2008 Infiniti G37 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Infiniti G37 most often report two things: a passenger air bag warning light tied to the occupant classification sensor in the front passenger seat, and a dashboard that over time becomes sticky, shiny and cracked, producing glare in the windshield. A smaller but consistent group describes engine speed rising while braking or while stopped in traffic, and some report clutch or transmission difficulty shifting. Reports span a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well past 100,000, and the dashboard complaints typically appear after several years in service.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag warning light / occupant sensor

   • 18 complaints (27%)
   • median 67,250 mi at 9.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2025

   Owners describe the air bag warning light blinking or staying on with no impact, and in many cases the front passenger air bag indicator showing that the seat is off even with someone buckled in. Dealers commonly diagnosed a failed occupant classification sensor or control unit in the passenger seat cushion and quoted replacement of the sensor or the whole seat cushion, with costs owners reported in the thousands of dollars. Several owners say they were told their VIN was not covered by the related recall, and some did not have the repair done because of the cost. Reported from under 40,000 miles up to 140,000 miles, often after several years in service and in ordinary driving.

   Recall 08V5210004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the air bag warning light goes out after the self-check, then sit in the passenger seat and check that the passenger air bag indicator reads on. Ask whether the occupant classification recall work was performed and whether the sensor or seat cushion has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The passenger airbag light is flashing. There was a past recall on this make, model and year for the very same issue. I have been told that my vehicle with less than 50k miles was not on the recall list. This is a safety issue which will be very expensive to repair and should be taken care of by Infiniti as part of their recall. I do not understanding why this same issue does not include my VIN number but was applicable to other same make, model and year cars as mine. Are there any other avenues I can pursue to fight this?”

   NHTSA complaint #10948123, filed 2017-01, 46,000 miles

   “On the approx. Date of incident, I started the vehicle in the morning and noticed the air bag light would blink and not turn off. After referencing the manual, I brought the vehicle into an Infiniti dealership to be diagnosed. The diagnosis was that the passenger side airbag sensor had failed and would cost more than $2,700 to replace. I left without replacing the part. I notice this exact item has already been recalled for this exact make/model/year vehicle, but the manufacturer has told me that the recall was not for my specific VIN. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10745162, filed 2015-07, 58,500 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Sticky, shiny, cracking dashboard with glare

   • 15 complaints (23%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners report the dashboard surface becoming tacky and highly reflective, then cracking near the edges, around the vents and above the display. The shine reflects in the windshield when the sun is low or bright, which owners describe as making it hard to see down the road, and the sticky surface cannot be cleaned because cloth sticks to it. Some owners say the material dents at a light touch; a few mention a prior regional settlement covering dash replacement at partial cost, but most say the repair was quoted at around a thousand dollars. Mostly reported on cars several years old, from about 32,000 miles upward, and owners often tie it to sun and heat exposure.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Run a hand over the top of the dash in daylight and look for tackiness, shine, dents and cracks at the edges and around the vents, then check for reflected glare on the windshield with the car facing the sun.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My dashboard is melted. Obvious defect of the manufacturer... It's sticky and shiny which makes it hard to see and pay attention while I'm driving. I saw that other people have the problem from my local news station and decided to fill this out.”

   NHTSA complaint #10585806, filed 2014-04, 32,000 miles

   “My garage kept 2008 g37s has a dash that has increasingly become shinier to the point that it has become dangerous to drive during the day when the sun is out. It is so reflective that it causes a tremendous glare on my windshield. This seemed to happen progressively over the last few years because when I bought the car 6 years ago it was not an issue. The dash itself is in one piece with no cracks but it is tacky like uncured rubber. If you put a fingernail in it lightly, that mark is now there to stay. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11156416, filed 2018-12, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Engine speed rises while braking or at a stop

   • 16 complaints (24%)
   • median 30,250 mi at 4.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2020

   Owners describe the engine revving or the car surging forward while they are braking or creeping in stop-and-go traffic, sometimes requiring hard brake pressure to stay off the car ahead. Some report hesitation or a brief loss of power when accelerating, and one owner mentions a bulletin that covers the surging symptom. According to the complaints, dealers often could not duplicate the condition and told owners nothing was wrong. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 94,000 miles, frequently in stop-and-go traffic or after the car has been driven for a while.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive in slow stop-and-go traffic and at low parking-lot speeds, and ask whether any diagnostic trouble codes were stored or any reprogramming was done for a surging or acceleration complaint.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I understand the cars symptoms are the same described in Infiniti's itb07048 bulletin (sudden acceleration), I was told the fix is free in the us but Infiniti in puerto rico wants to charge for this safety issue fix. I understand puerto rico has the same regulations as in the us when transit is referred to. Why is it not a recall?”

   NHTSA complaint #10455574, filed 2012-04, 32,000 miles

   “I have experience two occasions during stop and go traffic where the engine will rev up and accelerate. On those occasions I had to press the brakes hard to avoid hitting the car in front of me. I also changed gears to neutral. During both times I was in stop and go traffic moving forward...not turning. I also tried using the cruise control. Was traveling in a toll road in motion. Had difficult setting once cruise control was on... It mysteriously shut off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10909487, filed 2016-09, 45,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Clutch pedal sticking or losing hydraulic pressure

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 54,040 mi at 5.1 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2015

   Owners of manual-transmission cars report the clutch pedal sticking to the floor or going soft so gears cannot be selected, sometimes leaving the car in neutral or stuck in one gear in traffic. In several cases the car was towed and a shop found the clutch and slave cylinder faulty, and one owner says the dealer attributed the failure to driver error. The complaints describe the problem as recurring once it starts. Mostly reported between about 7,500 and 75,000 miles, during normal driving and gear changes.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a manual car, press the clutch repeatedly and confirm the pedal returns fully and firmly, and ask for service records showing whether the clutch slave cylinder or clutch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle's clutch completely lost its hydraulic capability and left my vehicle stranded in ongoing traffic. Me and a few volunteers were able to push my vehicle in neutral mode to the side of the road, however this could be warranted as a big safety concern if it is common occurrence for this make, model, and year. I had my vehicle towed the next day to an auto shop and they determined the clutch and slave cylinder were both faulty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10521806, filed 2013-06, 75,000 miles

   “I was driving down the road and noticed the clutch wasn't feeling normal. As I shifted into 3rd gear, the clutch pedal stuck to the floor and wouldn't spring back. I tried pumping on it, then managed to get my foot underneath it to pull it up and then down shift. When I depressed the clutch again and attempted to shift into 2nd gear, the clutch stuck again and I was stuck in 3rd. I finally eased on the brakes and had to intentionally stall my car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10484968, filed 2012-11, 54,040 miles

Buying note. Check the air bag warning light and passenger seat sensor operation first, since that is the most frequently reported item and repair quotes are expensive, then inspect the dashboard for stickiness, cracks and glare. A manual car deserves a careful clutch-pedal check, and service records help show whether any of these have already been addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.