[Infiniti QX30 News]

Though airbag related, it has nothing to do with the ongoing Takata exploding airbag scandal. Infiniti’s latest recall for the QX30 was issued because the driver airbag of affected vehicles may accidentally deploy. This could potentially injure said driver and even increase the risk of a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) summarised the cause of this problem on their recall notice; “the driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air bag clockspring is broken.”

In light of this, Infiniti is recalling 17,507 potentially affected QX30 vehicles that were produced from August 10, 2015, to June 16, 2017 for repairs and a stop sale has been issued. Free of charge, your local dealership service center will add a commutator ring to the steering column, which should provide sufficient grounding.

Owners of affected vehicles will not be contacted by Infiniti until December 18, though you may contact Infiniti customer service at 1-800-622-6200.

Seems like the Infiniti QX30 is having a bad year when it comes to airbags. First it was the driver-side curtain potentially failing to deploy in the event of a crash and now the driver’s airbag may deploy outside of a crash.

 

[Parthur]

LOL. I bet the QX was on ECO drive mode..... no way it was on manual....

 

[LongRoad]

?? The steering column isn't related to Eco mode and the car's transmission gearbox. Not sure if either of those are indicative of which cars will get the recall notice. My only gripe is how long these recalls take if hey already know the cause. Between the time they announce it and the actual recall date, someone's airbag could accidentally deploy.

 

[Smittylit]

Oh boy, I had fun with this one yesterday when I saw this. First off, this is unsafe, and this needs a remedy sooner than they are saying. I emailed the service manager at the dealership, called them, and called the number listed on the recall page. The number listed on the recall page is, well, wrong. It's to another business. The lady that answered the phone is going to get ticked as the calls start piling up.

Anywhoo... Apparently Infiniti ain't gonna help anyone out until we see the blinking airbag light on our car. I tried to get a loaner until they fix the problem, but they won't give me one until the light comes on. I also got the right number for Infiniti corporate, and they confirmed the same scenario. The part won't be out until mid December, so not much we can do.

I was curious what I'm supposed to do when I'm on my road trip next week and the light decides to come on then. Do they pick me up in a loaner and tow my car back across the state line?

I've also got a case number from corporate for my call and am logging all the conversations because if something happens to me, I don't want them to be able to say "oh, well, he never called us for help" as they erase any record of my call and case number.

 

[p07r0457]

According to the NHTSA listing, the edge case that results in unintentional airbag deployment requires a static discharge to occur with a broken clock-spring. Basically, the wiring in the clock-spring normally provides a safe ground path. If the clock-spring breaks, then there is no longer a safe ground path, and the static discharge could trigger the airbag.

The QX30 is a new-ish vehicle, and it is extremely unlikely to have a broken clock spring. If your steering wheel controls work, then your clock-spring is fine.

Yes, this is something that needs to be resolved; but I do not think it rises to the level of parking the vehicle and not driving it. Our QX30 is primarily driven by my wife, and I wouldn't let her drive it if I was truly concerned. Although I do want it to be fixed -- and will bring it in as soon as parts are available -- I don't recommend getting too worked up as Infiniti works through the logistics of manufacturing the commutator ring, building the documentation, educating the dealers, and ultimately notifying owners.

 

[Parthur]

LOL. I bet the QX was on ECO drive mode..... no way it was on manual....

Sorry guys don't know how this end up here..... it was for the thread about the QX 30 vs Mini cooper....