Total Complaints
4 filings
INFINITI J30 · model year
1996 INFINITI J30
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996INFINITIJ30 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 J30 is power train:manual transmission with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1) and unknown or other (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 7 investigation files overlapping the 1996 J30. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050629FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DT: CONTACT STATED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE TOW COMPANY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOLD CONTACT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE CAR BURNT COMPLETELY. SHE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL , AND HASN'T TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPT. WAS CALLED. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE REAR OF THE CAR WHERE THE GAS TANK WAS LOCATED.*AK *TT
Mileage: 181,000
20010619ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. WHICH COULD LEAD TO A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. INFINITI KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE SUPERSEDED THE PART WITH A NEW PART. THE COST FOR THE NEW MANIFOLDS ARE $1200.00. NOT ONLY DID THEY MAKE FAULTY MANIFOLDS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO START A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEY GOUGE THEIR CUSTOMERS $1200.00 FOR REPLACEMENT. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN THE ABOVE MATRIX REGARDING COST. THE MANIFOLDS I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT MANIFOLD WITH ONE FROM A SALVAGE YARD. THE LEFT MANIFOLD I HAD WELDED BACK TOGETHER BECAUSE YOU CANNOT FIND ONE IN A SALVAGE YARD THAT ISN'T CRACKED. DOOR LOCKS: INFINITI ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKS, IN THAT THEY LOCK AND UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. ANOTHER SAFTEY PROBLEM, WHEN THE DOORS LOCKS WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE THE CAR, THE MANUAL OVERRIDE EITHER DOESN'T WORK OR THEY DON'T HAVE A MANUAL OVERIDE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD TO GET ANOTHER GUY OUT OF HIS CAR THAT HAD THE SAME
20010619UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. WHICH COULD LEAD TO A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. INFINITI KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE SUPERSEDED THE PART WITH A NEW PART. THE COST FOR THE NEW MANIFOLDS ARE $1200.00. NOT ONLY DID THEY MAKE FAULTY MANIFOLDS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO START A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEY GOUGE THEIR CUSTOMERS $1200.00 FOR REPLACEMENT. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN THE ABOVE MATRIX REGARDING COST. THE MANIFOLDS I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT MANIFOLD WITH ONE FROM A SALVAGE YARD. THE LEFT MANIFOLD I HAD WELDED BACK TOGETHER BECAUSE YOU CANNOT FIND ONE IN A SALVAGE YARD THAT ISN'T CRACKED. DOOR LOCKS: INFINITI ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKS, IN THAT THEY LOCK AND UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. ANOTHER SAFTEY PROBLEM, WHEN THE DOORS LOCKS WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE THE CAR, THE MANUAL OVERRIDE EITHER DOESN'T WORK OR THEY DON'T HAVE A MANUAL OVERIDE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD TO GET ANOTHER GUY OUT OF HIS CAR THAT HAD THE SAME
20000829POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
DURING ACCELERATION THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO STALL ANYTIME CONSUMER TRIES TO SWITCH TO A LEFT LANE ON THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO NEUTRAL THEN BACK TO DRIVE. NLM
Compare 1996INFINITIJ30 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
PE23023Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
RQ15001Recall QueryClosed
Occupant Classification System Failure
PE15001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Improper Frontal Air Bag Deployment
PE14034Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Steering column separation
PE12022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Collision Mitigation System Malfunction
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 INFINITI J30 have?▼
The 1996 INFINITI J30 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 INFINITI J30?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 INFINITI J30 is POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1996 INFINITI J30 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.