NHTSA Complaint #10954280 — 2001 INFINITI I30

CAR HAS DEVELOPED ISSUES STARTING AND MAINTAINING SMOOTH IDLE ONCE STARTED. INITIALLY, A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE ISSUES AS THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. IT WAS CHANGED AT A COST OF $800. THIS DID NOT ALLEVIATE THE ISSUE. AFTER FURTHER TESTS, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THIS HAD TO BE CHANGED BY AN INFINITI DEALERSHIP. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY AND WOULD COST $1300 TO REPAIR AND FIX THE PROBLEM. I INQUIRED IF THIS MEANT THE ECM WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT AND THEY SAID IT WOULDN'T. AFTER REPLACING THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE CHANGED SINCE IT INTERACTS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL BODY AND ECM AND THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE TO MAKE IT ALL WORK PROPERLY. THIS WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $3900. AT THIS POINT, SINCE THE CAR'S BLUE BOOK VALUE IS LESS THAN $3000, IT NO LONGER MADE SENSE TO MAKE THE REPAIR BUT I DID HAVE TO PAY THE $1300 TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACED THROTTLE CONTROL BODY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE TO INFINITI (AND NISSAN) AND THEY KNOW THE EXACT STEPS REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MY COMPLAIN IS THAT THEY DO NOT DISCLOSE THE FULL SPECTRUM AND COSTS OF THE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER THEY'VE HAD YOU PERFORM AT LEAST ONE OF THE THREE OR FOUR REPAIRS "NECESSARY TO UNCOVER THE FULL EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM" THEREBY ENSURING THEY GET PAID AT LEAST $1000 OR MORE JUST TO GET YOU ON THE HOOK FOR A LARGER BILL LATER. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A BAIT-AND-SWITCH SERVICE SCAM AND I'M HOPING THE NHTSA TAKES THE MANUFACTURER TO TASK ON THIS AND ISSUES AN IMMEDIATE RECALL RELATED TO THIS SERIOUS ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW THAT REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL COSTS TO THE CONSUMER TO REPAIR A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE.