2012 M35h reliability?

[Matty1991]

Hello everyone. I recently bought an M35h with 77k miles and a full service history. So far the car's great, although it has some minor issues. My last car was a Lexus is250 which never really had any issues.

My questions are, how reliable are these cars? What are the main issues? I am based in the UK and there are not many parts available. Does the M35h share most of the things with a 350Z? I have also found that my passengers LED in a door handle does not work. Is there a bulb inside? Or do I have to buy the whole handle assembly? Thank you for any input.

[Rogue One]

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[Rogue One]

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[Mickey917]

Hello,
It's pretty reliable, mine is 78mkm from 2012. Nothing but free recalls (prop shaft, update hybrid module + transmission module). And a subcooling pump. They go far above 200mkm. Saw one with 300+mkm on leparking. Most issues are not specific to the m35h like heater core failure and transmission lag/flare. Specific can be the hybrid clutch but that is rare. That's my 2 cents
For the passenger led check the service manual. It should be explain.
Cheers.

[PalmerWMD]

Among the most reliable Hybrid luxury cars out there.

[Matty1991]

Thanks guys. So far I'm loving it. Great power, decent on fuel. I'm gonna have to get a brand new door handle from the US as its hard to get any parts for it in the UK. I'm used to transmission lag coming from is250. It does not bother me. However sometimes I get a little thump from the back which I think its the electric motor disconnecting as it feels like a rough declutch. Mine is currently on 77k miles so about 120k km. It has a full service history so hopefully will be good for another 77k miles. How long do the batteries last for? Are they a real issue? Thanks

[VStar650CL]

Unlike EV batteries, where the state of charge (SOC) and total capacity are displayed right on the dashboard and limit the range of the vehicle, HEV batteries can often lose capacity and "oomph" without the driver noticing. Some HEV's will have a display for SOC, but I don't know of any that display capacity. Since HEV capacity loss generally needs to be severe before the HCM will throw codes, the car's acceleration will always be seriously compromised by the time that happens. Fuel mileage will also fall off, although not as severely as the available power. Worse, there isn't any good way to tell, at least on Nissan/Infinti HEV's. Cell balance testing tells only a limited amount about gradual capacity loss, and that's pretty much the only tool available to us technicians. So my advice is, do a timed 0~60 or quarter for yourself to get a benchmark, then run it again from time to time to make sure the capacity hasn't deteriorated enough to worry about.

[Matty1991]

How long do these batteries last in a mild climate? Some sources are suggesting 150k +. Is it possible just to replace the faulty cell?

[VStar650CL]

Dunno about the M35h specifically, but from my Nissan experience, 150K sounds about right for a daily driver. Individual cells can be replaced on all the Nissan HEV's up to '14, so I'd assume that's also true of the M's.

[Mickey917]

However sometimes I get a little thump from the back which I think its the electric motor disconnecting as it feels like a rough declutch.

If so you should hear it coming from the front... Could it be the prop shaft ? Some people here will know better than me.

[Matty1991]

However sometimes I get a little thump from the back which I think its the electric motor disconnecting as it feels like a rough declutch.

If so you should hear it coming from the front... Could it be the prop shaft ? Some people here will know better than me.

It's had the prop shaft sorted under the warranty. It sounds like a rough declutch and from what I heard it happens on most of them. It only happens at low revs when you smash the throttle

[suby81]

I have a m35h which I got at 79000 miles a couple of years ago and am also in the UK. Now on circa 120000 so I can offer some input. Nothing has gone wrong with the hybrid side at all and coming from a gs450h which have had cell failures I don't see anyone with m35h suffer hybrid issues.

So far Ive had a clunky noise on front end which was down to worn bushes ( took ages to diagnose due to crappy garage not figuring it out) so replaced control arms (which were worn tbf)and droplinks. Parts hard to come by in the UK but most are available from nissan (sometimes via amsterdam so can take couple of days) but they seem to put a bigger markup compared to online/US sites.

All really wear and tear due to how heavy they are. Gear changes can be ponderous as you know.

Tyres are a rip off but I get bigger profile ones for more comfort and they can be cheaper anyway. Warped brake rotors replaced and pads again wear and tear.

Engine wise no issues, even converted mine to LPG which no one seems to have done in the UK. Economy is good for me (real 30mpg on petrol and 25 on LPG) and similar to what the gs450h was but m35h does feel like a boat compared to it.

[Matty1991]

I have a m35h which I got at 79000 miles a couple of years ago and am also in the UK. Now on circa 120000 so I can offer some input. Nothing has gone wrong with the hybrid side at all and coming from a gs450h which have had cell failures I don't see anyone with m35h suffer hybrid issues.

So far Ive had a clunky noise on front end which was down to worn bushes ( took ages to diagnose due to crappy garage not figuring it out) so replaced control arms (which were worn tbf)and droplinks. Parts hard to come by in the UK but most are available from nissan (sometimes via amsterdam so can take couple of days) but they seem to put a bigger markup compared to online/US sites.

All really wear and tear due to how heavy they are. Gear changes can be ponderous as you know.

