I'm more than a little concerned about the seat comfort issue (I'm 6'3" and 210#) considering that I've put a deposit down on a 6MT sedan. I test drove a 6MT sedan and I'm 99% certain the seats are identical to the AT. I'd like to know how significant a problem the seat control/comfort issue really is. Maybe one of the Forum moderators could set up a poll to find out. I know two G35 sedan drivers and one coupe driver who have never mentioned it. I imagine it's a significant issue for only a minority of people (<5%) but it would be nice to know. I've never seen it mentioned in a review of the car, either short or long term. How about a poll?

4DSC still waiting for my...2004/G35sedan/6MT/silver/graphite/premium/aero/bodykit

 

i am your exact size, 6 3 210, nothing like finding out for yourself, go to your dealer, say you need to drive around for at least 50 miles, my right thigh started hurting 30 min into the 50 mile ride home from the dealer

I'm very confident there is no diff between MT and Auto cars

Car and Driver said:

The G35 might have stolen the Acura's finishing position were it not for its frustrating ergonomics: seat controls mounted in the inboard seat-bottom bolster, a manumatic with overlong throws, a mirror adjuster beneath the steering wheel, and a goofy mix of black plastic toggles, flush pushbuttons, and metal rockers. You'll call out the bloodhounds to locate the volume control. Hey, there it is, over on the dual-glove-box side. Of course.

This is the only mention i've ever seen of the seat controls and it's not specifically related to comfort, i think they are just saying it's a stupid place to put the controls.

The car has been tested A LOT, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the seat discomfort, i guess it just depends on the person. My girlfriends *** is wider than mine (her words, not mine, she's hot and has a nice ***, but i digress) and it doesn't bother her a bit. I've bent my controls toward the center of the car which helped a little, i think taking the seat apart and cutting those brackets is a good idea and probably install some extra padding while you're in there...

I'm trying to get an email dialogue going with infiniti, not so much luck, but i'm going to email them everyday till they talk to me (they responded and asked for more detail, i gave them plenty and now i haven't heard back again...)


<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by cwmizner on 02/10/04 06:03 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

I have done exactly as you recommended and went for a 60-90 minute test drive in a G35 sedan and felt the firmness of the seat controls on my thigh but no discomfort. It's somewhat difficult to be objective when you know what you’re looking for, however. Hopefully (for me) it will be a non issue. I'd still like to see a poll to determine how prevalent the problem is. I’d hate to wait 4 months for my car only to find it’s uncomfortable on long drives. Maybe I should just wait for the new Mustang SVT. Since my first car was a 67 Mustang 289 V8, I think the new body style is a winner…but maybe I’m just showing my age!

4DSC still waiting for my...2004/G35sedan/6MT/silver/graphite/premium/aero/bodykit

 

i'm 5'11, 175lbs and have been on 100 mile 1.5 hour trips in my 04 6MT sedan. never experienced the first bit of seat discomfort at all, so i'm a little confused at what all those having problems are talking about. maybe it does have something to do with the way you sit, the size of your thighs and overall weight. just don't know.

****************************
04 6MT sedan, black/willow

 

Hey, was that '67 new? My first new car was a '68, now who's showing their age? Now, that was an uncomfortable driver seat, of course at that age, who cared, LOL! I traded a '00 Mustang GT for my G35, this is so much more comfortable!


Brilliant Silver/Graphite '04 Sedan/5AT

 

If you are not having problem with the seat, please don't waste time posting that. We already know that statistically the majority will not have problems, as they fit in the human anatomy constraints used to design the seat. We all know however, that people vary is size/shape considerably, with perhaps more variation than the general population residing in the country of manufacture and design of the G35.

Reading through, and based on experiance, I believe it is more of a function of hip width and thigh diameter more than it is general height. Many that have significant problems range from 5'6" to 6'4", but all share the common trait of large and/or muscular thighs. I'm sure there are other cases and common traits, I just don't have enough observations to make a statiscially accurate forecast with a high confidence interval.

