2004 Infiniti G35

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

THIS CAR HAS A BAD CASE OF AUTOMATIC ACCELERATION. SINCE IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS, I'VE GOTTEN FAMILIAR WITH THE SYMPTONS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS THE CAR WILL SIMPLY ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND ALL OF THEM OCCUR WHEN BRAKING: 1) WHILE SITTING AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE AND FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY JUST REV UP TO 4 OR 5 THOUSAND RPM. 2) SAME AS ABOVE BUT ACCELERATION CAN BE CAUSED BY PRESSING HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. 3) EXITING FREEWAY AND BRAKING, THE ENGINE WILL REMAIN AT THE SAME RPM AND/OR SPEED UP. 4) (THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS) WHEN BRAKING EXTRA HARD, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT DOWN AND THE ENGINE GOES TO FULL THROTTLE. THIS ONE HAS NEARLY GOTTEN ME A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE THROTTLE, THROTTLE BODY, ETC. NOTHING HAS RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND INCIDENTS MAY BE MONTHS APART. UNTIL RECENTLY, THE DEALER HAS DENIED THAT ANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN THE USA. OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT SINCE 2003 ON VARIOUS INTERNET SITES WHILE THE MANUFACTURER DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAS ALLOWED IT TO PERSIST FOR 10 YEARS. ONLY RECENTLY HAS THE DEALER ADMITTED OTHER PROBLEMS AND STATED THEY WERE AFRAID OF WHAT HAPPENED TO TOYOTA. BRIEFLY LOOKING AT ENTRIES ON THE NHTSA SITE, THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT HALF A DOZEN COMPLAINTS A YEAR. NONE REPORTED A FATALITY BUT THEN THE DEAD ARE UNLIKELY TO FILE A COMPLAINT. IF A TENTH OF A PERCENT OF THE OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM FILED COMPLAINTS, THAT WOULD BE 6,000 VEHICLES PER YEAR ARE BEING PRODUCED WITH THIS FATAL FLAW. IN SUMMARY, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A POTENTIALLY LETHAL VEHICLE? SELL IT TO SOME UNSUSPECTING PERSON AND ENDANGER THEIR LIFE OR KEEP IT AND WONDER WHEN IT WILL KILL ME? IF THE LATTER HAPPENS, WE'LL ALL KNOW WHY. *TR

2/16/11 INFINITI G35 (2004) PUT INTO DRIVE AND CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 10 MILES PER HOUR, DROVE 14 MILES AT THAT SPEED. NEXT MORNING DROVE TO REPAIR SHOP, NOT INFINITI DEALER, AND SHOWED PROBLEM AS CODE #P2128APP SENSOR 2 CIRCUIT AND #P2138APP SENSOR> PERFORMED RE: LEARN PROCEDURE FOR COMPUTER. CAR WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE AT NORMAL SPEEDS. *TR

I EXPERIENCED 'SUDDEN' OR 'UNINTENDED' ACCELERATION WITH MY 2004 INFINITI G35 COUPE TWICE IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. THE FIRST TIME, IN FEBRUARY OR EARLY MARCH, MY WIFE AND I WERE AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE LEFT TURN LIGHT. THE CAR WAS STOPPED. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR'S MOTOR BEGAN TO REV UP. I PRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE SO THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL (IT'S AN AUTOMATIC). THE CAR REVVED UP ALARMINGLY. I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I RESTARTED THE CAR; ALL WAS NORMAL. WE CONTINUED ON HOME. THE ONLY REASON I DIDN'T RUN INTO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME WAS BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. ON APRIL 3, 2007, I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE CARE WAS DRIFTING AT IDLE IN REVERSE AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AGAIN, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND I HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME -- NOT VERY HARD BECAUSE IT WAS VERY CLOSE. MY FOOT WAS DEFINITELY NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO INFINITI. THREE WEEKS LATER THEY SAY THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN 3 MONTHS, I CONSIDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE; INFINITI AGREES. I'VE LEFT THE CAR WITH THE DEALER AND AM WAITING TO SEE IF THEY'LL BUY IT BACK FROM ME OR, AT LEAST, GIVE ME SOMETHING ON A TRADE-IN FOR A 2008 G37 COUPE. AT THIS POINT, WE'RE OUT $36,000. SOME PEOPLE MAY CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR CARS IN SPITE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HOPE, BECAUSE IT'S INTERMITTENT, THAT THE CAR WON'T KILL SOMEONE OR CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I DON'T FEEL I CAN TAKE THAT CHANCE SO I GAVE UP ON THE CAR. *JB