Tyres are a rip off but I get bigger profile ones for more comfort and they can be cheaper anyway. Warped brake rotors replaced and pads again wear and tear.

Engine wise no issues, even converted mine to LPG which no one seems to have done in the UK. Economy is good for me (real 30mpg on petrol and 25 on LPG) and similar to what the gs450h was but m35h does feel like a boat compared to it.

Hello mate! Good to hear from someone in the UK. Thanks for your input. I'm getting used to the car not being as smooth as I would like, I believe that's a price to pay when you use a traditional transmission and not a cvt. What colour is yours? Mine is white and apparently there are only 8 of white m35h in the UK.

[suby81]

I have a m35h which I got at 79000 miles a couple of years ago and am also in the UK. Now on circa 120000 so I can offer some input. Nothing has gone wrong with the hybrid side at all and coming from a gs450h which have had cell failures I don't see anyone with m35h suffer hybrid issues.

So far Ive had a clunky noise on front end which was down to worn bushes ( took ages to diagnose due to crappy garage not figuring it out) so replaced control arms (which were worn tbf)and droplinks. Parts hard to come by in the UK but most are available from nissan (sometimes via amsterdam so can take couple of days) but they seem to put a bigger markup compared to online/US sites.

All really wear and tear due to how heavy they are. Gear changes can be ponderous as you know.

Tyres are a rip off but I get bigger profile ones for more comfort and they can be cheaper anyway. Warped brake rotors replaced and pads again wear and tear.

Engine wise no issues, even converted mine to LPG which no one seems to have done in the UK. Economy is good for me (real 30mpg on petrol and 25 on LPG) and similar to what the gs450h was but m35h does feel like a boat compared to it.

Hello mate! Good to hear from someone in the UK. Thanks for your input. I'm getting used to the car not being as smooth as I would like, I believe that's a price to pay when you use a traditional transmission and not a cvt. What colour is yours? Mine is white and apparently there are only 8 of white m35h in the UK.

Mines malbec black, not sure how common they are but I've never seen any m cars on my travels. Being debadged no one even knows what marque it is anyway. Yeah, the cvt was very responsive on my lexus but the sound did grate a little.

[Matty1991]

Hello mate! Good to hear from someone in the UK. Thanks for your input. I'm getting used to the car not being as smooth as I would like, I believe that's a price to pay when you use a traditional transmission and not a cvt. What colour is yours? Mine is white and apparently there are only 8 of white m35h in the UK.

Mines malbec black, not sure how common they are but I've never seen any m cars on my travels. Being debadged no one even knows what marque it is anyway. Yeah, the cvt was very responsive on my lexus but the sound did grate a little.

I've got a question about the brakes. This is my first hybrid. I have never had any experience with regenerative brakes. Sometimes the brakes are acting weird. They sort of pulsate when I brake lightly and sometimes. Mostly in EV mode are really sensitive, seems like they have only two positions, on or off

[suby81]

Mines malbec black, not sure how common they are but I've never seen any m cars on my travels. Being debadged no one even knows what marque it is anyway. Yeah, the cvt was very responsive on my lexus but the sound did grate a little.

I've got a question about the brakes. This is my first hybrid. I have never had any experience with regenerative brakes. Sometimes the brakes are acting weird. They sort of pulsate when I brake lightly and sometimes. Mostly in EV mode are really sensitive, seems like they have only two positions, on or off

They are like that i think naturally I'm afraid. Cant describe it myself but at light pressure you almost feel the lightest 'grab' at certain points as the wheel revolves when slowing to a stop but applying little more firm even pressure it doesn't happen ? My brakes were actually got quite bad as to the point it would grab at the slightest pressure at low speeds making me jar to a sudden stop. They were not fitted correctly apparently when I got the car so got the pads replaced and was it ok for a short while then started to get annoying again. Garage said they seem fine must be 'normal' for the car so washed their hands off it. Ended up getting ebc rotors and pads as was doing my head in and since then its made a world of difference. If you get replacements I wouldn't skimp on them as it seems its quite sensitive to the quality of brakes.

[Matty1991]

I've got a question about the brakes. This is my first hybrid. I have never had any experience with regenerative brakes. Sometimes the brakes are acting weird. They sort of pulsate when I brake lightly and sometimes. Mostly in EV mode are really sensitive, seems like they have only two positions, on or off

They are like that i think naturally I'm afraid. Cant describe it myself but at light pressure you almost feel the lightest 'grab' at certain points as the wheel revolves when slowing to a stop but applying little more firm even pressure it doesn't happen ? My brakes were actually got quite bad as to the point it would grab at the slightest pressure at low speeds making me jar to a sudden stop. They were not fitted correctly apparently when I got the car so got the pads replaced and was it ok for a short while then started to get annoying again. Garage said they seem fine must be 'normal' for the car so washed their hands off it. Ended up getting ebc rotors and pads as was doing my head in and since then its made a world of difference. If you get replacements I wouldn't skimp on them as it seems its quite sensitive to the quality of brakes.

