Air bag light flashing, dealership indicated "a very common problem" for this year and make infiniiti . Well a common problem to me seems like it should be a recall. I was told by dealership that it would over $1000 does this have anything to do with takata inflators that have been recalls on millions of cars but just skipped this year and make? I was told airbag will still deploy, well I was involved in a front end accident, air bag did not deploy! This is a real concern, this needs to be investigated, and recall implemented before someone dies as a result!
The worst 1998 Infiniti I30 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags20
- Electrical10
- Brakes6
- Body4
- Transmission4
- Engine3
- Locks2
- Visibility2
- Acceleration1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Infiniti I30
Recalls 2
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 02V171000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 99V129000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Infiniti I30 81
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Windshield cracking
- Removing foreign material from the window glass
- Wheel bearing collision damage
- Infiniti; front sonar parking sensor service information
- Voluntary service campaign I30 p/s return hose leaks
- Exterior cleaning information service information
- Plastic interior trim protective covering removal service information
- Transmission & engine automated data collection and diagnostic reporting service information
- Infiniti USA Electronic Field Communication Subject: Retailed Vehicle Open Campaign Report Lists Updated...
- Infiniti USA Electronic Field Communication Subject: Takata Completion Objectives for Q3 INFINITI is...
1998 Infiniti I30 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18-19 | 24-25 | 21 |
What 1998 Infiniti I30 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
While driving home could hear a clicking noise in the wiring car started to lose power and eventually died in the road, jump started it to get to a shop was told it was the alternator, bought new alternator and battery after driving for a while car shorted out again lost power and once again died on the road, jump started car to get home. Car will not hold power keeps shorting out in the wires, alternator is still good as well as battery. You can hear the wiring when it shorts out as it clicks. When I jump start the car it will only stay charged for a few minutes before dying out again. I am not able to drive the car now as it will not stay charged, something electrical is draining the battery. When the wiring starts to click radio goes off and clock dims before shutting off as well.
Takata recall the car has manufacture things that need to be fix for no xcost
Takata recall the car turns off by it self
I purchased this car, as the second owner, in 2001, and everything appeared fine. Within 6 months, my air bag light had come on. There was no accident/incident involved - I turned the ignition key and the light came on. I have asked a few mechanics about it, but they all said the only way to know if it is truly defective is to have it deploy, and there is no way of knowing unless I actually hit something. It had 81k miles when I purchased it in 2001, and now has about 153k. I am afraid to drive it if I don't know whether it is safe. We did have one very minor collision about 5 years ago, (another driver hit us driving very slowly) and the driver's side rear quarter panel was dented, but it did not deploy the airbag. With so much press about the airbags, I thought I should check to see if my model has been recalled yet. Just because my car is old does not mean it has not been issue for over 10 years. It is a scary way to drive around. I tried to check to see if was a recall but the website is down, so I don't know. I checked "not found".
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 infiniti i30. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, smoke and fire began to rise from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the contact was informed that the alternator system failed and caused the fire. The manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with the federal safety agency campaign id number 99v129000 (electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator). The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 145,000. Updated 01/25//12
Infiniti i30 air bag red light on dash blinking indicating faulty air bags. This is a dangerous situation because you don't know if the air bags are functional or if it is just the light. Infiniti wants > $600 to replace the airbag which only seems to last a short period of time. Many owners have indicated this problem on the web: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/infiniti/i30/r71712/comments/ http://forums.nicoclub.com/air-bag-sign-blinking-on-1998-infiniti-i30-t285511.html http://x.infinitihelp.com/forum/showthread.php/air-bag-light-flash-1250.html?s=e57ee447db4834484bf21b4fa7bd8aa0&p=4558
In september/october 2009, I filed a complaint with infiniti and the federal safety agency regarding a structural defect to the frame of my 1998 infiniti i30t. Because of the design, the frame rotted and completely separated under the engine due to excessive corrosion. Mechanics advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive because the engine and/or transmission could fall out causing the operator to lose complete control of the vehicle, which could result in a serious motor vehicle accident causing serious bodily injuries and/or death. I was also informed that the nissan maximas around the same year also had the same issue because they utilized the same frame. I cannot believe infinity, nissan and/or the federal safety agency have not initiated recalls on these vehicles given the recent recalls and serious accidents of vehicles with similar issues that have resulted in deaths (I.e. Ford windstar vans and honda passports). When are you going to issue a recall of these vehicles to protect the operators?
I own a 1998 infiniti i30. On thursday, march 26, 2010, my daughter nichole was driving the vehicle on the freeway when suddently the car accelerated to over 4000 rmp without her applying the accelerator pedal. She applied the brake with all pressure she could muster (2 feet) and eventually put the car in neutral and pulled off the freeway, with smoke pouring from all four wheels. We had the car towed to an auto mechanic, who found that the idle air control valve was bad. When the mechanic started the car in the shop, the engine immediately raced to 5000 rmp. The mechanic told me that he had never seen a case where when the idle air control valve goes bad, that it causes the engine to race. Instead, he says the engine just dies. In the process of stopping the vehicle, the front pads were fried and worn down to bare metal, and destroyed the front rotors. The rear disc pads were also fried, but the rear rotors can be salvaged.
Air bag light came on, took vehicle to dealer, was told sensor went bad. Made repair. About two years later, air bag light came back on with similar problem. Was told air bags were non-functional when air bag light was on.
Compare the 1998 Infiniti I30
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Questions about the 1998 Infiniti I30
Is the 1998 Infiniti I30 reliable?
Owners have filed 49 complaints about the 1998 Infiniti I30, 24.5 times a typical I30 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Infiniti I30?
Airbags, with 20 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles. Next is electrical (10).
How many recalls does the 1998 Infiniti I30 have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system.
What year does the Infiniti I30 have bad airbags?
The Infiniti I30 model years with the most airbags complaints are 1998 (20 complaints) and 1999 (13 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1998 Infiniti I30 get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Infiniti I30 range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18-19 city and 24-25 highway.
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