2009 Infiniti G37

MY 2009 INFINITI G37X LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THE PROBLEM OCCURRED IN JAN 2013 (CAR WAS STILL UNDER 60K MILES WARRANTY). I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON A COLD NIGHT AND MY CAR STALLED AT AROUND 55/65 MPH MARK. THE CAR WAS SHAKING WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, MY CAR HAD LOST COMPLETE POWER. THEN, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE ACTED AND SOUNDED NORMAL. I WARMED UP THE CAR FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE I DROVE HOME. I WENT TO INFINITI TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED AND I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO INFINITI OF NORTH AMERICA. INFINITI COULD NOT IDENTIFY OR RE-CREATE THE PROBLEM. ON DEC 7, 2013, I NOTICED MY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER WHEN I ACCELERATED THE CAR TO 65 MPH WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY ON A COLD RAINY NIGHT. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR FELT VERY CHOPPY AND SHAKY AS IF IT WAS CHOKING ON SOMETHING. SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED TWO TIMES BEFORE, I DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACCELERATION TO THE CAR ANY FURTHER. I PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, PARKED THE CAR, AND I VIDEO RECORDED THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS NO LIGHTING INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM ON DASHBOARD. WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, I TRIED TO REV UP THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS SHAKING INTENSIVELY WHEN IT WAS REV UP TO 2,000 RPM. I ALSO RESTART THE CAR AND I TRIED TO REV UP THE ENGINE AGAIN AND THE CAR DID NOT SHAKE. AFTER RESTARTING, THE CAR ENGINE ACTED AND SOUNDED NORMAL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME SAFELY. THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. I'VE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO INFINITI, BUT THEY DENIED THERE IS ANY PROBLEM. INFINITI NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR, BUT I NEED THE CAR TO GET AROUND. IF ANYONE CAN HELP PUSH FORWARD THIS ISSUE TO THE RIGHT LEVEL OF ATTENTION, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

APPARENTLY ON 2009 INFINITI G37S, THERE IS A PROGRAMMING ERROR/DEFICIENCY IN THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) AFFECTING THE PROCESSING OF THE MASS FLOW RATE SENSOR THAT WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO UNEXPECTEDLY (AND WITHOUT A DASH WARNING INDICATOR) TO LOSE POWER. AT OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE, THE CAR WILL DECELERATE FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO LESS THAN 35 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. FOLLOWING THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE RPM WILL NOT EXCEED 2,400 RPM AND SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH ARE IMPOSSIBLE (I FOUND THAT 4TH GEAR IS THE HIGHEST GEAR SELECTABLE). THIS FAILURE CAN BE DANGEROUS IN A NUMBER OF TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. I HAVE LEARNED FROM AN INFINITI SERVICE DEPT. THAT THE FAILURE WILL TEMPORARILY CORRECT ITSELF IF THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THAT THE FAILURE COULD REOCCUR. THE CAR'S ECM WAS RE-PROGRAMMED BY TOWBIN INFINITI (LAS VEGAS, NV) ON AUGUST 30 AND THAT SUPPOSEDLY FIXES THE FAILURE. WHILE AT TOWBIN, THE SERVICE MAN SAID THAT INFINITI KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IS WAITING TO SEE HOW WIDE-SPREAD THE PROBLEM IS. OWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD OF THIS PROBLEM. TOWBIN SERVICE SAID THEY HAVE SEEN ABOUT 300 CASES OF THE PROBLEM. A SALT LAKE CITY DEALER SERVICE DEPT. HAD ALSO HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. AGAIN, I FEEL THIS PROBLEM CAN BE DANGEROUS, BECAUSE: IF IT WERE TO OCCUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHERS; IF IT WERE TO OCCUR WHEN TURNING IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC; AFTER IT OCCURS, THERE IS NO WAY TO KEEP UP WITH HIGHER SPEED TRAFFIC - ONE IS LEFT GOING SLOW AND HOPING NO ONE REAR ENDS ME; WITHOUT MORE INFORMATION, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THE PROBLEM HAS REALLY BEEN FIXED. *TR

