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The 2011 Infiniti Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide provides information for 2011 Infiniti vehicles available at the time of publication. This article will be amended as new vehicles are introduced and the original publication is modified.
Although mainly created to help those with Infiniti vehicles, this guide contains useful safety information and tips that will help a person with ANY type of vehicle.
1. AIR BAG PROTECTION
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AIR BAGS
Air bags are a supplemental restraint system designed to enhance the protection provided by the
seat belt system during certain types of collisions. Supplemental driver and front passenger air
bags, side-impact air bags, and curtain side-impact air bags are standard on all 2011 Infiniti
vehicles. On some Infiniti vehicles, the curtain side-impact air bags are also equipped with a
rollover sensing function. See your vehicle owner’s manual for information about these air bag
systems.
Please remember always to wear your seat belt, and that a rear-facing child restraint must never
be used in the front passenger seat if the vehicle is equipped with a front passenger air bag. See
page 10 of this guide for important information about child restraint use.
FASTER THAN THE EYE CAN BLINK
In a collision, a lot can happen in just one second. Generally, at 0.01 seconds an air bag begins
to inflate. At 0.04 seconds it is fully inflated. By 0.1 seconds it has done its job and is deflating.
Considering the speed of these events, it is not surprising that many people involved in a frontal
collision do not realize that their air bags did inflate.
THE INFINITI ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM
All 2011 Infiniti vehicles are equipped with the Infiniti Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) for the
driver and front passenger seats. Typically, this system, which has dual-stage inflators,*
monitors information from various crash sensors, the front seat belt buckle sensors, and the
occupant classification sensor.
The front passenger air bag may be automatically turned off under some conditions, depending
on the pressure or weight detected by sensors in the passenger seat. See the vehicle owner’s
manual for more information. If the front passenger air bag is off, the front passenger air bag
status light will be illuminated.**
The front passenger air bag status light does not indicate a malfunction of the front passenger air
bag. If the front passenger air bag status light is illuminated while the seat is occupied by an
adult, the occupant may need to shift his or her seating position so the system can turn on the
front passenger air bag and turn off the status light.
Remember, all air bags are supplemental restraint systems. You must always use seat belts and
child restraints properly, as explained in the vehicle owner’s manual and your child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF AN AIR BAG: YOUR SEAT BELT
Your chances of surviving a collision will improve greatly if one simple piece of advice is
followed: always wear your seat belt. Do not count on just the air bags for occupant protection;
they are merely a supplemental restraint system.
Seat belts help to protect the occupants of your vehicle during collisions in which the air bags
are not designed to activate. And, in situations where the air bags are activated, seat belts
enhance their effectiveness and can help reduce the risk of injury from an inflating air bag. Seat
belts will also help protect the occupants of your vehicle during multiple-impact collisions, while
the air bags work only one time if a collision is severe enough to activate them. Please see the
SEAT BELT SAFETY and CHILD SAFETY sections of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for
more information.
*Dual-stage inflators vary the inflation rate based on the severity of the collision (for example, less forceful
inflation for moderate impacts and a high force of inflation for more severe impacts). In addition, based on
information from the seat belt buckle sensors that detect whether the seat belts are fastened, the
deployment of the front air bags is adjusted. Only one front air bag may inflate in a crash, depending on
the crash severity and whether the front occupants are belted or unbelted.
**When the system detects that the seat is unoccupied, the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though the front passenger air bag is OFF.
EFFECTIVE USE OF SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS
Seat belts and supplemental air bags are most effective when vehicle occupants are sitting
upright and well back in the seat with both feet on the floor. Keep in mind that air bags inflate
with great force. Being unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways, or being out of position in
any way puts you at a greater risk of injury or death in a crash. You may also receive serious or
fatal injuries from the air bag system if you are up against it when it inflates. Always sit back
against the seatback with both feet on the floor and as far away as practical from the steering
wheel or dashboard, and always wear your seat belt. Please see the SEAT BELT SAFETY section of
this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for more information.
HOW AND WHEN FRONT AIR BAGS WORK
While the inner workings of a supplemental front air bag system are complicated, understanding
what makes the front air bags deploy is rather easy: the vehicle’s front air bag sensor system is
designed to detect rapid deceleration usually associated with moderate to severe frontal
collisions within a limited range of angles. The vehicle’s deceleration rate is related to various
factors, such as speed of the vehicles involved, the weight and stiffness of the vehicles/objects
involved, contact locations, and the angle of impact, to name a few. Once the sensor system is
activated, the front air bags inflate with a harmless gas almost instantly.
