1998 Infiniti I30

WHILE DRIVING HOME COULD HEAR A CLICKING NOISE IN THE WIRING CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND EVENTUALLY DIED IN THE ROAD, JUMP STARTED IT TO GET TO A SHOP WAS TOLD IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR, BOUGHT NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AFTER DRIVING FOR A WHILE CAR SHORTED OUT AGAIN LOST POWER AND ONCE AGAIN DIED ON THE ROAD, JUMP STARTED CAR TO GET HOME. CAR WILL NOT HOLD POWER KEEPS SHORTING OUT IN THE WIRES, ALTERNATOR IS STILL GOOD AS WELL AS BATTERY. YOU CAN HEAR THE WIRING WHEN IT SHORTS OUT AS IT CLICKS. WHEN I JUMP START THE CAR IT WILL ONLY STAY CHARGED FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE DYING OUT AGAIN. I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW AS IT WILL NOT STAY CHARGED, SOMETHING ELECTRICAL IS DRAINING THE BATTERY. WHEN THE WIRING STARTS TO CLICK RADIO GOES OFF AND CLOCK DIMS BEFORE SHUTTING OFF AS WELL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INFINITI I30. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SMOKE AND FIRE BEGAN TO RISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V129000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR). THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 145,000. UPDATED 01/25//12 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INFINITY I30. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH HE SMELLED RUBBER BURNING AND THE FOLLOWING DAY HE HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR CAUSED THE BURNING SMELL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT A PART OF RECALL 02V171000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALTERNATOR/ GENERATOR/ REGULATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 108,000.

AFTER WENT THROUGH A DRIVE-THROUGH TO GET A SANDWICH, I NOTICED THE BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHT ON MY 1998 INFINITI I30 CAME ON. I DROVE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR STARTED SMOKING SLIGHTLY. I CHECKED MY TEMPERATURE LIGHT, IT WAS NORMAL. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE THAT WAS SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP ABOUT 3-4 FEET OUT OF THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE, THERE WAS A SMALL EXPLOSION THAT CAUSED COOLANT TO SPREAD ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THIS PUT OUT THE INITIAL FIRE. BY THIS TIME, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND INVESTIGATED. BY THE TIME THE FIREFIGHTER WALKED TO THE CAR, ANOTHER FIRE IN THE SAME PLACE STARTED UP. THE CAR HAD BEEN OFF THE WHOLE TIME (THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND FIRE). WHEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOT INVOLVED, WE TOWED THE CAR EVENTUALLY TO MY LOCAL INFINITI DEALERSHIP. DURING THIS TIME, I SAW TWO NHTSA RECALL NOTICES (02V171000 AND 99V129000) DEALING WITH ALTERNATOR SHORTS FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL OF INIFINTI. IN TALKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER, THEY INDICATED MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN BECAUSE MY VIN RANGE WASN'T IN THE ONES COVERED). AT THIS POINT, THEY KNOW IT WAS A SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING BEYOND THAT AND ARE NOT WILLING TO LOOK FURTHER. *NM

CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, AND HAD BEEN STILL FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND WHEN WE OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR STARTED A FIRE INTERNALLY. IT WAS PURE LUCK THE CAR DIDN'T BURN COMPLETELY. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR 1998 INFINITI I30S, BUT BECAUSE THE VIN DOESN'T FALL INTO THE RECALL GROUP, THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT UNLESS I COME WITH $510. THE CAR IS A 1998 I30 INFINITI WITH THE VIN [XXX].*AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ALTERNATOR FAILED ON NISSAN 1998 I-30. REPORTED TO DEALER A BURNING SMELL AND LOSS OF LIGHTS. DISCOVED TWO PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR SAME MAKE AND MODEL YEAR BUT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS SAID MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED ALTHOUGH I ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM. PREVIOUS RECALLS WERE NHTSA CAMPAIGN #99V129000 AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN #02V171000. I HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED BY A NISSAN DEALER AT A COST OF 567.00.*AK

RECALL NO. #99V129000, DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR: WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. NOTHING ELECTRICAL WOULD WORK IN THE VEHICLE. A TOW TRUCK TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE CONSUMER'S RESIDENCE, WERE IT REMAINS. THERE WAS A RECALL CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM