Hi everyone,

Hope you guys can help me out. I need to know how long I should and if I should keep this car and whether I am stuck with a car I cannot bear the repair expenses for given what I have experienced thus far.

I just bought a 2012 Infiniti M35H in the beginning of January. Had it inspected by a mechanic I trust and it was given a clean bill of health. He also took a look at the Hybrid HEV and said the cells were all outputting the same voltage. No lights at that time. New Brakes and Winter Tires.

Car was great - no accidents (70K Miles approx I am in Canada so 115XXX KMS) and within one week of ownership, the following has happened:

1. Steering Shroud broke and fell off while driving after constantly grinding when the wheel was adjusted - Replaced by Dealer no charge @ 200$ CAD approx. The previous shroud had super glue on the inside that was noted by the tech as if someone had tried to slap it together.


2. Heater Core Failure and Replacement as per the TSB - This car and others had a TSB put out in which the heater core fails and the entire dash comes out to be replaced. This was done along with the thermostat folliowing the TSB guidelines by the dealers in house service department. Approximate expense avoided 3000$ CAD

3. Driver side door refused to open or close one extremely cold night. When i parked it in an underground garage it opened up again and would constantly be intermittently stuck. Dealer diagnosed this as a "Lazy" actuator/door latch and replaced the entire assembly. Total cost give or take was 500$ CAD all covered by the dealer.

After all these repairs I have the following two issues:


1) Passenger airbag light is still on and flashing - B1023 was the initial code - It was flashing a 1-11 pattern (1 long light, 11 short flashes). Dealer looked at it and apparently cleaned some connectors and realigned some pins that were bent. I am worried its a bigger problem and that the airbags wont go off in an accident. I am certain this is due to the dash removal and something they were ignorant towards/hastily put back together. The light flashes now and does not have long flashes or short flashes. The reset procedure (4 ON/OFF cycles) is not effective as the light returns upon the next start.

2) The navigation is lost - it reports the car as miles away from its actual location and it is not moving with the vehicle. I can correct the location manually only to have it get lost again.


So here I am with a car that has relatively low miles and possibly one of the most complex compositions I have met. I am seriously contemplating not keeping it at this point as no Infiniti dealer in my area has any experience working on them and I feel like I am going to get ripped off in some way shape or form even if I go in for something as simple as a 12V Battery Replacement.

Just a rundown of potential expenses I can tell are expensive just because there are no aftermarket parts and OEM ones are always on backorder.

1) Electric Power Steering Assembly - 2500$ USD?!!

2) Airbag Control Module - 1000$ USD

3) 12V Battery - 800$ USD???

4) Any other actuator including windows ~ 300-400$ CAD


Looking for some advice, recommendations or any opinion as to what I can do once I resolve these issues. Drive the car till when and then ditch it? I cannot afford to be burdened by thousands of dollars of repairs or God forbid the whole damn Hybrid System fails on me and I am out 10K CAD (approximate expense I have gathered for replacing the battery which is ridiculous)

It is no wonder why Infiniti Sales and fellowship are dropping. This car is a constant source of stress and I could use this forums help in making the right decisions moving forward.

Thank you.

Don't know about Canada consumer protections but I'd get rid of it.

The world will have to pry gasoline engines from my cold dead hands. If it ain't a Tesla, I'm not interested in anything else that is 'environmentally friendly'.

Ilya wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:02 pm

Don't know about Canada consumer protections but I'd get rid of it.

The world will have to pry gasoline engines from my cold dead hands. If it ain't a Tesla, I'm not interested in anything else that is 'environmentally friendly'.

Ilya you seem very knowledgeable - any idea on why my Amber Passenger Airbag Off Light is solid and my red SRS light on the dash is flashing constantly?

I get no pattern - it used to be 1-11 with B1023 but now it is just flashing constantly.

If you have any advise or insight it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

It is no wonder why Infiniti Sales and fellowship are dropping. This car is a constant source of stress and I could use this forums help in making the right decisions moving forward.
sorry u got troubles, i have owned infiniti since 1990 and i have not had an out of pocket repair aside from maintenance , somebody sold you a lemon, go after the guy that did not do routine maintenance, please don't slam entire brand!!