The front air bags will not usually activate in side-impact collisions, rear-end collisions, rollovers,
while driving on rough roads, or during hard braking. However, deceleration rates in some
situations can be similar to those found in frontal impacts and may result in front air bag
activation.
WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS INFLATE
Please remember, for the supplemental front air bags to be most effective, you must always
buckle up and sit at a suitable distance back to allow room for the air bags to inflate. For the
front air bags to do their job, they must inflate with great force. As mentioned earlier in this guide,
this may cause serious or even fatal injury if, for example, you are sitting or leaning too close to
the steering wheel or dashboard during inflation. Even when seated properly, there is a
possibility of injury from an inflating front air bag. This usually consists of minor skin abrasions
or burns, but may be more serious. Overall, these injuries are minimal compared to the injuries
the front air bags are designed to prevent. After the front air bags have inflated, you may notice a
light smoke within the cabin. This is a normal by-product of the rapid chemical reaction
necessary to inflate the front air bags and, although harmless, it may cause minor irritations.
REPLACING THE AIR BAGS
Air bags are not reusable. After a collision in which your air bags have activated, have the
respective air bag system inspected and replaced by your Infiniti retailer as soon as possible.
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT AIR BAGS
In a multiple-impact collision, air bags help to protect only during the first impact severe enough
to activate the system.
If, as in the illustration above, for example, the collision labeled #1 is severe enough to activate
the front air bags, the front air bags would not be reactivated in collision #2.
FRONTAL COLLISIONS WITH OTHER VEHICLES
If the front end of your car should go under a vehicle, the impact probably will not activate the front air bags.
A severe frontal collision involving another vehicle, stationary or moving, probably will activate the front air bags.
The front air bags may or may not be activated in a frontal collision that occurs at an angle.
OTHER FRONTAL COLLISIONS
If your vehicle should strike an object in the road, such as a rock, debris or hole, the front air bags probably will not activate.
Hitting a pole is a situation in which the front air bags may or may not activate, depending on the severity of the impact.
A severe collision with an immovable object probably will activate the front air bags.
SIDE-IMPACT, CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT, AND CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT/ROLLOVER AIR BAG SYSTEMS
All 2011 Infiniti vehicles are equipped with supplemental side-impact air bags and curtain side-
impact air bags. Side-impact air bags are located on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats.
Curtain side-impact air bags and curtain side-impact/rollover air bags (if so equipped) are
located in the left and right side roof rails or in the upper part of the front door panels.
Side-impact air bags and curtain side-impact air bags are designed to inflate in higher-severity
side collisions, on the side where the vehicle is impacted. However, they may inflate if the forces
in another type of collision are similar to those of a higher-severity side-impact. Curtain side-
impact/rollover air bags are designed to inflate in certain types of side-impact collisions and
rollovers.
Curtain side-impact air bags and curtain side-impact/rollover air bags are different mainly in
their sensing systems: curtain side-impact air bags are activated primarily in a lateral collision,
whereas curtain side-impact/rollover air bags are activated in either a lateral collision or a
rollover. Since a rollover event lasts longer than a side-impact event, curtain side-impact/rollover
air bags are designed to remain inflated longer than curtain side-impact air bags.
Side-impact air bags and curtain side-impact air bags, along with the use of seat belts, help to
cushion the impact force to the head and chest of the front occupants. In most Infiniti vehicles,
curtain side-impact air bags also help to cushion the impact force to the head of rear outboard-
seated occupants.* These air bags can help save lives and reduce serious injury. However, an
inflating side-impact air bag, curtain side-impact air bag, or curtain side-impact/rollover air bag
may cause abrasions or other injuries.
Seat belts should be worn correctly and vehicle occupants seated upright. These air bags inflate
quickly in order to help protect the occupants. The force of an air bag inflating can increase the
risk of injury if the occupant is too close to or is against the air bag module during inflation.
Like front air bags, an inflated side-impact air bag as well as an inflated curtain side-impact air
bag will deflate soon after the collision is over. As noted above, an inflated curtain side-
impact/rollover air bag will remain inflated for a short time afterward. See REPLACING THE AIR
BAGS earlier in this guide.
*Curtain side-impact air bags for rear outboard-seated occupants are not available on G37 Convertible.
SIDE AND OTHER COLLISIONS
On vehicles equipped with curtain side-impact/rollover air bags, the curtain air bags on both sides of the vehicle are designed to activate in certain types of rollover accidents. This function is in addition to the side- impact protection function described above. The front air bags are not likely to activate in this situation.
The air bags probably will not activate if your vehicle is struck from the rear.
On vehicles equipped with side-impact and curtain side-impact air bags, the air bags on the side the vehicle was impacted probably will activatedepending on the collision. The front air bags are not likely to activate in this situation.
