs a bit, but if it prevents my transmission from having an early failure (as happened to my 1995 Q45 at about 104k miles ... I bought it used as a lease return - my mistake), then it will have been worth it!

Z

What is this BG flush/system you're referring to? I've never heard of a transmission flush while "the gears are cycling under power". When I was a mechanic (I'm retired now) we had a BG "Big Dawg" machine http://www.bgprod.com/catalog/transmiss ... -product-9 but it was not used with anything under power (i.e. the car was not running). I've been out of the business for a while now - so I'm curious about this.

You should considering buying the M37 from a reputable Infiniti/Nissan dealership. Many of the non-dealer luxury lots sell luxury cars that have been in some sort of major collision. Which is why they often time sell cars heavily discounted. However, bear in mind that carfax/autocheck isn't a 100% guarantee either. Many folks will often pay a autobody shop directly to repair a collision to avoid a report to carfax/autocheck. You will need to learn how to identify signs of body work. However, a very skilled bodyshop can make it nearly impossible for a layperson/mechanic to tell that a car has body work.

FYI: Buying a car that had body work done isn't always a bad thing either. If the body work was done correctly, and the car doesn't have a salvaged title, etc, the car may be worth considering.

rickblaine10 wrote:I will look up those articles to post

In the meantime what do you think of this deal?

http://www.hannaimports.com/detail.aspx ... 0416134509

I love that exterior color. To give you a frame of reference, about two months ago I bought an '11, malbec black with graphite interior, premium package, 38k miles, and in great shape for $26,800. It had about 8 months of factory warranty remaining which was important to me. So I'd suggest you confirm the remaining warranty on that vehicle. Also, the listing for the car says yours has the tech package, but it doesn't, unless the wrong pictures are showing (I can tell because the button is not on the right hand side of the steering wheel).

As an aside, does anyone know how to find the apostrophe in the phone naming screen? For the life of me I can't figure it out. I can get upper case, lower case, numbers, but don't see any apostrophe.

Good catch, looks like no tech package on that one

I was very scared about buying my 2011 M37X after reading so many complaints from owners about the 7 speed auto. Honestly, from the M37x I test drove and the one I ended up buying, I think the complaints are hugely exaggerated. I am a really picky car enthusiast and I tend to notice every tiny little thing wrong about any car, but I didn't find any of the M37X I drove to shift in a way that ruined my enjoyment of the car. The only thing I really notice is sometimes there is a slightly over-firm downshift coming up to a stoplight, but it's nothing that makes me dislike the car or feel it's going to blow up on me. But I was driving a few American 4 speed automatic cars before this Infiniti so my expectations in automatic transmission performance were not as high as some other peoples might be.