Please look into the factory service manual in my signature...this may help you with some of your issues.

sadboy wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:37 pm

Ilya you seem very knowledgeable - any idea on why my Amber Passenger Airbag Off Light is solid and my red SRS light on the dash is flashing constantly?

I get no pattern - it used to be 1-11 with B1023 but now it is just flashing constantly.

If you have any advise or insight it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

So the airbag flashing pattern is indicative of what more specifically is wrong without having the Nissan (Infiniti) specific scan tool: Consult 2/3/4, once you get into the diagnostic mode for the airbag light.

See this webpage for what the pattern of flashes mean: https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/uploa ... 4743_1.gif

See this webpage for how to enter diagnostic mode without Consult device: https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/uploa ... and_up.jpg

Not sure about the life of the hybrid technology for Nissan/Infiniti, but definitely older technology, so their lifespan is surely limited. You don't know how well or poorly the previous owner managed charging/recharging the car's batteries, eg. memory effect?

Navigation issue sounds like someone might have hacked into the vehicle position sensor wires (in order to run video/DVD while driving) Usually there an aftermarket button or switch someone in the car (I did this on my '06 M45 and wired the switch into the center console armrest area, so not noticeable unless you were looking for it)

When you activate the switch, you fool the car into thinking that you are stopped (which allows you to run video on your nav screen while driving). This effectively confuses the navigation system until you stop.

Locks sticking (essentially frozen) after extremely cold temperatures have been mentioned by several folks, so not particular to your ride.

Honestly, my M45 was a rock solid beast and my upgrade from that, "13 M37 Sport was even better (V8 VK engine in the M45 and V6 VHR engine in the M37) both bullet proof engines. I was just disappointed in the lack of tech improvements in the M37 considering older Nissan models had better "toys."
Subsequently, I went a completely different direction on my next car...2014 Audi RS7!!

I would worry more about the state of your hybrid batteries - not sure if there is an easy way to check the health of them.
Might be better off getting another non-hybrid ride. good luck with whatever you decide!!!

Infiniti only 'dabbled' into hybrids and quickly ran back to petrol only vehicles. Infiniti have never viewed a hybrid in terms of efficiency. Their goal was to provide more bhp.
They quietly dropped the hybrid 'idea' after they found a way to build a 3 liter turbo engine that makes 400 bhp. Cars like yours were never around long enough, or sold well enough to have properly trained mechanics at the ready. The dealer techs are blindly following instructions from their computer for repairs. If I were you, while it is still running well enough, trade it. I doubt you would feel good about dropping it on an innocent private buyer to become an albatross around their neck. You will definitely NOT get a good price for it on a trade - regardless of where you trade it. This is one of those situations we all experience from time to time called an "expensive lesson".
Personally, would never recommend any hybrid aside from the Toyota Prius, which is now in its 20th year on the road. But of course a Prius is a far cry from anything sporty or powerfull. If you're going to trade for something new, I'd go with the Genesis G80 sport V6. It has only 7 less torques than the V8 engine and makes 365 bph with a ten year warranty on the drivetrain. For used, I like the 2015 and up Genesis sedans, and if that's too new, try to find a used Equus with the Tau V8.

I am very very suspicious that some of those problems were caused y the dash removal.
Dash removal is always risky IMO.

Seems like they took fantastic care of you with your other issues.. .. was it an aftermarket warranty or one of those dealer offerd "first 90 days/3000 miles are on us".
Either way so war the dealer seems to be doing well for you.
Now all u got to do is them admitting the Nav and the airbag are due to dash removal and fix it.

Its a beautiful car.
If they are putting so many parts in it I would be fine with keeping it..

Just because item X needed help does not mean item Y now has greater statistical chance of failure.

mazz wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 07, 2020 4:47 am

It is no wonder why Infiniti Sales and fellowship are dropping. This car is a constant source of stress and I could use this forums help in making the right decisions moving forward.
sorry u got troubles, i have owned infiniti since 1990 and i have not had an out of pocket repair aside from maintenance , somebody sold you a lemon, go after the guy that did not do routine maintenance, please don't slam entire brand!!