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SIDE-IMPACT, CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT, AND CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT/ROLLOVER AIR BAG SYSTEMS
rails or in the front door panels.
severe off-road driving) may cause these air bags to inflate.
these systems).
2. CHILD SAFETY
WHENEVER A CHILD IS IN YOUR VEHICLE
The risk of serious or fatal injury to children in automobile collisions can be reduced with a properly installed child restraint. Before you install a child restraint in your vehicle, please consult the vehicle owner’s manual and the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for proper installation.
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat. An inflating front passenger air bag could seriously injure or kill your child. According to statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat. Infiniti and the federal government recommend that children 12 and under should ride in the rear seat, properly secured in child restraints, booster seats, or seat belts, according to their size.
If you must install a forward-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat, move the passenger seat to the rearmost position. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details and additional important information.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
Infants and small children should always be placed in an appropriate child restraint while riding in the vehicle. Failure to use a child restraint can result in serious injury or death.
Children and infants should never be carried on your lap. It is not possible for even the strongest adult to resist the forces of a severe collision. The child could be crushed between the adult and parts of the vehicle. Also, do not put the same seat belt around both your child and yourself, or another child.
Always install the child restraint properly, and check that it is securely held in place by the vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH system (if so equipped). An improperly installed child restraint could lead to serious injury or death in a collision. See the vehicle owner’s manual and your child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete details.
Child restraints specially designed for infants and small children are offered by several manufacturers. When selecting any child restraint, keep the following points in mind:
All U.S. states require that infants and small children be restrained in a certified child restraint at all times while the vehicle is being operated.
THE LATCH SYSTEM (LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN)
Most 2011 Infiniti vehicles are equipped with universal child restraint lower anchors and top tether anchor for the installation of child restraints equipped with LATCH attachments. With this system you do not have to use a vehicle seat belt to secure the child restraint. Instead, special anchor points are utilized to install the child restraint, provided it is compatible with the LATCH system. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details and additional important information.
SNUG KIDS™
The first of its kind, Snug Kids™ is our online guide to selecting a child restraint seat for your Infiniti vehicle. Our safety engineers have evaluated numerous child restraint seats and have compiled their findings to create the Snug KidsTM Child Safety Seat Fit Guides. These guides also include important tips on correct installation procedures.
Visit http://www.InfinitiUSA.com/ownership/snug-kids to view or download the latest guide information for finding a child restraint system that is right for your Infiniti vehicle.
3. SEAT BELT SAFETY
If you are wearing a properly adjusted seat belt, your chances of being injured or killed in a
collision and/or the severity of injury may be greatly reduced. Infiniti strongly encourages you
and all of your passengers to buckle up every time you drive, even if your seating position
includes a supplemental air bag system. Most States require that seat belts be worn at all times
when a vehicle is being driven.
Always route the shoulder belt over your shoulder and across your chest. Never place the belt
behind your back, under your arm or across your neck. The belt should be away from your face
and neck, but not falling off your shoulder. If available, the shoulder belt anchor height should
be adjusted to the position best suited for you (see the vehicle owner’s manual for more details).
Position the lap belt as low as possible AROUND YOUR HIPS, NOT YOUR WAIST. A lap belt worn
too high could increase the risk of internal injuries in a collision. Be sure the seat belt tongue is
securely fastened into the proper buckle.
For the seat belt to be most effective when the vehicle is in motion, the seatback should be
upright. Do not ride in a moving vehicle when the seatback is reclined. This can be dangerous, as
the shoulder belt will not be against your body. In a collision, you could be thrown into it and
receive neck or other serious injuries. You could also slide under the lap belt and receive serious
internal injuries. Always sit well back in the seat with both feet on the floor and adjust the seat
belt properly.
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SEAT BELTS
system checked by an Infiniti retailer.
seat belts.
CONCERN FOR YOUR SAFETY
Infiniti urges you to always use your available seat belt restraint system whenever you drive,
even if your vehicle is equipped with supplemental air bags. Please ask all of your passengers to
buckle up too. For children, make sure they are secured in an appropriate child restraint or
booster seat.* Seat belts do save lives. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details.
4. INFINITI OWNER SATISFACTION AND ASSISTANCE
Both Infiniti and your Infiniti retailer are dedicated to serving all your automotive needs. Your
complete satisfaction with your vehicle and your Infiniti retailer are our primary concerns. Your
Infiniti retailer is available to assist you with all your automobile sales, parts and service
requirements.
If, however, a situation arises that you believe has not been addressed to your satisfaction, we
ask that you take the following steps:
STEP 1:
Discuss the situation with the retailer management. If a problem still exists, contact the
retailer’s Consumer Affairs manager or owner. They are best equipped to resolve the matter for
you.
