1998 Infiniti I30

THE AIR BAG LIGHT OF MY 1998 INFINITY I-30 BEGAN FLASHING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I NOTED TWO TSB CONCERNING A MANUFACTURER DEFECT RELATED TO THE SEAT HARNESS TRIGGERING THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN 1998/1999. I PROVIDED THE TSB TO MY LOCAL INFINITY DEALER IN ELK GROVE, CA WHO CHARGED ME $110 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE TO TELL ME WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECT. TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, IT WILL COST OVER $800 AND THEY STATE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OWNER USE OR WEAR-AND-TEAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DESIGN FLAW THE IMPACTS PASSENGER SAFETY AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT THEIR EXPENSE. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME? THANKS. *JB

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)

SINCE I BOUGHT MY 1998 INFINITI I30T, I'VE REPORTED TO THE DEALER (SANTA MONICA INFINITI - PURCHASED FROM AND PEYTON CRAMER INFINITI - RECENT SERVICES) THAT THE TRUNK RELEASE IS DEFECTIVE AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. THEY AGREE THAT A PROBLEM EXIST, BUT WILL NOT PERFORM THE REPAIRS FOR FREE, SINCE IT IS NOT A RECALL ITEM, YET. IT OPENS UNEXPECTEDLY AND RANDOMLY. IT POPS OPEN WHILE DRIVING, WHICH CAN CAUSE ITEMS TO POSSIBLY FALL OUT OF THE TRUNK. I'VE FOUND IT OPEN SEVERAL TIMES AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE PARKED FOR A FEW MINUTES OF FOR A FEW HOURS. I'VE LOST 2 TENNIS RACQUETS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS MORNING, I FOUND THE TRUNK ONCE AGAIN OPEN. FORTUNATELY, MY LAPTOP AND OTHER BAGS WERE UNTOUCHED. PLEASE HAVE THIS ITEM RECALLED. THANK YOU. *NM

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