2012 Infiniti G37 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 G37 report one dominant issue: the passenger seat occupant sensor fails, which keeps the passenger airbag off and lights the airbag warning. The rest of the sample is spread across sunroof and A-pillar water leaks that wet the floor and electronics, occasional unintended-acceleration or hesitation complaints, and low-speed powertrain behavior.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger airbag light on / seat occupant sensor

   • 30 complaints (48%)
   • median 57,400 mi at 7.2 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,250 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners describe the passenger airbag-off indicator staying lit and the airbag warning light blinking even with an adult in the passenger seat. Several say the dealer pulled code B1018 and reported the occupant classification sensor or its module failed, though some complaints describe the airbag diagnostic unit instead. Owners are commonly told the sensor is not sold separately and the seat base or entire seat must be replaced; quoted prices in the complaints range from roughly $1,500 to over $9,000, and several said no assistance was offered once the vehicle was out of warranty. Reported from very low mileage (around 11,000 miles and up) through 100,000+ miles, and in complaints filed across many years, so it appears with age and use rather than only in cold weather.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the passenger airbag-off light goes out with an adult in the seat, and watch for a flashing airbag warning light. Ask for a scan for codes such as B1018 and for any seat or sensor replacement records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My passenger seat weight sensor is malfunctioning going on and off at various times into the drive and various weighted passengers. This seems to be a very common problem on my 2012 G37 sport and the seat (sensor cannot be changed out so have to buy the whole seat) ranges between $5000 and $8000. This seems to me to be a safety issue, what were to happen if any one of us having this issue were to get into an accident with a passenger? …”

   NHTSA complaint #11243986, filed 2019-08, 112,000 miles

   “Passenger airbag light blinks. Took car to dealer and they said the seat bottom needs replacing as it is an occupancy sensor failure. Cost for part is $6500.00. Cost to install and reset is $500. That repair is half the value of what it is worth. I called infinity'not under warranty or recall. Have read online that multiple owners of these models are having same issue. I feel that this is a potential safety-related defect in the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11165767, filed 2019-01, 85,327 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Water leaking into cabin (sunroof drains, A-pillar)

   • 9 complaints (14%)
   • median 91,500 mi at 7.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2025

   Complaints describe rain water reaching the front floorboards, sometimes soaking the carpet, and in some cases running down the driver-side A-pillar over the fuse box and body control module. Owners report a musty smell and mold, and dealers have diagnosed clogged or failed sunroof drains and clips that need cleaning or replacement. Owners often raise concern about moisture reaching electrical parts rather than about the leak itself. Reported on vehicles with no mileage given in many complaints, but also at 53,000 and 130,000 miles; several owners tie it to heavy or repeated rain.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check carpets and floor mats on both front footwells for dampness, smell, or staining, and look for water traces at the A-pillar and kick panel. Ask whether the sunroof drains have been cleaned and whether any body control module or electrical repairs followed a leak.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall: after finding an odor in my vehicle regularly, I took my car to the dealership in hopes of finding the issue and resolving it. I was informed that I have a leak in my car. The sunroof has drain to transport water to the outside of the car. There is a firewall with clips that allow for this to function properly. The firewalls in my sunroof drain have failed causing water to sit beneath the carpet of my car. The carpet is soaked as the water has no where to go and the smell is almost unbearable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11002979, filed 2017-07, 53,000 miles

   “There is a leak on the driver side down the front A-pillar. Water runs over the electrical components, fuse box, BCM. I’ve researched on the internet and this is an extremely common problem. If this component gets wet, the car could shut off while driving. Maybe there is a danger with being electrocuted as well. This is a design flaw and potential safety issue in the 2012 Infiniti G37, and it’s happening fairly often as seen with similar issues from other owners. Do I have to worry about this with my two kids in the car? …”

   NHTSA complaint #11518427, filed 2023-04
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Hesitation, surging, or unintended acceleration at low speed

   Mentioned in 8 of 54 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the car hesitating for a couple of seconds when the accelerator is pressed for quick acceleration, and separately describe the engine revving or the car lunging forward while stopped or parking, in some cases resulting in impacts with curbs, barriers, or buildings. A few complaints note the brake pedal going to the floor during a low-speed parking maneuver. Dealers and the manufacturer are described as unable to reproduce or explain the behavior in several reports. Reported at very low mileage in several cases (under 1,000 miles up to about 20,000 miles) and again around 80,000 to 160,000 miles; mostly at low speed, parking, or pulling away from a stop.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: During a test drive, try slow parking maneuvers and a firm throttle application from low speed, and note any delay, surge, or rev flare. Ask whether the dealer has checked for stored codes and whether the vehicle has the latest engine control software.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving on freeway, clutch got stuck. I was unable to switch gears. I ended up stopped in the #2 lane and could not move. I had to push my vehicle to the side of the road with the help of another motorist. I finally got the vehicle back into gear by pulling up the clutch using the top of my shoe. After I resumed driving, the clutch got stuck again. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and informed them of the issue. I also opened a file with Infiniti USA. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10533312, filed 2013-08, 15,330 miles

   “While my wife was traveling on a local neighborhood street my Infiniti G37 it began to accelerate excessively. She tried stepping on the brake but the car kept accelerating. She came to the end of the road at an intersection doing about 40 MPH and turned to the left to avoid going into a house. In doing so she hit a sewer drain with her right front tire causing the vehicle to go almost airbourne. She came to rest without striking the house. The steering wheel airbag went off.”

   NHTSA complaint #11072951, filed 2018-02, 45 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults, battery drain, and no-start

   • 9 complaints (14%)
   • median 55,800 mi at 6.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2023

   Complaints describe the vehicle failing to start without a jump, warning indicators lighting and a beeping when a door is opened, and warning lights remaining on after the battery was recharged or replaced. Some owners link airbag warnings to low battery voltage or jump-starting; others report door lock actuators that intermittently would not release, leaving an occupant unable to exit normally. Reported from about 12,000 to 86,000 miles in the sample, often after the car sat unused or after a battery replacement or jump start.

   Recall 11V5380004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask about battery age and any repeated no-start or jump-start history, and check that all doors lock and unlock reliably from the fob and the interior switch. A scan for stored communication and body codes can show whether electrical faults are already logged.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought in my 2012 for maintenance at an Infiniti service dealer. I received a new battery as I was told the battery needed replacement soon. Come to find out, the new battery was actually a faulty component and my car would not start. I brought it in for diagnostics and they said nothing was wrong. I told them that it must be the battery since I never had that issue before. The battery issue continued and I would have to jump my car off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11170171, filed 2019-01, 86,000 miles

   “Car battery drained while car was unoccupied (in a garage) for two weeks. After jumping car operated as normal except for airbag light. Infiniti dealer informed me that the airbag diagnostic unit had failed and airbags would not deploy until a $1500 repair was done. Dealer noted that the unit likely failed when the battery was at low power or when jumping (jumped car exactly according to owner's manual).”

   NHTSA complaint #11063912, filed 2018-01, 55,800 miles

Buying note. The passenger airbag sensor is the item to verify first, since the fix is often a seat replacement and owners report high quotes once the car is out of warranty. Also check the front carpets and A-pillar for water intrusion and ask about sunroof drain service, then test low-speed throttle and shifting behavior on the drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 54 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.