Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Infiniti I30 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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.
The SRS light flashed on then off while driving, driver took vehicle to dealer. The driver noticed on another occasion that problem repeatedly happened. The mechanic determined that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced.
Infiniti I30 air bag red light on dash blinking indicating faulty air bags. This is a dangerous situation because you don't know if the air bags are functional or if it is just the light. Infiniti wants > $600 to replace the airbag which only seems to last a short period of time. Many owners have indicated this problem on the web: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/Infiniti/I30/r71712/comments/ http://forums.nicoclub.com/air-bag-sign-blinking-on-1998-Infiniti-I30-t285511.html http://x.infinitihelp.com/forum/showthread.php/air-bag-light-flash-1250.html?s=e57ee447db4834484bf21b4fa7bd8aa0&p=4558
Tl contact owns a 1998 Infiniti I30. The contact stated that the air bag warning light continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the passenger side air bag needed to be replaced at the cost of over $1,000. There were no recalls for the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were less than 64, 726. Updated 07/14/09 updated 07/15/09.
Check out this site. This appears to be a common problem with I30 http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_71712.html airbag warning light flashes. This would indicate that the airbag is malfunctioning or the system light, but in either case we know not which. This appears to be an ongoing situation which Infiniti will not address. Please investigate.
Air bag light came on at 33,000. Diagnosis: a bad sensor for driver's side bag. Extended warranty does not cover. They wanted $700 to fix it. Turns out there is a reset method that will turn off the light if it is not defective, and only needs to be reset. The dealer did not try this, or offer to do so.
Air bag light flashes repeatedly. Car has just turned over 40000 miles. Dealership (crest) in plano charges $130 just to look at the car and diagnose. New sensor plus installation costs $500. Not worth the cost on a 1998 vehicle. Complained that this should be a safety/Nissan issue. Complaints were ignored.
The airbags are rendered useless for no appearent reason other than defective from the maker. Vehicle had less than 40,000 miles when the defect was found by dealer. Dealer claimed it to be the owner's responsibility and costs. I believe this should be a recall by Nissan.
Airbag complaints in other I30 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1998 Infiniti I30?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the air bags of the 1998 Infiniti I30, 41% of the model year's 49 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Infiniti I30 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 1998 Infiniti I30, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Infiniti I30 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.