Mazz,

With all due respect, I am sure the brand has had its highs and lows and your ownership tenure far exceeds mine. Unfortunately, both my Infiniti vehicles have not been so trouble-free and have also required some very expensive components. The annoyance caused by the issues they often have is also mentally consuming/draining. Owning 2 Infinitis and seeing commonalities and continued poor craftsmanship in their models has led me to lose confidence in the brand as an entirety however I am sure it does have quality cars every so often.

The brand itself has showcased its inability to grow from feedback. Lexus may be dull but they get things right before they build on top of it.

Cheers.

Ilya wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:37 am

Please look into the factory service manual in my signature...this may help you with some of your issues.

Thanks for your reply, I have attached an update below please feel free to review it and reply accordingly.

pedsemdoc wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:48 am

sadboy wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:37 pm

Ilya you seem very knowledgeable - any idea on why my Amber Passenger Airbag Off Light is solid and my red SRS light on the dash is flashing constantly?

I get no pattern - it used to be 1-11 with B1023 but now it is just flashing constantly.

If you have any advise or insight it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

So the airbag flashing pattern is indicative of what more specifically is wrong without having the Nissan (Infiniti) specific scan tool: Consult 2/3/4, once you get into the diagnostic mode for the airbag light.

See this webpage for what the pattern of flashes mean: https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/uploa ... 4743_1.gif

See this webpage for how to enter diagnostic mode without Consult device: https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/uploa ... and_up.jpg

Not sure about the life of the hybrid technology for Nissan/Infiniti, but definitely older technology, so their lifespan is surely limited. You don't know how well or poorly the previous owner managed charging/recharging the car's batteries, eg. memory effect?

Navigation issue sounds like someone might have hacked into the vehicle position sensor wires (in order to run video/DVD while driving) Usually there an aftermarket button or switch someone in the car (I did this on my '06 M45 and wired the switch into the center console armrest area, so not noticeable unless you were looking for it)

When you activate the switch, you fool the car into thinking that you are stopped (which allows you to run video on your nav screen while driving). This effectively confuses the navigation system until you stop.

Locks sticking (essentially frozen) after extremely cold temperatures have been mentioned by several folks, so not particular to your ride.

Honestly, my M45 was a rock solid beast and my upgrade from that, "13 M37 Sport was even better (V8 VK engine in the M45 and V6 VHR engine in the M37) both bullet proof engines. I was just disappointed in the lack of tech improvements in the M37 considering older Nissan models had better "toys."
Subsequently, I went a completely different direction on my next car...2014 Audi RS7!!

I would worry more about the state of your hybrid batteries - not sure if there is an easy way to check the health of them.
Might be better off getting another non-hybrid ride. good luck with whatever you decide!!!

Thank you for your reply. I can definitely see consistency in their powertrain reliability as there arent many Nissan/Infiniti owners saying their motors blew out from common use/have bad variable valve timing.

The RS7 is a beautiful car I wanted to avoid Germans because i was fooled in to thinking Infiniti = Japanese reliability with comparable luxury.

I have attached an update below that has resolved the issues described above for now. Please feel free to review it and advise.

Cheers.

Larz wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:55 am

Infiniti only 'dabbled' into hybrids and quickly ran back to petrol only vehicles. Infiniti have never viewed a hybrid in terms of efficiency. Their goal was to provide more bhp.
They quietly dropped the hybrid 'idea' after they found a way to build a 3 liter turbo engine that makes 400 bhp. Cars like yours were never around long enough, or sold well enough to have properly trained mechanics at the ready. The dealer techs are blindly following instructions from their computer for repairs. If I were you, while it is still running well enough, trade it. I doubt you would feel good about dropping it on an innocent private buyer to become an albatross around their neck. You will definitely NOT get a good price for it on a trade - regardless of where you trade it. This is one of those situations we all experience from time to time called an "expensive lesson".
Personally, would never recommend any hybrid aside from the Toyota Prius, which is now in its 20th year on the road. But of course a Prius is a far cry from anything sporty or powerfull. If you're going to trade for something new, I'd go with the Genesis G80 sport V6. It has only 7 less torques than the V8 engine and makes 365 bph with a ten year warranty on the drivetrain. For used, I like the 2015 and up Genesis sedans, and if that's too new, try to find a used Equus with the Tau V8.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I would not wish this sort of doubt towards a used car on anyone. Good karma my friends.

