2011 Infiniti G37 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report an illuminated or flashing air bag warning light, usually traced by dealers to the passenger-seat occupant sensor and quoted as a whole-seat replacement. A second common theme is a sticky, melting or cracking dashboard, often in hot climates. Scattered complaints also describe abrupt throttle response at low speed, water leaking into the cabin, and hard-top issues on convertibles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag light on / seat occupant sensor

   • 48 complaints (48%)
   • median 60,500 mi at 8.8 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,844 (median of 22 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2024

   Owners describe the air bag warning light coming on or flashing, sometimes together with a 'passenger air bag off' indicator even when an adult is seated there. Dealers and shops commonly diagnosed the passenger-seat occupant sensor and said the whole seat or seat cushion had to be replaced, with quoted repair costs in the thousands of dollars. Several owners were told the vehicle was out of warranty and that no assistance was available. Reported across a wide mileage range, mostly between roughly 23,000 and 100,000 miles, often noticed at start-up or while driving.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Before buying, turn the ignition on and confirm the air bag warning light goes out and the passenger indicator reads correctly with and without someone in the seat. Ask for any prior seat or occupant sensor service records and the quoted cost.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Nissan/Infiniti safety issue the airbag light is blinking - sewell Infiniti mentioned that it was the occupant detection sensor and it would be roughly 6000 to fix. This is an insane amount for a deadly issue as my airbags will not deploy if I am in an accident. A google search shows a trend of this problem occurring with the G37, and it needs to be a recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11133305, filed 2018-10, 59,000 miles

   “The air bag sensor light on the dash has illuminated. This means that the switch in the seat does not detect an occupant so the air bag will no deploy in a crash. Infinit of memphis wants to charge $8000 to replace the seat! This is a safety hazard and should be a recall issue. I see many complaints on this website about the exact same issue. How do we initiate a manufacturer recall?”

   NHTSA complaint #11183381, filed 2019-03, 41,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Abrupt acceleration or throttle hesitation at low speed

   • 11 complaints (11%)
   • median 3,055 mi at 1.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2019

   Owners describe the car surging or accelerating unexpectedly at parking-lot speeds, sometimes while the brake was applied, and in some cases the vehicle struck a wall or garage. Others report the opposite: a delay of one to several seconds before the car responds to the accelerator, including when merging or passing. Dealers often could not duplicate the condition or found no trouble codes; one owner was told the behavior was normal for the design. Mostly reported at very low mileage, often under 20,000 miles, and at low speeds such as parking or pulling out of a driveway.

   What to check: During a test drive, try slow parking-lot maneuvers and a rolling stop to check for surging or delayed throttle response, and ask whether the engine control software has been updated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While pulling into a parking place in a shopping center, with my right foot on the brake and the car stopped, the motor raced and the back tires spun at high speed, I turned the car off and had it towed to the dealer where it is now. This is the second time this has happened, I drove the car after the first event because I was not sure what happened. I believe this is very dangerous. I find online this has happened to other infinity owners.”

   NHTSA complaint #10450612, filed 2012-03, 3,055 miles

   “Ect: automatic transmission control logic / adaptive shift pattern: the vehicle does not produce consistent and reliable response to throttle command when accelerating into and around traffic. On several instances, when pulling out of a driveway into oncoming arterial traffic, there has been no response to throttle input. A delay of 2 ~ 4 seconds has occurred and creates an extremely hazardous situation. This fault has also occurred at freeway speeds when attempting to pass from speeds between 40 & 75 MPH! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10448934, filed 2012-02, 3,050 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Melting, sticky or cracking dashboard

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 62,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2021

   Complaints describe the dashboard surface becoming tacky and shiny, then cracking at seams and around air vents, sometimes with an odor inside the cabin. Some owners mention glare reflecting off the shiny surface onto the windshield, and others note cracks near the passenger air bag area. Dealers generally did not diagnose a fault or offer a repair, and owners were told there was no recall. Typically reported between roughly 50,000 and 86,000 miles, with several owners in hot, humid climates.

   What to check: Inspect the top of the dash in bright light for a shiny, tacky film, cracks at seams and around vents, and ask whether the dash has been replaced or covered.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fog lights have what appear to be burn marks on the inside of the lens. This problem appeared when stuck in traffic after about 1 hour. Next, the dashboard seems to have actually melted and become extremely sticky and has also started to crack. Finally, whenever it rains, water leaks into the cabin on the passenger side. I looked at what I could and the sunroof drain hose appears to be intact as far down as I could track it. The last two issues are a major problem especially since we live in florida.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399052, filed 2021-03, 75,109 miles

   “My dash board is cracked in many places, sticky or tacky in some areas and completely disintegrated in others. All the a.c. Vents have cracks around them. I had a 2010 infinity G37 previously and experienced the same problem with the dash. I believe it's an inherent problem with nissan/infinity. They've had problems also with the altima and did issue a recall in the state of florida. My wife has a 1996 toyota 4runner and her dash is in much better condition and it's 15 years older than my infinity. Please investigate the need for a recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11109746, filed 2018-07, 63,800 miles

Buying note. Check the air bag and passenger-seat indicator carefully and get any seat sensor repair records, since that repair is commonly quoted as a whole-seat replacement. Also inspect the dashboard for stickiness or cracks and, on convertibles, cycle the top and check for water leaks.

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.