2003 Infiniti G35

I TOOK MY INFINITI G35 TO SF PENINSILA INFINITI FOR CREALKING SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY FRONT BRAKES PADS NEED REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE PADS WORE OUT THE ROTORS AND THE ROTORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. ACCORDING THE DEALER MEASURMENTS, MY ROTORS THICKNESS WHERE 23.91 MM, SO 1.09 MM WAS EATEN BY THE PADS. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR MOSTLY ON FREEWAY AND THE BRAKES HAVE NOT BEEN ABUSED BY ANY WAY. THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IN HARDER USE THE ROTORS WILL BE COMPROMISED. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MOST OWNERS MUST REPLACE BRAKES AND ROTORS IN LESS THAN 15000 MILES. I SUBMIT TWO ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES OF G35: 1. SAFETY - THE ROTORS ARE SUBSTANDARD AND CAN GO UNDER SAFE LIMIT VERY EASY SINCE MOST CUSTOMERS DOES NOT EXPECT EXTREME EARLY WEAR. THE SAME POINT CAN BE MADE FOR THE PADS. IT IS POSSIBLE THE BRAKE SYSTEM INTERACTS IN UNEXPECTED WAY WITH VDC AND ABC SO THE PADS BECOME ENGAGED IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. 2. WARRANTY COVERAGE - I WAS CHARGED $510 FOR FRONT BRAKE PADS AND NEW ROTORS. THE INFINITI G35 MAINTENANCE AND WARRANTY BOOK EXPLICITLY LIST THE PADS AS REPLACEBLE ITEMS, BUT DOES NOT MENTION THE ROTORS. THE DEALER COULD NOT POINT OUT WHERE IN THE INFINITI WARRANTY BOOK THE ROTORS ARE EXCLUDED FROM WARRANTY COVERAGE. SINCE INFINITI WROTE THE WARRANTY BOOK, IF SOMETHING IS NOT EXPLICITLY EXCLUDED FROM THE WARRANTY, IT SHOULD BE COVERED. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT INFINITI SPECIFICALLY PRONHIBITS HIM FROM REPLACING THE ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY. IN THIS CASE INFINITI DEALER OVERCHARGED ME BY $280 BY WHAT IS THE PRICE OF NEW ROTORS. THE PREMATURE FAILURE I HAD MAKES ME TO BELIEVE THAT INFINITI G35 HAS PROBLEMATIC OR FAULTY FRONT BRAKE DESIGN THAT MAY LEAD TO INCIDENTS. FINALLY, I REQUESTED THE ROTORS AND THE PADS IN QUESTION. THE PADS HAVE AT LEAST 5MM MATERIAL LEFT, SO THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE MATERIAL OF THE PADS OR THE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE. I CAN PROVIDE THE PADS AND THE ROTORS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ON MY G35 (ONE YEAR OLD WITH 11,000 MILES) NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE REAR BRAKE PADS, THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN HARD AND THE WEAR IS EXTREMELY PREMATURE. IT MAY CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT ADMIT/INFORM CUSTOMERS THAT THIS PREMATURE WEAR IS AN ISSUE, THEY CLASSIFY IT AS NORMAL WEAR WHICH IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT.

1. SQUEEKS FROM PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WITH MUSIC LOUD. 2. DID NOT HAVE ASH TRAY WHEN CAR BOUGHT. COINS HAVE FALLEN IN AND NOW CANT CLOSE ASH TRAY. 3. THE PAINT ON THE BUMPER CLEARLY DOES NOT MATCH TRUNK. POSSIBLY IN ACCIDENT, EVEN THOUGH CAR HAD 10 MILES ON IT WHEN BOUGHT. 4. THE CD CHANGER TAKES 9 SECONDS TO CHANGE CD? 5. THE HEADLIGHT SENSOR TURNS ON HEADLIGHTS WHEN PASSING UNDER SHORT BRIDGE-TO SENSITIVE. 6. DOCUMENTATION DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHAT THE AUTO VOLUME DOES. HAD TO LEARN BY TRIAL AND ERROR. 7. SEVERAL SQUEEKS AND RATTLES. ONLY 8000 MILES AND IT SOUNDS LIKE 60,000 MILES WITH ALL THE SQUEEKS AND RATTLES. 8. CANT TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL, SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO HAVE FUN OR NEED TO GET OUT OF SNOWY TERRAIN. 9. HEATED SEATS ONLY HAVE 2 SETTINGS, TO HOT AND OK DURING COOL WEATHER. 10. GAS MILEAGE IS NOT WHAT IS REPORTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NEVER GOTTON BETTER THEN 19 MPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOMETIMES AS LOW AT 12 MPG. 11. REAR DEFROSTER TAKES FOREVER TO EVEN GET FOG OFF THE GLASS, LET ALONE SNOW. 12. BRAKES ARE SQUEEKING. WHY, THE CAR IS BRAND NEW. 13. FRONT SEAT IS NOT AS COMFORTABLE AS I WOULD EXPECT FOR A CAR OF THIS PRICE. 14. NEED A VOLUME CONTROL THAT IS ROUND, SO YOU CAN ADJUST QUICKLY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, IE; DO I HEAR SIRENS?

