2002 Infiniti I35 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 22, 2024 · 70 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other I35 years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 4 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Infiniti I35. That ranks 2nd out of 4 I35 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (14 complaints, 20%), typically at around 97,000 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 2 fires, 15 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2002 Infiniti I35 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine and Engine Cooling14 · ~97,000 mi
Air Bags12 · ~125,000 mi
Engine11 · ~148,500 mi
Suspension11 · ~127,728 mi
Vehicle Speed Control9 · ~94,000 mi
Exterior Lighting7 · ~185,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic7 · ~279,000 mi
Steering7 · ~99,455 mi
Power Train6 · ~129,728 mi
Electrical System5 · ~82,550 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine and Engine Cooling1420%97,000——
Air Bags1217%125,000——
Engine1116%148,500——
Suspension1116%127,728——
Vehicle Speed Control913%94,000——
Exterior Lighting710%185,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic710%279,000——
Steering710%99,455——
Power Train69%129,728——
Electrical System57%82,550——
Unknown or Other57%90,500——
Equipment46%78,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline46%100——
Structure46%85,000——
Seats34%———
Visibility23%185,000——
Fuel/propulsion System11%94,000——
Service Brakes11%55,000——
Traction Control System11%279,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2002, with 14 complaints
2002: 142002142003: 552004: 4200442005: 222006: 1200612007: 222008: 1200812009: 222010: 4201042011: 332012: 3201232013: 772014: 7201472015: 442016: 5201652017: 222019: 1201912021: 112023: 1202312024: 11

n = 70 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2002 Infiniti I35 recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleJan 9, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V008000 · 307,962 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 or Infiniti customer service at 888-810-3715.

Air bagsMay 15, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V287000 · 1,090,569 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18, 2015 Nissan informed NHTSA of an amendment of this recall to remove 2004-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles.

Engine and engine coolingNov 17, 2003 · NHTSA campaign 03V455000 · 630,000 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.

Risk: This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.

Suspension:front:control arm:lower armMay 30, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V146000 · 90,500 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the pin at the end of the front suspension transverse link (lower control arm) could break where it is mounted to the frame.

Risk: This can cause a knocking sound and abnormal steering. This could result in difficulty controlling the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the transverse links on the left and right sides with new ones. 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.

Vehicle speed controlFeb 12, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V043000 · 39,000 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with an electronic throttle control system, the stopper for the accelerator pedal will prevent excessive movement of the accelerator position sensor. If the driver applies overly excessive force to the accelerator pedal while at the same time pushing it to the right, the pedal can "over travel" due to the design of the pedal stopper.

Risk: This will cause the engine malfunction indicator lamp to come on and the engine speed to be severely limited. If this occurs unexpectedly, it could lead to a crash.

Fix: Dealers will install a new accelerator pedal stopper. Owner notification began march 11, 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 800-662-6200.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2002 Infiniti I35. The contact stated while driving 70–75 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. Additionally, while driving on another occasion, the vehicle shut off but restarted. The check engine, traction control, and ABS warning lights were…

Engine · received Aug 22, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11610167

The contact owns a 2002 Infiniti I35. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 03V455000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…

Engine and Engine Cooling · received Jul 27, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11534785

The contact owns a 2002 infiniti i35. The contact stated that after taking his vehicle to an independent mechanic, he was informed that the lower control arm needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 02v146000 (suspension) however, the vin…

Vehicle Speed Control · received May 13, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11416488

The tcs off and slip lights after a noticeable miss while accelerating, the vehicle fails to accelerate when the accelerator pedal is depressed, and then the vehicle stalls, regardless of traveling speed, resulting in total loss of power steering and power braking. After stalling, the vehicle…

Engine · received Feb 9, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11175884

Takata recall my air inflats by themselves

Air Bags · received Nov 3, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11042851

Other Infiniti I35 years

← 2001 I35 · 2003 I35 →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2004 I35353
2003 I35935
2002705
2001 I3522

See all Infiniti I35 problems by year, every Infiniti model, or the Infiniti VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Infiniti I35?

Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, engine problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 14 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Infiniti I35?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2002 Infiniti I35 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other I35 model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.