Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Infiniti I30 problems

Owners filed 21 complaints about the 1997 Infiniti I30 with NHTSA between Apr 1997 and Feb 2016. The most-cited component is electrical system (6).

Complaints
21
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system6
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic5
  3. Engine and engine cooling3
  4. Vehicle speed control2
  5. Fuel/propulsion system1
  6. Fuel system, gasoline1
  7. Power train1
  8. Air bags1
  9. Suspension1
  10. Tires1
  11. Equipment1
  12. Seat belts1
  13. Other / unknown3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19972
19980
19993
20000
20012
20021
20032
20043
20051
20060
20073
20081
20090
20100
20112
20120
20130
20140
20150
20161

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

6 reports1 related recall
“THE CAR STALLED, NEEDED TOWING TO FIRESTONE IN ELGIN. THEY SAY IT'S ALTERNATOR. THIS WILL BE THIRD CHANGE OF THE ALTERNATOR FOR THIS VEHICLE IN 4 YEARS PERIOD. BATTERY HAS BEEN CHANGED ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, WHEN THE CAR STALLED PREVIOUSLY. YESTERDAY I CALLED INFINITI, GOT A BIT OF A RUN AROUND BY THEM TELLING ME TO CALL NISSAN, WHO TOLD ME TO CALL INFINITI. INFINITI TOLD ME MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN HELP ME WITH. *KB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2011Electrical systemODI 10429575

Service brakes, hydraulic

5 reports2 crashes
“REAR BRAKE HUM AT LOW SPEED, MAINLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM FULL STOP. BOTH REAR ROTORS REPLACED AND PADS REPLACED, STILL OCCURS. OCCASIONAL GRINDING FROM DRIVER'S REAR BRAKE - MECHANIC CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEM DESPITE FREQUENT BRAKE PART REPLACEMENTS. DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM EITHER. *LA”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 13, 2004Service brakes, hydraulic, EquipmentODI 10080917

Engine and engine cooling

3 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 INFINITI I30. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. AFTER DRIVING ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FUMES BEGAN TO COME FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY THE DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 96,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 13, 2011Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10425215

Vehicle speed control

2 reports1 crash
“VEHICLE WOULD NOT REDUCE IN SPEED EVEN AFTER CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKE CAUSING HIM TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. NLM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 7, 1999Vehicle speed controlODI 548348

Fuel/propulsion system

1 report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 INFINITI I30. WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE BRACKET THAT HELD THE FUEL FILLER NECK BECAME CORRODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL SPILLED OUT AFTER FUELING THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRACKET AND THE FUEL FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 11, 2016Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10825694

Fuel system, gasoline

1 report
“I HAVE A 1997 INFINITI I30 THAT WAS PURCHASED OCT 2006 WITH APPRX 94,000 NOW HAS 105,000. CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON FROM MONTH 2 ON, I HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 IN REPAIRS. I HAVE EVEN TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL INFINITI DEALERSHIP AND THEM NOR ANYONE ELSE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAVE REPLACED 2 STARTERS, ALTERNATOR, IGNITION SWITCH, 2 IGNITION COILS, CAM SHAFT ANGLE SENSOR, CRANK SHAFT ANGLE SENSOR, 3 SETS OF SPARK PLUGS,VALVE COVER GASKETS, FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTERS, MAJOR FRONT AND BACK WHEEL COMPUTERIZED ALIGNMENT, TRANSMISSION FILTER AND OIL. CAR SPITS AND SPUTTERS ACTING LIKE ITS RUNNING OUT OF GAS. IT DIES WHEN AT A LIGHT, IN GEAR, REVERSE, TAKES A TURN....PRETTY MUCH ALL THE TIME, INFINITI DEALER SAYS ONLY THING WRONG IS A SHUTTER SENSOR WHICH WAS TOLD THAT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE DRIVING. I AM CURRENTLY AT A LOSS FOR WHAT I SHOULD DO TO HAVE MY CAR REPLACED, I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND HAVE A VERY LIMITED INCOME BUT NEED MY CAR FIXED. I AM SEEKING ANY KIND OF HELP FOR FIXING MY CAR. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2008Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10236780
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.