When the car is cold and run for first time of the day, I hear a very noticeable creaking sound when I turn the steering wheel. It is definitely coming from the steering wheel or it's surroundings. It seems to go away once the car is warm on the inside. Anyone else experience this?

 

i have this same problem on my coupe. i haven't mentioned it to my dealer. sounds like a rubbing noise when turning the steering wheel on cold days. goes away after the interior warms up. pretty much identical to yours.

 

Possibly the clock spring. I don't know if these cars have an airbag light or just throw an MIL, but if one comes on, its probably associated with the clock spring and its connections.

 

I have this same creaking as well. I took it in to the dealer for them to look at it along with the compression rod creak. They replaced the compression rods under warranty and got rid of that creak. But, when I asked about the steering wheel creak, they said that it was the "spinal cable" inside the steering column and that they couldn't do anything about it. I read about this same excuse at one of the "other" G35 sites from another guy as well. I'm thinking they just don't want to deal with removing the steering wheel, airbag, and all that to fix it. I think once you take out the air bag, it's not reuseable (not sure if it's true but I thought I heard that somewhere). If this is true, then it'd be very costly for them to fix this creak.

Let us know what happens if you have your dealer look at it.

 

My dealer said the same thing.
Haven't removed the airbag or wheel to really investigate. It's too minor in my eyes-I'd imagine you can pull the airbag without damage.
This car no doubt has a few creaks and clicks- Mostly superficial. They need to work on interiors over at Nissan. The M is a step in the right direction.

 

Lip, what state are you in?

I'd feel better if you were in a different state than I am and got told the "spinal cable" excuse. I'm in the Chicagoland area by the way. Then, I'd wonder, how the heck are these dealers figuring it's the spinal cable without really opening up the car, ya know? I would hope (and my guess is) Infiniti knows about it, there "really" is nothing that can be done about it, told the dealers, and isn't going to issue a TSB.

 

Have the same problem here with my sedan. Been hearing it for the past 2 months or so. I've hit my brakes before while hearing this noise and can definitely FEEL it. Stepping on the the brakes, it feels like the cable is loose or something, but after a second, the noise goes away. Although bothersome, this doesn't really bother me as much since its of short duration. Oh, and when I hit the brakes during that noise, it doesn't effect stopping the car.

 

I'm in Northern California. I'm not sure what they actually did to confirm what they were telling me. However, they said that the cable gets twisted and rubs up against something within the column.
I have to take my car in for a 15k service, so they can fix the left rear door creak, the rear parcel shelf creak and maybe the steering issue.

 

That's what gets me...from Cali to Chicago. They seem to have the same excuse for not being able to fix it. I figure Infiniti (and their dealers) might be aware of it. That makes me feel a bit better that they weren't just throwing some BS at me. My dealer is actually pretty good. They usually take the time to drive with me to find and hear the creaks, etc. Last time, we spent about 30-45 minutes driving around to hear the compression rod creak. For this steering wheel creak, they took my order, then later told me they couldn't do anything about it. I've since forced myself to get used to it.

 

I've gotten used to the creaks and clicks as well.
Too be honest, I came out of a 2001 Passat- That car had nicer soft touch plastics and such. That being said, that car had crazy rattles and creaks after a few months of ownership that drove me nuts.
This stuff in this car seems more superficial. I had to remove the dash cover in the Passat to fix the creaky dash unit which needed some shimming, and the vent system which needed shimming as well !!! This in addition to many electrical issues that the dealer was never able to solve.
The Infiniti dealer has been responsive when I bring it in. The Steering noise seems to be an odd duck, and the service tech told me to basically wait until Nissan figures out a resolution that works. They heard it and I actually really appreciate the honesty.
I have 12k showing and the car has otherwise been mint. The drivetrain performs so well, that I tend to forget the little things- A first for me.
I'd actually be very interested to see if they resolve some of this minor stuff in the next generation car-

 

Its the part of the steering wheel that allows it to turn while keeping the elctrical connections from getting bunched up. Airbags are reusable if they're removed wihtout being blown. It would simply require two maybe three bolts on the side of the wheel to disconnect the airbag, then disconnect any electrical harnesses. The one center bolt for the steering wheel and once that is removed, use a steering wheel puller to remove the wheel. Under there is the clock spring (or I guess Infiniti calls it the spinal cable). Anything in there gets messed up, it affects everything in the area as far as electronics and will make noise. Easily replaceable and not overly exspensive.

 

I have this same problem. Haven't asked the dealer to look at it, but it's good to know I'm not alone.

JoshNjuice

 

its something in the shock, the top of the shock or something, i took mine to the dealer and they fixed it

 

Please tell me you're not talking about the shocks in the rear suspension.

 

^^ no, i forgot what its called, ill have to check out the service papers at home