AT 11,784 MILES (AFTER 16 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP) I TOOK MY CAR TO MY LOCAL SHOP FOR ITS FOURTH OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS ON MY 2003 INFINITI G35 SEDAN WERE VERY CLOSE TO BEING WORN OUT. I DROVE TO THE LOCAL INFINTI DEALER (INFINITI OF WILLOW GROVE, PA) THAT SAME DAY AND ARRANGED FOR A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY I DROPPED OFF MY CAR, AND WAS LATER INFORMED BY THE SERVICE WRITER THAT YES, THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WORN BEYOND SPECIFICATION AND THAT THE FRONT PADS WERE WORN VERY CLOSE TO REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. SERVICE WRITER SAID THAT INFINITI WOULD COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT ROTORS AS A ONE-TIME GOODWILL GESTURE DUE TO THE LOW MILEAGE ON THE CAR, BUT I WAS TO BEAR THE COST OF BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT. I ORDERED OEM FRONT BRAKE PADS FROM GRUBBS INFINITI OF TEXAS. I LATER BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO INFINITI OF WILLOW GROVE FOR ROTOR REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. I THEN TOOK THE CAR BACK TO MY LOCAL SHOP, WHERE THEY INSTALLED NEW OEM FRONT BRAKE PADS. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY INFINITI CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS THAT THESE ARE EUROPEAN-STYLE BRAKES THAT WEAR OUT QUICKLY IN EXCHANGE FOR GREATER STOPPING POWER. IN MY PREVIOUS CAR (1990 MAXIMA), UNDER SIMILAR DRIVING HABITS AND PATTERNS, I WOULD NORMALLY GET 30-35,000 MILES ON PADS AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS, ONLY RESURFACE. INFINITI SHOULD BE UP FRONT WITH PROSPECTIVE BUYERS REGARDING THE LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE BRAKES ON THE G35 SEDAN.

I TOOK IN THE CAR FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND SERVICE FOR RECALLS AND THE SERVICE DEPT. NOTIFIED ME THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ON BOTH SIDES WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY WORN OUT AND THE ROTORS WOULD NEED RESURFACING. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE SAME DEALER IN APRIL 2002 AND THE CAR WAS BUILT IN MARCH 2002. THE CAR PRESENTLY HAS 17.5K MILES ON IT. IT IS RIDICULOUS, EVEN WITH PERFORMANCE BRAKES, FOR THEM TO FAIL AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. MY PREVIOUS CAR THAT I TRADED IN TO THIS DEALER WAS A 1998 320 HP PONTIAC T/A WITH AN EVEN GREATER WEIGHT AND POWER THAN THIS CAR, AND THE BRAKES LASTED 40K MILES. I BELIEVE THE BRAKES INFINITI USES IN THE G35 SHOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE FOR THE DURATION OF THE WARRANTY SINCE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. ALSO, MAKE SURE YOUR DEALER PUTS SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT THEY WILL REPLACE THE ROTORS ONCE THEY ARE SERVICED BEYOND REPAIR. DON'T LET THE INFINITI SERVICE DEPT. FOOL YOU INTO THINKING THE PADS SHOULD ONLY LAST 10-20 MILES BECAUSE THEY ARE PERFORMANCE BRAKES. COMPLAIN ENOUGH AND THEY MAY ISSUE A RECALL. *PH