Thank you for your input as there isn't much info about these cars anywhere in the UK. What about the pulsing brakes? Is that just how they charge the battery?

[suby81]

They are like that i think naturally I'm afraid. Cant describe it myself but at light pressure you almost feel the lightest 'grab' at certain points as the wheel revolves when slowing to a stop but applying little more firm even pressure it doesn't happen ? My brakes were actually got quite bad as to the point it would grab at the slightest pressure at low speeds making me jar to a sudden stop. They were not fitted correctly apparently when I got the car so got the pads replaced and was it ok for a short while then started to get annoying again. Garage said they seem fine must be 'normal' for the car so washed their hands off it. Ended up getting ebc rotors and pads as was doing my head in and since then its made a world of difference. If you get replacements I wouldn't skimp on them as it seems its quite sensitive to the quality of brakes.

Thank you for your input as there isn't much info about these cars anywhere in the UK. What about the pulsing brakes? Is that just how they charge the battery?

Think it is as if you look at the ev regen needle sometimes it doesn't always 'charge' when braking so maybe that on/off pulsing is the ev regen switching to traditional braking ?

[VStar650CL]

All the Nissan/Infiniti hybrids have "cooperative braking" between the ABS, ECM and VCM in order to integrate regeneration with normal coasting and braking. Because there's a "pedal force sensor" also involved in order to tell the ECU's what you want, it isn't really a seamless process on any HEV that I'm aware of. Chances are you're just feeling subtle changes in the applied-force curves in certain speed and brake-force regions. That will always be most noticeable in light-braking because the amount of total brake force is small, making tiny changes more perceptible than they would be under heavy application. The same thing can occur in coast-down situations where the VCM may substitute regeneration for engine braking.

[Matty1991]

All the Nissan/Infiniti hybrids have "cooperative braking" between the ABS, ECM and VCM in order to integrate regeneration with normal coasting and braking. Because there's a "pedal force sensor" also involved in order to tell the ECU's what you want, it isn't really a seamless process on any HEV that I'm aware of. Chances are you're just feeling subtle changes in the applied-force curves in certain speed and brake-force regions. That will always be most noticeable in light-braking because the amount of total brake force is small, making tiny changes more perceptible than they would be under heavy application. The same thing can occur in coast-down situations where the VCM may substitute regeneration for engine braking.

This will get some getting used to but overall you can't complain. For the power and sound you get there has to be some drawbacks. I'm looking for a new set of wheels, is it possible just to swap the pressure sensors over onto new wheels? Thank you

[VStar650CL]

I'm looking for a new set of wheels, is it possible just to swap the pressure sensors over onto new wheels? Thank you

Should be, as long as the tire shop is careful and doesn't break anything.

[Matty1991]

Thank you for your input as there isn't much info about these cars anywhere in the UK. What about the pulsing brakes? Is that just how they charge the battery?

Think it is as if you look at the ev regen needle sometimes it doesn't always 'charge' when braking so maybe that on/off pulsing is the ev regen switching to traditional braking ?

Hey it's me once again. Can you hear a little thump from the back when coming to a complete stop when driving on the battery? It only happens when slowing down from about 10mph to a stop. Are you expecting any issues with the hybrid system at your mileage? I'm gonna have to keep the car for at least 3 years and are expected to hit about 140k. I worry about any issues with the batteries at that mileage. Thank you

[suby81]

Think it is as if you look at the ev regen needle sometimes it doesn't always 'charge' when braking so maybe that on/off pulsing is the ev regen switching to traditional braking ?

Hey it's me once again. Can you hear a little thump from the back when coming to a complete stop when driving on the battery? It only happens when slowing down from about 10mph to a stop. Are you expecting any issues with the hybrid system at your mileage? I'm gonna have to keep the car for at least 3 years and are expected to hit about 140k. I worry about any issues with the batteries at that mileage. Thank you

I don't hear anything like a thump at all or any noise when stopping. Maybe something not ev related in your case? I have had no hybrid issues and the battery recharges/discharges fully in my 80000 to 120000 miles of ownership if that helps.

[Matty1991]

Hey it's me once again. Can you hear a little thump from the back when coming to a complete stop when driving on the battery? It only happens when slowing down from about 10mph to a stop. Are you expecting any issues with the hybrid system at your mileage? I'm gonna have to keep the car for at least 3 years and are expected to hit about 140k. I worry about any issues with the batteries at that mileage. Thank you

I don't hear anything like a thump at all or any noise when stopping. Maybe something not ev related in your case? I have had no hybrid issues and the battery recharges/discharges fully in my 80000 to 120000 miles of ownership if that helps.

It's not as much of a thump it's like a click when electric motors disangages. I used to have a e46 and that was a sign of a bad diff mount

[Mickey917]

Matty1991, could it be ITB13-008B ?
Designation is :
CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION

[Matty1991]

Matty1991, could it be ITB13-008B ?
Designation is :
CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION

It is only happening when coming to a halt. Between like 5mph and 2mph. It's like a clutch disengaging noise. I don't think it's anything to worry about. It's my first hybrid you see so any noise I'm not familiar with worries me.