Bottom line is Infiniti did not design a seat that adapts to a wide range of lower torso dimensions. This can be verified by all the people that do have problems with the G35 seat, all usually say they have never had this problem in any other car or SUV. Furthermore, Infiniti's actions with the seat control padding suggests they admit a problem for SOME of the users, and size of this group must be enough to go through the expense of issuing a Tech Serv Bulletin. I just wish Infinit would providing a better solution, as the padding does not help most with a problem.

 

AMEN Don!!

 

Does anyone know if a Recaro fit kit is available yet?

If so, I'd actually consider the G35 and add Recaros to the front. The price could still be decent (31-32 ish the way I'd have it setup) and it would fix the only part of the car I don't like... the front seats.

Seriously, I have the same complaints about the seat and it's the *only* think keeping me from putting the car at or near the top of my list.

I cannot live with a seat I'm not comfortable in.

But Recaros would fix that.

If you're in control, you're not driving fast enough -- Parnelli Jones

 

Just a folllow up on questions raised earlier in this thread.

People were asking if 04 sedans suffer from the same problem.

1. TSB for 04 model doesn't list driver seat discomfort.

2. Same pressure point exists on 04, however it is not as uncomfortable as in 03 model (just drove 03 loaner for 2 days, my right thigh still hurts).

I assume they just installed the extra padding in 04, however as stated earlier it doesn't fix the problem. Ridning in 04 is uncomfortable for long distances. I constantly find myself moving towards left side of the seat.

I can make a website that will register everybody who is uhappy with their seats. Are there any lawyers on this forum that can help put together an official complain with Infiniti threatening legal action. I think if we get over 1k signatures from here, FA, Nico and other Infiniti forums we can succeed.

And having some law background I can say that proving that those seats are unhealthy will be relativetly easy. You wouldn't have to prove that this particular bracket caused particular condition. All you have to prove is that this particular level of presure can cause permanent damage to the nerve in this particular location.

P.S. I'm 6'3" 210lbs. Never had any problems in any other vehicle driven before, including miniscule cars like miatas and mr2's.

 

Here is the text of an email I just sent to Infiniti Consumer Affairs. Please pardon the length.

To : Infiniti Consumer Affairs
Regarding:G35 Sedan - Painful Driver's Seat

Dear Sirs,
I am writing to you concerning my purchase of a 2003 Infiniti G35 Sedan. I purchased this car because it seemed to me the best value to be found in an entry-level luxury sports sedan. I enjoy many aspects of the car very much. The handling and power are exceptional while still maintaining an acceptable level of ride comfort, and the car is definitely a looker.

However, there have been some problems. Possibly because my car was an early build, I have experienced a number of the problems addressed by Infiniti Technical Service Bulletins or Service Campaigns. To date I have had the ITB #03017 rear parcel shelf buzz or rattle, #02058 fuel hose connection recall, #03001 headlamp adjuster cap installation, the #02080 driver's seat rocks, the #02056 noisy A/C compressor, #03013 windshield wipers noisy, the #03007A audio circuit board campaign, the NHTSA campaign #03V200000 brakelight switch replacement, uneven drip rails replaced, rear window sash moldings replaced, and a problem with the finish on my wheels which lead to replacement under warranty. Despite all these problems and the numerous long and time consuming drives to the nearest Infiniti dealership for service and repair, my overall opinion of the G35 has remained mostly positive, due in no small part to the way Infiniti has quickly addressed most of my problems and resolved them in a satisfactory manner.

There is one HUGE problem that Infiniti has not addressed to my satisfaction, and that is the pain and numbness caused by the poor design of the driver's seat - specifically, the top mounted seat controls and the devilish metal mounting brackets for those controls that dig into my right hip and thigh through the leather. Shortly after my purchase it began causing shooting pains in my right hip and thigh, and my right foot would go numb on any drive of more than twenty minutes. I had the ITB #03018 "Driver's Seat Comfort Improvement" applied to my car on 5-10-03. I must regretfully inform you that it is woefully insufficient to address the seat pain problem. While ITB#03018 did reduce the pain and numbness somewhat, this remains the most painful automobile seat that I have ever experienced in my 29 years as a driver, including a 1998 Chevy Cavalier. To be blunt, I have NEVER in these 29 years experienced any problems with the seating in any other car - as a driver or as a passenger!

