IllustrationCONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL ON THE ALTERNATOR. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. RECALL NUMBER UNKNOWN.*AK
1997 Infiniti I30
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Infiniti I30 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 24.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all I30 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 20 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
20 reportsTHE CHROME "PLATED" (THEY ARE REALLY PLASTIC COVERS) INSIDE DOOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS PREMATURELY WORN OFF, LEAVING EXTREMELY SHARP SHARDS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HANDLE. WHEN AN UNSUSPECTING PASSENGER OPENS THE DOOR WITHOUT CAUTION, A SEVERE LACERATION OF THE HAND CAM OCCUR. VERY DANGEROUS, THIS HAS HAPPENED IN MY I30 …
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THE CHROME "PLATED" (THEY ARE REALLY PLASTIC COVERS) INSIDE DOOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS PREMATURELY WORN OFF, LEAVING EXTREMELY SHARP SHARDS ON THE INSIDE OF THE HANDLE. WHEN AN UNSUSPECTING PASSENGER OPENS THE DOOR WITHOUT CAUTION, A SEVERE LACERATION OF THE HAND CAM OCCUR. VERY DANGEROUS, THIS HAS HAPPENED IN MY I30 ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN SPITE OF MY WARNINGS TO PASSENGERS. *NLM
TOOK THE BRAKE ROTORS TO BE CUT, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THE ROTORS WERE CRACKED.
WHEN THE SENSORS FAIL, THE CAR SHUTS OFF! THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN, AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING ME. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED,IT WAS ON THE 15 OF MARCH, JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT C…
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WHEN THE SENSORS FAIL, THE CAR SHUTS OFF! THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN, AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING ME. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED,IT WAS ON THE 15 OF MARCH, JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, PEYTON CRAMER INFINITI ( THEY ALSO DID THE FIRST REPAIR). I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOTHING, BUT TO BRING IT IN WHEN I HAD A CHANCE. I TOOK THE CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS JUST SOME SORT OF SENSOR ERROR. LATER THAT DAY, THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THIS TIME, THERE WAS NO SHOULDER. I SAT THERE IN A LANE OF TRAFFIC, DEAD IN THE WATER! I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY CAR BACK. EVERYTHING IS COVERED UNDER WARRENTY FOR NOW. MY WARRENTY EXPIRES AT THE END OF MARCH. THE ISSUE AS OF YET IS NOT MONEY, IT IS SAFETY. BOTH TIMES THAT MY CAR FAILED, I FELT MY SAFETY( LIFE) WAS JEOPORDIZED. THE IDEA THAT A SENSOR FAILURE CAUSES A CAR TO SHUT OFF IS INCREDIBLE TO ME! I FELT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER! SENSOR FAILURES SHOULD NOT RENDER A CAR POWERLESS! MECHANICAL PROBLEMS CAN AND SOMETIMES DO MAKE A CAR UNDRIVEABLE. BUT, IF INDEED THE ONLY PROBLEM IS A SENSOR, A NAGGING DASH LIGHT SEEMS TO BE A MORE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THAT THESE TWO EXPERIENCES SCARED ME TO DEATH! INFINITI MUST BE MADE TO STOP THIS OVER REACTION TO SENSOR FAILURE, AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE ON OLDER VEHICLES THAT ARE PROGRAMMED TO RESPOND IN THIS MANNER!*AK
BRAKES FAILED AND CAR ROLLED INTO MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. *AK
THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR IS SLOW WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR METAL PART. THE PROBLEM STARTED TWO TO THREE MONTHS AG0. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE METAL HAS A WHOLE IN THE PLASTIC OF SEAT. *AK
VEHICLE WOULD NOT REDUCE IN SPEED EVEN AFTER CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKE CAUSING HIM TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. NLM
REMOTE TRUNK OPENER FAILED. YH
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, APPLIED PRESSURE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL, VEHICLE WENT INTO PEN THROTTLE POSITION; APPLIED BRAKES, WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, HITTING A TREE AND A POLE AND OTHER VEHICLE. *AK
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 10-15 MPH AND TRYING TO USE BRAKES THEY DID NOT FUNCTION.THEY ARE ABS BRAKES AND OWNER IS UNCERTAIN WHY THIS OCCURRED. HE NOTES THAT THERE WAS JUST NO ACTION WHEN HE WENT TO APPLY BRAKES.DEALERS HAVE NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE. *AK
Official recalls
102V171000 · Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator
Jun 24, 2002
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, ONE OF THE DIODES USED IN THE ALTERNATOR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED WHEN BUILT. THIS CAN EVENTUALLY RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE DIODE AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH COULD MELT THE PLASTIC HOUSING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE COMBUSTIBLE GAS EMITTED BY THE MELTING PLASTIC DOES NOT DISPERSE DUE TO AIR FLOW THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, IT COULD IGNITE AND IN TURN IGNITE THE FAN GUIDE IN THE ALTERNATOR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 29, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.