I EXPERIENCED 'SUDDEN' OR 'UNINTENDED' ACCELERATION WITH MY 2004 INFINITI G35 COUPE TWICE IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. I SPECIFICALLY WAS NOT PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR IN EITHER INSTANCE THOUGH MY WIFE CAN TESTIFY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE THAT I WAS NOT. I WAS ALONE DURING THE SECOND OCCURRENCE SO THERE ARE NO WITNESSES. THE FIRST TIME MY WIFE AND I WERE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE LEFT TURN LIGHT. THE CAR WAS STOPPED. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR'S MOTOR BEGAN TO REV UP. I PRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE SO IT WOULDN'T MOVE AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL (IT'S AN AUTOMATIC). THE REVS PICKED UP AND THE TACH WAS MOVING RAPIDLY HIGHER. I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND ALL WAS NORMAL. WE CONTINUED ON HOME. THE ONLY REASON I DIDN'T RUN INTO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME WAS BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY OR EARLY MARCH. ON APRIL 3, 2007 I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE AND MY FOOT WAS SLIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE MOVING FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO THE BRAKE AND BACK AGAIN. AGAIN, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND I HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME -- NOT VERY HARD BECAUSE IT WAS VERY CLOSE. MY FOOT WASN'T ON THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO INFINITI. THREE WEEKS LATER THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THREE MONTHS, THE CAR'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND INFINITI AGREES. I'VE LEFT THE CAR WITH THE DEALER AND AM WAITING TO SEE IF THEY'LL BUY IT BACK FROM ME OR, AT LEAST, GIVE ME SOMETHING ON A TRADE-IN FOR A 2008 G37 COUPE. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE OUT $36,000. SOME PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HOPE, AS IT'S INTERMITTENT, THAT IT DOESN'T KILL SOMEONE OR CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT, I DON'T FEEL I CAN TAKE THAT CHANCE SO, THUS, I GAVE THE CAR BACK. *JB

UNEXPLAINABLE/UNEXPECTED REVVING OF MY ENGINE OCCURRED AT A STOP LIGHT WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE ENGINE REVVED UP 5K RPM. NO APPARENT REASON FOR THIS TO OCCUR. NORMAL ROUTE TAKEN FROM WORK INVOLVES STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WITH MULTIPLE STOP LIGHTS. ABOUT 5 MILES INTO JOURNEY HOME, ENGINE REVVED AT THE LIGHT. AVERTED DAMAGE BY PLACING VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNING IGNITION OFF. CAR HAS PEFORMED NORMAL SINCE INCIDENT 2 WEEKS AGO. *NM

THIS IS A FURTHER COMPLAINT RELATIVE TO COMPLAINT 10047159 RELATED TO A NEW INFINITI G35 WITH LESS THAT 2000 MILES ON IT WHEN THREE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. THE INCIDENTS INVOLVED THREE OCCASIONS IN WHICH THE CAR SUDDEDLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED TO VERY HIGH SPEEDS WITHOUT A ACTION BY THE DRIVER THAT SHOULD CAUSE SUCH ACCELERATIONS. IN TWO OF THE CASES THE CAR WAS IN SPEED CONTROL; IN ONE IT WAS NOT. 2 OF THE CASES: CAR IN SPEED CONTROL AT 60 MILES AN HOUR, FOOT WELL AWAY FROM ACCELERATOR. CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES FULL THROTTLE TO 90 MILES AN HOUR BEFORE VERY SEVERE BRAKING CAN BRING CAR UNDER CONTROL. NOT ONLY DOES STEPPING ON THE BRAKE NOT TAKE THE CAR OUT OF SPEED CONTROL, IT DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW CAR AS CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE. SECOND OCCURRENCE INVOLVED CAR IN SPEED CONTROL AT 50 MILES AN HOUR. SAME THING HAPPENS BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP CAR AS IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED AND FINALLY HAD TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF AND DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER (INFINITI OF DENVER) ON 11/14/03, AND RETURNED TO ME (CAR IS ACTUALLY REGISTERED IN MY WIFE'S NAME, LOIS RINGER) OVER MY VERY STRONG OBJECTIONS ON 12/1/03, WITH THE STATEMENT THAT THE DEALER AND INFINITI ENGINEERS WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM FURTHER, BASED ON DIRECTION FROM INFINITI. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS SPORATICALLY, SO IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THEY DID NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM IN THE MINOR TESTING THEY DID. A QUICK INTERACTION WITH ONE BULLETIN BOARD ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANY OTHER OWNERS OF G35S WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM REVEALED THREE OTHER DRIVERS HAVING VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS. A LETTER WAS SENT TO THE PRESIDENT OF NISSAN AMERICA (WHICH OWNS INFINITI) ON 11/14 TO NO AVAIL. THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS OF THE OTHER THREE OWNERS ARE DOCUMENTED ON THE EDMONDS.COM WEBSITE. GO TO THE WEB SITE, GO TO TOWN HALL, INFINITI G35 OWNERS, PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS, CITATIONS 967, 334, AND 751. *AK

I HAVE A 2004 GS SEDAN WITH ABOUT 2000 MILES ON IT PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2003. IN THE LAST FEW DAYS I HAVE HAD THREE OCCASIONS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR FLOOR BOARDED ITSELF WITH NO ACTION ON MY PART TO CAUSE SUCH BEHAVIOR. ON ONE OCCASION THE CAR WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 60, AND ACCELERATED TO 90 BEFORE I COULD GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT DISENGAGE THE ACTION. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 50 AND THE SAME THING HAPPEN AS I GENTLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS A CAR. THE ACCELERATOR UNEXPECTED WENT TO THE FLOOR, WITH RESULTANT VERY SHARP ACCELERATION. THIS TIME I HAD TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF, AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT START SINCE THE ACCELERATOR WAS FLOORBOARDED. FINALLY GOT THE ACCELERATOR TO BREAK LOSE BY USING THE EDGE OF MY SHOE SOLE AND THE CAR WOULD RESTART, AND THEN BEHAVED NORMALLY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE THIRD TIME I WAS NOT IN CRUISE CONTROL, HAD SLOWED FOR AN EXIT RAMP, AND THEN GENTLY PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP. AGAIN THE ACCELERATOR FLOORBOARDED ITSELF, WITH VERY SHARP ACCELERATION. I DISENGAGED THE BEHAVIOR BY AGAIN LIFTING THE ACCELERATOR WITH THE EDGE OF MY SHOE. ONE COULD FEEL A POP EACH TIME THE ACCELERATOR WAS LIFTED WITH THE SHOE. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO HAS NOW HAD IT FIVE DAYS. SAYS HE HAS NOT SEEN THIS BEHAVIOR AND HIS POSITION IS THAT UNLESS HE CAN REPLICATE IT HIMSELF THERE ARE NO REPAIRS TO MAKE. I WILL NOT TAKE CAR BACK UNTIL DEALER SIGNS A LETTER VALIDATING THAT I CONSIDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT HE WILL ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THE PROBLEM. EXPECT THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO AN IMPASSE WITH THE DEALER. *LA