You raise a very valid point on the erratic switch to and from Hybrid technology. Supposedly in development since 2006 and then only leveraged for a 5-7 year lifecycle. That is poor R&D from a company milking the Jatco CVTs for everything they can be worth since they have invested way too much in their development.

Regarding your points surrounding the trade-in, it is no secret the vehicle is not the best known nor is it the most marketable given the fact that it has been discontinued. I hope to break 70% of current value in a year that does result in a small loss but an "expensive lesson" that I will carry forward.

Ultimately, I think my next car will be a Lexus that is strictly gasoline-powered. I think it serves 90% of my purpose and my desires without compromising on the reliability element.

I did post an update below on the airbag light and navigation. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

PalmerWMD wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:19 pm

I am very very suspicious that some of those problems were caused y the dash removal.
Dash removal is always risky IMO.

Seems like they took fantastic care of you with your other issues.. .. was it an aftermarket warranty or one of those dealer offerd "first 90 days/3000 miles are on us".
Either way so war the dealer seems to be doing well for you.
Now all u got to do is them admitting the Nav and the airbag are due to dash removal and fix it.

Its a beautiful car.
If they are putting so many parts in it I would be fine with keeping it..

Just because item X needed help does not mean item Y now has greater statistical chance of failure.

You hit the nail on the head, it was very obvious the dash pull was the cause for these followup concerns. There was no warranty but I had so many issues present that were safety related within the safety period (30 days).

I posted an update to the air bag issue below. Please feel free to comment.

The service was simply acceptable but truly gave me an ugly look at the world of used cars. Truth be told I was at their necks and had the soft hand but firm grip approach across all my dealings. I did get lucky and have some empathetic individuals otherwise I would have been up the creek with no paddle.

I am now considering driving it for a short while and banking on it holding up until it comes time to trade in for a Lexus. Hope all goes well.

UPDATE ON AIR BAG LIGHT + NAVIGATION

So following my earlier post, the vehicle was again taken apart (dashboard removal) and the service department ALLEGEDLY observed that while wires had not been pinched they were snug leading up the Passenger Occupancy Light. The snug wire resulted in an inadequate connection on one of the pins that caused the intermittent airbag system malfunction.

The navigation system has only two cables connecting to it. One that provides power and communication to the antenna and one that relays that to the head unit. The one leading to the head unit was apparently not fully connected and resulted in no location being relayed.

Both issues were resolved and I have been periodically testing the car with and without passengers ever since. This experience has taught me quite a bit about the used car world and why it is never a bad idea to test a vehicle thoroughly before buying or paying marginally more to buy a vehicle with more confidence.

My own personal mechanic believes there was service incompetence in the dash removal and reassembly but has advised that at this point this may be the best that I will do.

We have scheduled the following at the next 10,000KMS service interval.

A) Oil change
B) ATF Flush
C) Diff Fluid Flush

Feel free to chime in as we referred to the FSM (Thanks Ilya) in our evaluation.

Planning to keep the car for atleast 1 year to atleast get some life out of it before trading in and going to Lexus.

Thanks

Update #2

this is seen with the climate control set to the head position

Driver side blows very little to no air (Hot/Cold) - was previously working fine.

Passenger side - blows cold air way stronger then warm air - temp is fine.

This issue was seen before after the heater core replacement was apparently resolved as the blend doors had to be recalibrated. I am not sure how blend door recalibration is done.

What do you guys think?

I'm curious where you purchased yours from. When I bought mine in January, there were only 3 being sold in all of Canada. Did you buy it from Car Nations in Burlington? By the time I made it there, I was told they sold it the night before.

