Total Complaints
13 filings
INFINITI J30 · model year
13 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997INFINITIJ30 carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 J30 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by electrical system:horn (2) and suspension:front (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 7 investigation files overlapping the 1997 J30. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
13 filings
Crashes Reported
6 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 1 |
| CHILD SEAT | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR STOPPED WORKING , A MONTH LATER THE REAR DRIVERS DOOR STOPPED WORKING, 2 WEEKS LATER THE DRIVERS DOOR STOPPED WORKING ON MY 1997 INFINITI J30 (WHICH I PURCHASED NEW, ONLY 107,000 MILES ON IT).NOW THE ONLY DOOR THAT WORKS IS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THERE ARE NO BLOWN FUSES. IT SEEMS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ACTUATOR THAT ELECTRONICALLY OPENS AND CLOSES THE MECHANISM. IF THE OTHER DOOR FAILS , I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE. IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. *TR
Mileage: 107,000
THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR STOPPED WORKING , A MONTH LATER THE REAR DRIVERS DOOR STOPPED WORKING, 2 WEEKS LATER THE DRIVERS DOOR STOPPED WORKING ON MY 1997 INFINITI J30 (WHICH I PURCHASED NEW, ONLY 107,000 MILES ON IT).NOW THE ONLY DOOR THAT WORKS IS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THERE ARE NO BLOWN FUSES. IT SEEMS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ACTUATOR THAT ELECTRONICALLY OPENS AND CLOSES THE MECHANISM. IF THE OTHER DOOR FAILS , I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE. IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. *TR
Mileage: 107,000
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AND NONE OF THE SIX AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BRUISING AND LOWER BACK PAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
Mileage: 61,000
THE PLASTIC HARNESS RETAINER LATCH FOR THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT BROKE OFF WHILE THE CHILD WAS IN THE SEAT. MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM AND WANTED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, BUT THE CONSUMER DID NOT TRUST THIS PARTICULAR SEAT ANYMORE. *AK
Mileage: 80,000
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A BUSINESS ONTO HIGHWAY 59 SOUTH , INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT WAS RAINING, I HAD TURNED ON MY TURN SIGNAL AND I WAS TURNING ON MY WIPERS, AS I TURNED MY MY WINDSHEILD WIPER THE KNOB CAUGHT INSIDE MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKING ME FROM TURNING. I HAD ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMING AT ME SO I YANKED REAL HARD AND BROKE THE WIPER KNOB.I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I WOULD LIKE TO KOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THAT TYPE OF PROBLEM. IF THE KNOB HAD NOT BROKEN, I WOULD HAVE BEEN BROAD SIDED BY TWO LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TALK ABOUT WEAK KNEES...I HAVE NOT REAPIRED YET, AFRAID IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN.
FUEL INJECTORS WERE BAD, THEY LEAKED QUITE A BIT OF FUEL.CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER SAID IT SHOULD JUST BE FLUSHED. BUT, WHEN TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC,MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS BAD. ON RAINING DAYS IT WOULD GET WORSE. FROM TIME TO TIME VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN ON. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, CRASHING INTO A BUILDING AND CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS REGARDING THIS COMPLIANT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN I TURNED THE KEY TO START MY CAR THAT MORNING THE BATTERY BLEW UP. IT HAD ENOUGH FORCE THAT IT DAMAGED MY HOOD. WHEN I TOLD MY SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT IT SHE DIDN'T SOUND AT ALL SUPRISED. SHE MERELY TOLD ME THAT THE BATTERY MUST HAVE GOTTEN TOO DRY. LATER I TOLD HER THAT THE BATTERY SHOULDN'T HAVE EXPLODED LIKE THAT EVEN IF IT WAS DRY. I SAID I HAD NEVER KNOWN ANYONE WHO HAD A BOTTERY BLOW UP LIKE THAT, AND SHE SAID "OH, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." SHE WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE "ABOUT ONE PER WEEK." THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO ME BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED IF THEY HAD THEIR FACE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT BATTERY WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION. *AK
HORN FAILED. YH
WHILE DRIVING INTO DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, DRIVER LOST CONTROL, RAN INTO GARAGE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, RAN INTO GARAGE; PUSHED MERCEDES (INSIDE GARAGE) ABOUT 28 INCHES AGAINST THE WALL. TOOK TO DEALER, DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM. *AK
STEERING WHEEL BEGAN JERKING LEFT AND RIGHT AND VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. *AK
STEERING WHEEL BEGAN JERKING LEFT AND RIGHT AND VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. *AK
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
Occupant Classification System Failure
Improper Frontal Air Bag Deployment
Steering column separation
Collision Mitigation System Malfunction
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 INFINITI J30; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.