1. I WAS DRIVING MY 2009 INFINITI G37XS ON I-95 NEAR PHILADELPHIA. I WAS USING CRUISE CONTROL WITH SPEED SET AT NEAR 65MPH. I WAS LISTENING TO PANDORA INTERNET RADIO ON MY HTC EVO 4G ANDROID PHONE USING WIMAX (4G WIRELESS). THE HTC EVO WAS BEING CHARGED USING A CELLET PMOTQ9C CAR CHARGER FOR CELL PHONES. 2. OUT OF BLUE, ALL ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WENT BLACK. ALL DASHBOARD DISPLAY(LCD), ENTERTAINMEN/NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND AC AND LEFT/RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AND LIGHTING ALL WENT OUT. NOTHING ELECTRONIC WORKS INCLUDING TURN SIGNAL/EMERGENCY LIGHT. I WAS QUITE NERVOUS, BUT DIDN'T WANT TO STOP AT MIDDLE OF INTERSTATE FREEWAY AND DRIVE STRAIGHT HOME AND PRAYED THAT POWER TRAIN STAY WORKING TILL I GOT HOME. THANK GOD, IT DID. AS SOON AS I STOPPED THE CAR BY PRESSING THE START/STOP BUTTON AFTER I DROVE INTO MY GARAGE, I WAITED A MINUTE OR TWO AND TRIED TO START MY CAR BY PRESSING THE START/STOP BUTTON WHILE PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I THOUGHT THAT MY WIRELESS CARD KEY HAD BAD BATTERY. SO I SPENT 15MIN OR SO TO FIND MY 2ND WIRELESS CARD KEY AND STRANGELY ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ON DASHBOARD WENT ON. I CALLED THE DEALER SERVICE AND WANTED TO BRING THE CAR. BUT DEALER DIDN'T HAVE ANY LOAN CAR AVAILABLE TILL NEXT TUESDAY. SO I WAITED AND DROVE CAREFULLY WITH MY CAR AND BROUGHT IT TO DEALER ON THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. AGAIN STRANGELY, JUST ONE DAY EARLIER, THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT DISAPPEARED. I TRUSTED DEALER HAD RIGHT EQUIPMENT TO DIAGNOSE. 3. DEALER TOOK A FEW DAYS LOOKED AT IT AND COULD ONLY TOLD ME SOME LIMITED DIAGNOSTIC INFO ABOUT LOSS OF COMM AND COULD NOT PIN POINT THE ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEM. I EXPRESSED MY SAFETY CONCERNS ON AT NIGHT DRIVING ON I-95 SITUATION WHEN THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THAT ALL TESTS WERE DONE AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. 4. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE AND FEEL THAT MAYBE NHTSA CAN BETTER INVESTIGATE THIS. *TR

2009 INFINITI G37 HAS ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION MADE OF SOY-BASED POLYMER. SOY BASED POLYMER IS APPARENTLY BIODEGRADABLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS ALSO ATTRACTIVE TO RODENTS, WHO EAT THE WIRING, CREATING ELECTRICAL SAFETY HAZARDS. IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY HAZARDS, IT ALSO CREATES AN ECONOMIC STRESSOR ON CONSUMERS AND INSURERS WHO HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS DONE TO THESE AUTOMOBILES, WHICH INFINITI CLAIMS IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY EXISTING WARRANTY. *TR

2009 INFINITI G37X COUPE IS EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS SURGES IN ACCELERATION UPON BRAKING, THE TRANSMISSION IS JERKING AND GOING INTO "FAIL SAFE MODE" (MEANING SUDDENLY THE CAR IS STUCK IN THE HIGHEST GEAR), THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS CLUNKING AND JERKING AS IF THE CAR IS GOING INTO AWD MODE AT TIMES IT SHOULD NOT BE, AND QUITE FRANKLY I AM NOW BECOMING SCARED OF THE CAR. IT HAS 3800 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON FRIDAY AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE A COUPLE OF KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT NO FIX. THEY ALSO ARE CALLING HQ ON MONDAY TO TALK ABOUT IT. I DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE MY CAR TO BE DRIVEN AROUND ERRATICALLY AS THEY TRY TO "BREAK" IT AS THAT WILL CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE AS WELL AS PUT MORE MILES ON THE CAR. INFINITI SERVICE AGREED THAT REMAPPING THE COMPUTER WOULD MOST LIKELY TAKE AWAY THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE CAR WHICH ARE WHAT THEY MARKET AND I BOUGHT THE CAR FOR (HORSEPOWER, ACCELERATION, "SAME AS A BMW". IF THEY HAVE TO GUT THE POWER OF THE CAR TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I FEEL THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISING AND THE CAR IS NOT WHAT I CONTRACTED TO PURCHASE. I AM ON THE VERGE OF WATCHING MY RESALE PLUNGE BEFORE THE CAR IS EVEN SIX MONTHS OLD AND BELIEVE INFINITI SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING REPEATEDLY EVERYTIME I DRIVE THE CAR. SEE NOTES BELOW: 1. CENTRAL COMPUTER CLEARLY FAILING - HAD TO BE RESTORED YESTERDAY. 2. REAF DIFF CLUNKING IN AND OUT OF AWD LOUDLY AND WITH A JERK AND AT UNEXPECTED TIMES 3. SURGING RPMS AS MUCH AS 5000 UPON DRIVING 4. SURGING RPMS AND ACCELERATION UPON BRAKING (3000 RPM) 5. HANGING INSTEAD OF DOWNSHIFTING 6. VERY JERKY DOWNSHIFTS 7. TRANNY WENT INTO FAILSAFE AT LEAST 3 TIMES NOW (MEANING NO GEAR BELOW 5TH IS AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME). *TR