Ended up buying mine from a dealer in Etobicoke and had 129K (80K miles). I got new brakes, winter tires and a clean car. I've had no issues at all. Everything works as if the car rolled off the new dealer lot yesterday. Gas mileage is surprisingly good and the car is a beast!

vq35power wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:37 pm

I'm curious where you purchased yours from. When I bought mine in January, there were only 3 being sold in all of Canada. Did you buy it from Car Nations in Burlington? By the time I made it there, I was told they sold it the night before.

Ended up buying mine from a dealer in Etobicoke and had 129K (80K miles). I got new brakes, winter tires and a clean car. I've had no issues at all. Everything works as if the car rolled off the new dealer lot yesterday. Gas mileage is surprisingly good and the car is a beast!

Yeah I went to that dealership and have had a terrible experience. It took quite a bit of effort to get someone to listen to me and the sales side has basically closed off contact as they no longer feel they are liable for anything on the car.

The sales rep that sold me the car was initially receptive but I have a feeling her direct manager told her to basically let me suffer and hope I went away.

Had to escalate all the way to the director of the company to get any sort of action going.

Glad you got your car and she’s running fine. My only advice would be to keep a close eye on it because sourcing parts for these vehicles at a reasonable price is VERY difficult as everything is available through the dealer at insane price points.

The amount of issues I have read about since digging deeper in to the TSBs is also alarming.

UPDATE:

had the car on defrost mode and switched it to head position with the typical no air in the driver side and weak air on the passenger..

About 20 mins in to my drive I hear a snap and a plastic clunk as if something went in to place or finally caught and air started blowing out the vents at a slightly increased rate.

My friend says the blend doors are malfunctioning 100% and so does my mechanic.

Sad part is I had told them to let me know if the blend doors needed replacement and they told me otherwise.

The damn car has literally 6 different actuators or door motors so it’s going to take a lot of diagnosis to figure this out.

vq35power wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:37 pm

I'm curious where you purchased yours from. When I bought mine in January, there were only 3 being sold in all of Canada. Did you buy it from Car Nations in Burlington? By the time I made it there, I was told they sold it the night before.

Ended up buying mine from a dealer in Etobicoke and had 129K (80K miles). I got new brakes, winter tires and a clean car. I've had no issues at all. Everything works as if the car rolled off the new dealer lot yesterday. Gas mileage is surprisingly good and the car is a beast!

There is another one up for sale with 130kms for 13.5k CAD. It’s being sold by MotorLand in North York. Is that your car?

It was up for a while on autotrader

No that's the only one left. Didn't want one with beige interior. I got mine from Jimiline auto, liquid platinum on black leather.

Where did you get yours?

vq35power wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:19 am

No that's the only one left. Didn't want one with beige interior. I got mine from Jimiline auto, liquid platinum on black leather.

Where did you get yours?

Mentioned above that I got mine from CarNation.

Hmmm that's the one that I wanted to purchase. Take it back to them. They have good reviews and should provide post sales support to an extent. That car you got, looked mint in the pictures. Sorry you're having so many issues with it.

Amazing what a small world it is!
Two guys had been looking at the same cars and find each other on here!

I know right! This is crazy

@sadboy. I don't have enough posts to respond to DM yet so posting reply here. Try TJF Auto on Wolfedale in Mississauga. I asked them about working on hybrid cars during initial inspection and they have the certs to work on these cars. All my previous vehicles were serviced by these guys and I've had no quality issues. Their pricing is good and have been honest with me for all their services.

They also just installed a remote starter in my car today and I'm loving it.

vq35power wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 10, 2020 4:56 pm

@sadboy. I don't have enough posts to respond to DM yet so posting reply here. Try TJF Auto on Wolfedale in Mississauga. I asked them about working on hybrid cars during initial inspection and they have the certs to work on these cars. All my previous vehicles were serviced by these guys and I've had no quality issues. Their pricing is good and have been honest with me for all their services.

They also just installed a remote starter in my car today and I'm loving it.

