NHTSA Complaint #11074652 — 2011 INFINITI G25

AFTER NORMAL USE, AND WITH NO WARNING INDICATIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER BEING PARKED. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO LOCK, AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED FROM THE DASH WHEN THE PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION WAS PRESSED. ACCORDING TO THE 2011 INFINITI G OWNER'S MANUAL, WHEN THE INTELLIGENT KEY INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARS, IT INDICATES A MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRICAL STEERING LOCK SYSTEM OR THE INTELLIGENT KEY SYSTEM INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE INFINITI DEALER, AND THE DEFECTIVE STEERING LOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED, IN ORDER TO RETURN THE VEHICLE BACK INTO AN OPERABLE STATE. THIS MECHANICAL DEFECT POSES A SAFETY RISK TO UNEXPECTED VEHICLE OWNERS, AS IT COULD LEAVE THEM IMMOBILE IN INSECURE SURROUNDINGS, AND PREVENT THEM FROM REACHING IMMEDIATE HELP WHEN THREATENED OR HARASSED, AND IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES, MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WHAT IS MORE DISTURBING, IS THAT INFINITI IS AWARE OF THE STEERING LOCK DEFECT. THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF INFINITI OWNERS, PUBLISHED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, CONSUMER ADVOCACY WEBSITES, ONLINE FORUMS, MESSAGE BOARDS, AND SOCIAL NETWORKS. IN ADDITION, NISSAN (INFINITI'S PARENT COMPANY) ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM WITH A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN ON SPECIFIC MY2009-10 NISSAN ALTIMA, ALTIMA COUPE, ALTIMA HYBRID, AND MAXIMA VEHICLES, WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL) WITH AN ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN BOX (ESCB). HOWEVER, INFINITI (THE LUXURY DIVISION OF NISSAN) HAS REFUSED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS KNOWN DEFECT WITH THEIR STEERING LOCK AND WILL NOT MAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ON THE BEHALF OF THEIR CUSTOMERS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF THEIR PRODUCT.