2009 Infiniti G37

Front passenger air bag occupancy sensor failure. Sensor is located on front passages seat and activates or deactivates passenger air bags based on occupancy and or weight. The vehicle has less than 90,000 miles. Passenger airbag/seat belt warning lamp on. Passenger airbag off indicator light remain on even when passenger seated. Repair cost estimated over $5,000. Vehicle will not pass inspection.

I am the original owner of this 2009 G37 sedan with only 12K miles. This car has never been in an accident. It is perfectly maintained and sits in a garage 99% of the time. Last week the airbag light flashed on. The dealer said the error code was B1018 (Occupant Classification Sensor malfunction). The cost of the passenger seat cushion alone is $7,500. This problem was also found on the 2007 & 2008 G37 models and part of a NHTSA recall (#08V521000). I found this problem all over the internet and this NHTSA site for this model year G37. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. Why isn't this part of the 2007/2008 recall when the sensor is bad in both instances?

I was driving at about 65 mph on the tail end of a roughly 2 hour trip. The car shut off on me completely. Fortunately there weren't many cars on the road, so I was able to force the steering wheel - since power steering went out as well, I needed to turn the wheel forcefully - to the shoulder. The brakes worked ok, but not well, again because the engine shut off, so I was forcing the brakes and they took a lot longer to work than normally. Had there been normal to heavy traffic, I'd definitely have been in a very bad crash. The vehicle is available for inspection if needed. This is the second time this situation has occurred to me in this vehicle. There was no warning lamp, message, or symptom prior to or after the incident. A dealer, manufacturer, police, insurance, nor anyone else has inspected or reproduced the problem. Various Infiniti online forums reference the same issue.

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS BLINKING DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR CONTAINED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IF THIS LIGHT DOES NOT TURN OFF, NO AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, WHICH IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. INFINITI CHARGES MORE THAN $7000 TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AND THE SEAT TO FIX THIS OUT OF WARRANTY. INFINITI REFUSES TO DO A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE VERY COMMON IN NISSAN AND INFINITI VEHICLES.

AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE USED, I BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON INDICATOR HAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AFTER TWO WEEKS OF THE PURCHASE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO VALVOLINE FOR THE OIL CHANGE SERVICE, AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. NOTIFIED MY PERSONAL MECHANIC OF THE ISSUE AS WELL AS THE DEALER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AUTOZONE AND USED THEIR FREE DIAGNOSTIC READER, WHICH STATED THE O2 SENSOR FOR BANK 2 SENSOR 1 AS THE ISSUE. PURCHASED THE PART FROM THE DEALER, TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC FOR SERVICE. AFTER I PAID FOR THE SERVICE, THE SAME DAY THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT BACK TO AUTOZONE AND THE DIAGNOSTIC READ BANK 1 SENSOR 1. TOOK IT TO MULTIPLE MECHANICS TO ONLY HAVE THE RUN AROUND OF PAYING THEM TO LOOK AT BUT NOT FIX THE ISSUE. CALLED THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM, AND THEY WAS SUPPOSED TO SET AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEIR MECHANIC AND DID NOT. I HAD TO RESCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT ON MY OWN. NEVER TOOK IT BECAUSE I WENT BACK TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE SENSOR. AGAIN, THE SAME DAY OF SERVICE THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, THE CAR STALLED VERY BADLY, AND SHUT OFF ON ME. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND DRIVE IT HOME. NOT ONLY AM I MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON THE VEHICLE, I'M PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS A HAZARD ON THE ROAD. I AM PUTTING MONEY I DON'T HAVE INTO A LEMON, ONLY HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS WITH A ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE ISSUE THAT I CAN NOT RESOLVE ON MY OWN.

I HAVE 38 PAGES OF SERVICE REGARDING A STARTING PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED WITH THE AC ON, IT CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START. THERE HAVE BEEN 6 BATTERY REPLACEMENTS, ONE 6 MONTHS AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND 5 IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. WITHIN THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF IT HAS NEEDED 4000 IN REPAIRS. A VALVE ASSEMBLY, CONTROL AND NOW AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN DOZENS OF TIMES AND THE PROBLEM NEVER FIXED. WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE PAPERWORK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 INFINITI G37. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE EVEN AFTER THE IGNITION KEY WAS REMOVED. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FUSE WAS REMOVED TO STOP THE ENGINE. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. UPDATED 10/19/16*LJ *CN

ON A COLD SNOWY EVENING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60MPH THE CAR BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE, WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR STOPPED SHAKING, WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE CAR AGAIN BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY FROM MY DESTINATION AND MANAGED TO DRIVE ABOUT 25 ON A HIGHWAY. AFTER I REACHED MY DESTINATION I POWERED OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THEN I POWERED IT ON AGAIN AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 30MPH WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHAKE AGAIN. I ENDED UP GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHEN I GOT A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A SOFTWARE ISSUE WITH THE CAR. DURING THE COLD WEATHER THE AIR INTAKE WAS NOT TAKING IN AIR CORRECTLY WHICH WAS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE. I WAS A BIT SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BUT SINCE THEN I HAVE NOT HAD THE ISSUE OCCUR AGAIN. INFINITI SHOULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION KNOWN TO OWNERS EITHER THROUGH A RECALL OR UPDATE THE SOFTWARE DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. *TR