Oh awesome how much was the remote starter + installation? I have been looking in to one myself.

I called them and spoke to a nice guy named Jawad but they seemed really busy and a few of their reviews did talk about some shady safety certificates.. not sure if I wanted someone to cut corners on a car that has already been neglected so got a bit discouraged from them

My primary concern is someone who knows how to work with Hybrid vehicles, source parts accurately and install them without being dishonest about labour and if they break anything.

My car is at CarNation again today - dropped it off in the morning with the hope of them resolving my heater issues once and for all

PalmerWMD wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 10, 2020 4:03 pm

Amazing what a small world it is!
Two guys had been looking at the same cars and find each other on here!

considering how unknown this car is I must admit I was surprised as well haha.

I paid $460 for the Evo Start2 remote starter w/installation from Cartronix. Can be worked from the factory key fob or app in my phone. Gives me battery, temp and RPM reading plus I can unlock the trunk. It also has GPS positioning for locating the car and no monthly fee. Thought about doing the install myself as the remote starter is about $250+tax but in order to get the factory key fob to sync with this module in M hybrids, the module has to be programmed with the BCM. It took the shop 2.5 hours for the programming and 45 min for the install. Check this out and see how cumbersome the process is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHKY7Bvr_Q

I have never had to safety a car with TJF so cannot comment on that. The biggest job I gave them was to replace the transfer case seal on my FX and in order to get to the transfer case, they had to deal with a seized wheel hub. Infiniti quoted upwards of $3000 while these guys repaired for around $1100 using OEM parts. Try Columbus automotive, another good shop. Ivo is the manager/owner there. Really great service, a little pricey but cheaper than the dealer still.

By the way, I was re-scanning the thread and noticed you have scheduled fluid flushes. I personally don't touch ATF and differential unless you have a compelling reason to do so. Especially with the issues you are having, see how the car holds up in the summer and then decide on the non-critical servicing.

vq35power wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 11, 2020 11:00 am

I paid $460 for the Evo Start2 remote starter w/installation from Cartronix. Can be worked from the factory key fob or app in my phone. Gives me battery, temp and RPM reading plus I can unlock the trunk. It also has GPS positioning for locating the car and no monthly fee. Thought about doing the install myself as the remote starter is about $250+tax but in order to get the factory key fob to sync with this module in M hybrids, the module has to be programmed with the BCM. It took the shop 2.5 hours for the programming and 45 min for the install. Check this out and see how cumbersome the process is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHKY7Bvr_Q

I have never had to safety a car with TJF so cannot comment on that. The biggest job I gave them was to replace the transfer case seal on my FX and in order to get to the transfer case, they had to deal with a seized wheel hub. Infiniti quoted upwards of $3000 while these guys repaired for around $1100 using OEM parts. Try Columbus automotive, another good shop. Ivo is the manager/owner there. Really great service, a little pricey but cheaper than the dealer still.

By the way, I was re-scanning the thread and noticed you have scheduled fluid flushes. I personally don't touch ATF and differential unless you have a compelling reason to do so. Especially with the issues you are having, see how the car holds up in the summer and then decide on the non-critical servicing.

Oh wow that is awesome. That does seem like a really tough job and hybrids are difficult to work with without the right tools and knowledge. The BCM stuff is something I would not trust anyone with but you seem to have had a positive experience.

I am sure TJF does things really well and your post has motivated me to visit them if CarNation cannot resolve my blend door matter/whatever the hell is still wrong with these vents. I know 100% that some scan tools are able to calibrate blend doors but if some of mine are potentially failing I will rely on their expertise.

My mechanic (Mecano Autoworks) in Missisauga is amazing and recommended it to me as it had not received any of these services prior and the interval was set at 48,000KMS per the FSM. Recommended as I asked him what we should consider doing and he said with the next oil change we COULD do the following as the FSM does recommend them at that interval.

Just asking - why do you avoid doing those fluids?

Thanks!

Meant to say don't change the fluids just yet until all the issues are resolved. If the car has never had ATF/diff fluid change or at least no record of it, you should be checking out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctpVCWjd8b4