So earlier this year I made the switch over to the Nissan-Infiniti family as the owner of a 2003 G35 coupe, after totalling my old Lexus in the rain. Some cliff notes:

-Bought G35 in February of this year with 81k miles
-Spent about $2.5k in mods (Nismo bumper, updated projector headlights, HO tints, etc.)
-Spent another $2.5k in maintenance and repairs (new brakes front and back, 90k service, and a new e-brake system w/ rear wheel hubs b/c e-brake was engaging randomly causing rear rotors to warp and crack- this was $1800 to fix)
-Now, 8 months later and with 92k on the clock, the stealership told me my valve covers are leaking. It's $1,800 to fix, but I have a friend who's a DIYer and the parts would only cost $350. If I do fix it, I'd take the DIY route

I bought the G35 for $16,400 including tax and title fees, and spent roughly $5k on mods, repairs, and maintenance. I'd be able to sell the car out for about $15k as is. Even if I take tax out of the equation ($1400), I'd still be losing out on about $5k after eight months (probably only $4k if I take the time and mileage depreciation into consideration).

So my question: Should I suck up the losses and buy a new car (most likely a 2011 WRX or 2011 GTI), then break it in properly and maintain it correctly so I won't be experiencing these used car problems? Or even a CPO-car with warranty remaining? My main concern is that because the G35 is getting so old so fast (I average about 20k miles a year) that additional problems will continue to crop up in the future. My other alternative is to drive it until next summer, when the mileage is around 100k, to 'use up' the new brakes and 90k things, but prospective buyers might be turned off by the high mileage. And of course there's the option of just fixing it and keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else will go wrong.

It's an excellent car (immense engine power, design still turns hears, and I enjoy the exhaust note) and I would hate to see it go (didn't anticipate it to warrant so much repairs), but it's being quite a money pit. Your advice is much appreciated.

 

Ok first question, why did you buy a 80k mile car when you knew you drive 20k a year? How long are you intending on keeping the G?

After reading all that my honest opinion, try to sell the car. If you want to stay in the G family, buy a coupe that is newer with lower miles. That is if you don't mind financing a portion of the money. Some CPO coupes are still barely within warranty, and you can purchase a extended warranty easily. Not sure what your financial plan is. I advise that because it's what I plan on doing in a year or so. I want a newer G that is a 6MT. I'm sick of this 5AT bullsh!t :*( Best of luck with your decision!

-Sean

 

I thought Infiniti would match Lexus reliability, seeing as both came from well-respected Japanese manufacturers: I had 167k in my Lexus until the day of the accident. Absolutely ZERO problems except for the original alternator going out at 161k. I figured by the time I hit 150k in the G35 (about 3.5 years) I would be back in the market for another car. Didn't anticipate so many repairs within a short period of time.

With that being said I won't mind a CPO'd 2007 G35, but most of the CPO vehicles are lease returns and I wouldn't be surprised if they were put through hell/neglect during their 3 years of service and be faced with similar issues further down the road.

 

Well that money that you think you lost , could end up working for you. Keep the car till it absolutely dies. The valve leak cover is a common issue, other than that, the engine and trans is strong on this car.
If you sell it, youre just cashing out, and then buying another liability thats going to cash out way lower than what you paid for it.

 

thanks to our economy, the value of these cars are doodoo now. I would suggest keeping the car and buying a beater

 

^+1

Not sure if it rains much in that part of Cali but just get a bike for an alternate vehicle.

 

I'll sell you my EK hatch for 2500

 

you forgot that new car depreciates and eventually turns into an old car. So rationally, you would want to keep the g35 as long as possible to get your money worth. i bet you would mod your new car too

 

I don't understand why you paid 15k for an 03 G. You could have had an 07 for 17 or 18k.

 

I agree with this. Almost under no circumstances is buying a new or another car ever the cheaper solution. The first mistake you made was buying a high mileage 7 year old 'sports' car to daily drive 20k miles a year, for $15k. The maintenance on these cars is more expensive than your normal entry level commuter, and it's unfortunate you didn't know about Nissan/Infiniti reliability. These cars are not exactly built well, especially compared to Toyota and Honda.

In my opinion is fix the G35, keep it until the wheels fall off, and you will have saved much more in the long run than taking a $5k loss for a couple months of driving and buying a brand new car that will depreciate badly once you get it, and not to mention may introduce its own set of problems.

 

Noted. However 1st gen G35s are not built to the same standard as Toyota/Lexus. Mechanically, they're reliable. But as some others have said, it's still not comparable to Honda/Toyota. My family owns a 02 Sequoia with 150k+ and that thing feels so much better built than my G with 48k miles, and the G is supposed to be a "Luxury" sports car.

 

cars are one of the worse financial investments you can make. (unless you restore classics, even that has a certain market). Buy a cheap 2k car that you can beat around for a year or two and then when it dies, buy another one. I have an 07 coupe, i also have a 90 ford ranger that i spray canned! (looks pretty good though). Its a reliable truck, 4wd, great for the winters here in PA and best of all, i only paid 1500 bucks for it.