It just doesn't make any sense to have sharp upward-pointing metal posts and brackets ANYWHERE in ANY type of seating surface - Period. How could Infiniti have failed to understand that putting the metal bracket and these pointed metal posts inside the right thigh bolster would cause pain for many people?!?!?!?

One of the worst aspects of this problem is that it isn't noticeable in the short duration of most test drives. I took repeated test drives in the G35 sedan, but the problem only became evident after my purchase of the car and several hours spent in the driver's seat over the duration of a day. The pain and numbness began the first full day of driving and got worse and worse over time - so bad in fact that I had to purchase a visco-elastic seat cushion to be able to tolerate driving the car at all. This is totally unsatisfactory in ANY car, much less in a $35,000 car from a company with the reputation that Infiniti enjoys. Even after having ITB#03018 applied and giving it more than a fair amount of time in trial, the continuing pain and numbness is DESTROYING my enjoyment of this otherwise fine automobile.

I can tell you from experience that merely padding the bracket and those sharp metal posts does not do the trick. It is akin to putting a bandaid over a stab wound - woefully insufficient! Any satisfactory fix will involve modifying the current seats by removing the seat control mounting brackets and posts and replacing the seating surface with one that has fully padded bolsters on both sides, or by replacing the seats with new seats that have a fully padded thigh bolster on the right side the same as the current seats have on the left. In either case, the seat controls will have to be moved elsewhere to provide relief from the pain and numbness caused by the metal posts and mounting bracket within the current seating surface. I suggest one possible location/solution would be moving the controls to the hard plastic base at the lower frontal area of the seats. While seemingly less convenient than top mounted controls, I would make that trade-off in a heartbeat in order to finally be able to drive and enjoy my car pain free!!

I regularly visit many internet forums centered around the G35, and there are quite a few others who are having experiences identical to mine in both the Sedan and Coupe. Those who have had ITB#03018 applied are pretty much universal in their agreement that this does not provide an adequate solution to the pain and numbness caused by this serious seat design flaw. Several members have already sold or traded their G35's for other vehicles due to Infiniti's failure to provide a satisfactory resolution to this serious problem. The rest, including myself, are in agreement that Infiniti must step up and find a fix that will effectively address this design flaw and provide us with the comfort that is to be expected from a $35,000 luxury sports sedan. Nothing less is acceptable.

Sincerely,
Robert Phillips Jr.

 

I will definitely register if you get that website up and running Motop. I encourage veryone else who is having this problem to email and call Infiniti until they come up with a truly satisfactory solution to this problem. You can find the Infiniti Consumer Affairs email and phone contact info at...

http://www.infiniti.com/form/global/...on/0,,,00.html

 

I just noticed my seat "rocking" this week.
I'd go pretty fast off the line...and when I came to a hard stop...I'd notice the seat "ROCKED FWD"....I will take this in to my dealership and have them investigate the problem.
I've had a lot of the TSB done too except for the windshield wipers. The one that really got me were the "brakes needing new rotors and pads"...Thankfully, INFINITI took care of that re-imbusement...Still waiting for my CA DMV refund...
I paid $791.00 for my new stickers...According to DMV they should have refund checks sent out by end of march..
WOOHOO for ARNOLD...I can get my springs now and exhaust!

Bobby - San Francisco, CA 94122

 

After trying to call the helpline several times (over the last year), I have submitted an email complaint to Infiniti.

 

The seat rocking is something they are aware of, mine was just doing it slightly, but they replaced the rail or something, now it's tight!


Brilliant Silver/Graphite/Chrome Wheels '04 Sedan/5AT

 

Similar to seat width, I'm sure they did not design the seat frame to withstand the average American weight, which I'm sure is higher than that of the source country. My seat is not mounted tightly either.