* Please see the vehicle owner’s manual and child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete
details.
STEP 2:
If the concern still has not been addressed to your satisfaction, please contact our Infiniti
Consumer Affairs Department using our toll-free telephone number:
1-800-662-6200
The Consumer Affairs Department will ask for the following information:
Or, you can write to Infiniti with the above information at:
Infiniti Division
Nissan North America, Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003
STEP 3:
In the event that you believe Infiniti has been unable to satisfactorily address the issue with your
vehicle, a special automotive complaint resolution program called BBB AUTO LINE is available to
you. The BBB AUTO LINE program is independently operated by the Council of Better Business
Bureaus, Inc. (BBB).
For information about the BBB AUTO LINE in your area, please call us (Infiniti) toll-free at 1-800-
662-6200. We will be happy to provide you with information about BBB AUTO LINE. Or, you may
contact the BBB at:
BBB AUTO LINE
Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
4200 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22203
1 -800-955-5100
If you call the BBB, its staff will record the details of your complaint by telephone. They will ask
for the same information as in Step 2.
The BBB AUTO LINE program consists of two parts: mediation and arbitration. The BBB AUTO
LINE staff will attempt to provide suggestions for resolving the problem during mediation. If a
satisfactory resolution has not been achieved during mediation, you will have the opportunity to
present your case personally before an impartial person or three-person panel. The arbitrator(s)
will make a decision after the arbitration hearing.
The BBB must send you a final decision in your case within forty (40) days (plus 7 days if you
have not contacted the proper person from the retailer or Infiniti) unless you delay the process. If
you accept the decision, it will be legally binding on you and Infiniti. If you do not accept the
decision, it will not be legally binding on you or Infiniti. (However, in some states, if the decision
is not accepted, it may be introduced either by you or by Infiniti as evidence in a subsequent
court action.)
BBB AUTO LINE is an informal dispute settlement mechanism operated to comply with applicable
Federal law and regulations. In states where BBB AUTO LINE is available, you are required to use
BBB AUTO LINE before exercising rights or seeking remedies under Title I of the Federal
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. §2301, et. seq. If you choose to seek remedies other
than those created by Title I of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (for example, under state law),
that Federal Act does not require you to first use BBB AUTO LINE. The program is still available to
you, however, and may be of considerable assistance. Some states specify that informal dispute
settlement mechanisms such as BBB AUTO LINE must be used before you may file a lawsuit
under state law, and/or before you may have certain other rights or remedies available under
state law. In accordance with those states’ laws, Infiniti requires the prior use of BBB AUTO LINE
in good faith before you resort to such other processes, file a lawsuit, or seek other remedies
provided by state law. Please see the Supplement to 2011 Infiniti Warranty Information Booklet &
2011 Infiniti Owner’s Manual for additional information.
BBB AUTO LINE may not be available in all states. We, Infiniti, would be pleased to provide you
with information about the availability of BBB AUTO LINE in your state. Or, you can call the BBB
AUTO LINE telephone number listed on page 15.
ELIGIBILITY: Infiniti vehicles less than four years old from date delivered to the first retail buyer or
otherwise put into use, and with fewer than 60,000 miles, are eligible for the program.
ASSISTANCE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY
In support of our commitment to the “Total Ownership Experience,” Infiniti may occasionally
offer to pay or reimburse for part or all of the cost of making certain, specific repairs beyond or
outside of the terms of the warranty for some specific vehicle models. (Some states refer to such
programs as “adjustment programs.”) In such circumstances Infiniti mails notices to all known
registered owners of affected vehicles. You may additionally inquire of your authorized Infiniti
retailer or of Infiniti directly (through the 1-800-662-6200 telephone number) of the applicability
of such programs to your vehicle.
Infiniti may occasionally offer special assistance that may pay for part or all of vehicle repairs
beyond the expiration of the limited warranty period on a case-by-case basis. Should you
experience unusual difficulties with your vehicle, please discuss the situation with your retailer.
If your retailer is unable to assist you, call the Infiniti Consumer Affairs Department toll-free at
1-800-662-6200 to discuss your concern. You will need to provide the Model, Model Year, VIN
(Vehicle Identification Number), mileage, maintenance history, a detailed explanation of the
concern, and why you believe that Infiniti should be responsible for the repair. Your request will
be individually investigated and you will be informed of Infiniti’s decision.
Please also review the Supplement to 2011 Infiniti Warranty Information Booklet & 2011 Infiniti
Owner’s Manual for important information concerning consumer rights in your state.
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