NHTSA Complaint #11162542 — 2015 INFINITI Q50

ON 12-04-2018 MY WIFE AND I BEGAN A ROAD TRIP FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO BOZEMAN, MONTANA IN OUR 2015 INFINITI Q50. THE INFINITI Q50 IS EQUIPPED WITH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT WARMERS. DUE TO THE EXTREME COLD, MY WIFE (PASSENGER) ACTIVATED HER RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WARMER TO THE HIGH SETTING. THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WARMER WAS ACTIVATED FROM NORTHERN NEVADA TO IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, APPROXIMATELY FOR 9 HOURS. AS WE APPROACHED IDAHO FALLS, MY WIFE AND I BEGAN TO SMELL A BURNT ODOR COMING FROM WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE INFINITI. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND MY WIFE LOCATED THE BURNT SMELL COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHERE MY WIFE'S RIGHT ELBOW HAD BEEN RESTING DURING THE TRIP. THE SEAT WARMER HAD HEATED THE SEAT TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAD BURNED THROUGH THE LAYERING AND SOFTENED THE LEATHER TO THE POINT WHERE MY WIFE'S ELBOW WENT THROUGH. THIS WAS AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN AND WE TURNED OFF BOTH SEAT WARMERS. ON 12-17-2018, UPON OUR RETURN FROM MONTANA WE TOOK THE INFINITI Q50 TO THE PERRY INFINITI DEALERSHIP OF ESCONDIDO, CA WHERE IT WAS LEFT FOR INSPECTION. ON 12-19-2018 WE WERE TOLD BY PERRY INFINITI DEALERSHIP THAT THE DAMAGE WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO THEIR FINDINGS. PERRY INFINITI STATED THAT THEY BELIEVED THE DAMAGE TO BE CAUSED BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE. THIS TO US WAS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE WE ARE NOT SMOKERS NOR DO WE TRANSPORT ANY FLAMMABLE PRODUCTS IN OUR VEHICLE. WE CONTACTED THE INFINITY CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT BUT MET WITH THE SAME NEGATIVE RESULTS. A CONSUMER AFFAIRS CASE WAS STARTED AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ULTIMATE DECISION WOULD BE MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP. WE FIND THIS VERY DISTURBING AND SEE FUTURE ISSUES WITH INFINITI'S SEAT WARMERS THAT COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO BODILY HARM. THANK GOD FOR MY WIFE'S LAYERING OF CLOTHING OR SHE MAY HAVE RECEIVED BODILY HARM.