Most common 1998 Infiniti I30 problems
Share of the 49 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Infiniti I30 complaints by model year
Best I30 years: 2003, 2004, 2002. Years to avoid: 2000, 1998, 2001. Compare all years →
1998 Infiniti I30 recalls (2)
Electrical system › Alternator/generator/regulator
On certain passenger vehicles, one of the diodes used in the alternator May have been damaged when built. This can eventually result in failure of the diode and an electrical short which could melt the plastic housing.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the alternator. 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…
Electrical system › Alternator/generator/regulator
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. One of the diodes used in the alternator May have been damaged when built. This can eventually result in failure of the diode and an electrical short which could melt the plastic housing.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the alternator.
What 1998 Infiniti I30 owners say
Air bags all 20 →
Air bag light flashing, dealership indicated "a very common problem" for this year and make infiniiti . Well a common problem to me seems like it should be a recall. I was told by dealership that it would over $1000 does this have anything to do with Takata inflators that have been recalls on millions of cars but just skipped this year and make? I was told airbag will still deploy, well I was involved in a front end accident, air bag did not deploy! This is a real concern, this needs to be investigated, and recall implemented before someone dies as a result!
I purchased this car, as the second owner, in 2001, and everything appeared fine. Within 6 months, my air bag light had come on. There was no accident/incident involved - I turned the ignition key and the light came on. I have asked a few mechanics about it, but they all said the only way to know if it is truly defective is to have it deploy, and there is no way of knowing unless I actually hit something. It had 81K miles when I purchased it in 2001, and now has about 153K. I am afraid to drive it if I don't know whether it is safe. We did have one very minor collision about 5 years ago, (another driver hit us driving very slowly) and the driver's side rear quarter panel was dented, but it did not deploy the airbag. With so much press about the airbags, I thought I should check to see if my model has been recalled yet. …
Electrical system
After went through a drive-through to get a sandwich, I noticed the brake and battery light on my 1998 Infiniti I30 came on. I drove to a nearby gas station and noticed that my car started smoking slightly. I checked my temperature light, it was normal. When I got out of the car and opened the hood, there was a small fire that was shooting straight up about 3-4 feet out of the alternator. After approximately a minute, there was a small explosion that caused coolant to spread all over the engine. This put out the initial fire. By this time, the fire department came and investigated. By the time the firefighter walked to the car, another fire in the same place started up. The car had been off the whole time (through the first and second fire). When the insurance company got involved, we towed the car eventually to my local Infiniti dealership. …
While driving home could hear a clicking noise in the wiring car started to lose power and eventually died in the road, jump started it to get to a shop was told it was the alternator, bought new alternator and battery after driving for a while car shorted out again lost power and once again died on the road, jump started car to get home. Car will not hold power keeps shorting out in the wires, alternator is still good as well as battery. You can hear the wiring when it shorts out as it clicks. When I jump start the car it will only stay charged for a few minutes before dying out again. I am not able to drive the car now as it will not stay charged, something electrical is draining the battery. When the wiring starts to click radio goes off and clock dims before shutting off as well.
Brakes
We experienced a problem when the brakes were applied, it seemed as though the ABS system kicked in, but did not properly slow the vehicle. We took the vehicle in for inspection. The dealership replaced the brake pads. The same failure occurs twice more over the next month. So we took the car back to the dealership. They reported that there were no problems with the brakes. The same failure happened again approximately a month after that, and caused an accident. The car was returned to the dealership, however, the dealership maintains that there is no problem with the brakes. Dt
The brake cable assembly is made with an inferior bracket that causes the cable to rub against the suspension wearing through the cable. Eventually it would cause the cable to be cut through. Photos are available.
1998 Infiniti I30 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Infiniti I30 a good car?
Based on 49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 I30 rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the I30 at the same age. It is one of the I30 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Infiniti I30?
The air bags — 20 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal › sensor/control module. Next are the electrical system (10) and brakes (6).
How many recalls does the 1998 Infiniti I30 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1998 Infiniti I30, the most recent from June 24, 2002 (alternator/generator/regulator). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Infiniti I30?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2004 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 1998 and 2001. See the full Infiniti I30 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Infiniti I30 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 15% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.