If you hear some knocking noise from the front suspension when driving your Infiniti over small bumps, or cracked pavement, most likely it is caused by damaged bushing on compression rod. Some mechanics use different terms for this – tension rod, radius rod, radius arm, radial arm, and so on, but in the official Infiniti Service Manual it is called Compression Rod.
The reason why bushings got damaged: they are defective. They can be damaged after replacement every year if driving in bad road conditions.
What you need is to replace ONLY the bushing, NOT the compression rod itself! Compression rod is pretty expensive part – over $300, bushing is much more cheaper. Moreover, compression rod is not covered under extended (or third-party) warranty because it is just beefy aluminum part, and nothing wrong can happen with it, but bushings are usually covered by extended (third-party) warranty.
Well… This is my story when I had the same problem. However, at that time I did not make any research and just trusted service advisor at Willowdale Nissan Infiniti Service Center.
It happened long time ago in June 2008. I started to hear knocking noise from the front passenger side when driving over rough surfaces, and reported the problem during my oil change visit to Willowdale Nissan Infiniti. Service advisor was Karim Mulji. After inspection he told me that compression rod worn out and had to be replaced. I’ve asked why it is happening? He told that it is because of the way I’m driving – lots of bumps, cracks and stones on the road, and so on. Karim did not even mentioned that there is a known problem with compression rod bushings in Infiniti G35 models of 2003-2006 years – those bushings are defective which causes them to wear out very fast. I figured it out only this year during deep research of what has been done with my car at Infiniti of Willowdale after recent obvious fraud from them which I’ll describe in another post later. What I’ve found is TSB (Technical Servise Bulletin) which exactly describes the problem I saw:
NOISE FROM FRONT COMPRESSION ROD
If you confirm: there is a noise coming from the front compression rod and the bushing is damaged
Actions: replace only the bushing, not the compression rod assy
You may take a look at the TSB in PDF format here:
Infiniti G35 TSB – Noise from Front Compression Rod (ITB08-013a)
However, for some reason Infiniti did not apply this TSB for G35 2003 models, only for 2004-2006 models. But there is almost no difference between 2003 and 2004 models, and a lot of Infiniti G35 2003 owners complained on noisy compression rods. I can not believe that certified Infiniti service advisor did not know about this issue.
So, only the bushing was damaged. Compression rod itself is a solid aluminum part! Nothing wrong can happen with it other than in an accident. But Karim decided to replace the whole expensive part rather than bushing. Why? Maybe mechanics at Willowdale Nissan Infiniti are not qualified enough to do the job described in TSB with nice colorful pictures? Bushing replacement is indeed more complex than just entire compression rod replacement.
I’ve also asked if this repair can be claimed under my extended warranty. He looked at the warranty and refused. He also called to the warranty company, but he asked about compression rod, not about the bushing. Recently I’ve figured out that bushings are covered with my FCPP extended warranty Select Plus plan. It is clearly identified:
11. Front and Rear Suspension: …; Bushings; …
Most likely service advisor Karim Mulji decided to choose the easiest and most profitable for the dealership way. If they submit a claim to FCPP warranty, they may get twice less money than when charging the customer for the same repair.
The repair costed me ~$650, however it could be only $56.50 deductible if service advisor could claim it with warranty company.
+ tax
I’ve tried to escalate the problem to Steve Zehr – Director of Service and Parts Operations Willowdale Nissan Infiniti, but unfortunately he did not want to understand the point at all. He answered through e-mail that compression rod is not covered under FCPP extended warranty, and that TSB about the noise from front compression rod does not apply to 2003 models. But the point was that only bushing was damaged and it is covered by warranty…
This summer I started to hear exactly the same noise from suspension, from the passenger side. In less than two years replaced bushing got damaged again. They are really defective…
During the research I’ve also tried to understand how suspension works and why compression rod bushings can be damaged. These Infiniti G35 Repair Manuals can be helpful if you consider replacement of compression rods by yourself:
Infiniti G35 2003 Service Manual – Front Suspension (FSU)
Infiniti G35 2003 Service Manual – Rear Suspension (RSU)
Service advisor Karim Mulji also did a big trick on me. He put “Radius Rod” in the invoice (picture above). But there is NO “Radius Rod” in the front suspension – you may check it in the Service Manuals I provided. Radius Rod is the part of rear suspension of Infiniti G35 2003, and it costs approximately $100, not $300.
i looking for front bushings right for my 2004 g35 coupe anyone can help me with that
I drive an 04 G35X. Just had my struts done, and now will do my ball joint. The ball joint its actually connected to the compression rod, you can find both bushing and ball joint online for under $50 each. The ball joint is tricky because you would need a machine shop to intall on the arm itself.
Hope this helps. Dealer wants $160 for the whole part.
I own a 2005 G35 that started making the suspension noises identified in most of the posts. I took my car to a local mechanic who said I needed to replace the front struts with EOM products at a cost of $637. I called the closest Infiniti dealter to ask the cost – $830.
I have an extended warranty 100,000 mile warranty and am at 98,000+ miles. I took the car into the dealer and asked them to confirm that the struts needed replaced. The answer was no, but the compression rod needed replaced.
The good news in ALL of this was that the cost was totally covered by my extended warranty. They replaced the compression rod, stopper bolt and lock nut and told me that there is a warranty on the rods and if I have any trouble with them in the future to bring the car back.
Since I have owned the car, these additional things have been covered under the warranty: replacing the hood hinges, repairing a leak in the oil pan, replacement of the vent valve and replaced windshield wiper water sensor.
The delaership, Infiniti of Bedford, has been wonderful to work with. (I don’t know or am related to anyone associatted with Infiniti.)
Hi
I drive a 2004 G35x. I’m hearing noises also. Do I only need the bushings? Or do I new the ball joints too? I’m going to the dealership soon so I need to know what all parts I need before the dealership sells me some stupid idea about my suspention going bad
hi i need a g35 coupe front spindle left an right rear calipers an rotors original call me 347 870 2056 or 347 806 4515 or 6462439010
I need compression rod bushings for a 2004 G35x. Any help?
Hey all!
so i went to the infiniti dealership here! and they did a 20 minutes diagnostic on the car. and they pointed out problems i didnt know i had in my car. like unnessary stuff just to get a quick buck. like windshield chips, wipers, tires and all! More importantly, they told me my compression rod had to be replaced and they quoted a price of $289 for each rod (578 for a set) and thats not including labor. when i look onlike. i see some for about 350 or 400. Now! i just want the bushing replaced but i fear that the ball joints maybe bad too. so am just gonna buy the entire rod to be safe. i need help finding a cheap site of place to buy them?? i dont wanna drive this car till its fixed because i’m worried about the wheels rolling off.
Very useful info… My bushings are clunking on the driver side right now but will change both because its the smart thing to do. I have an 04 6MT coupe.
My 75 year-old mother was just told by the stealership her compression rod bushings should be replaced on her 2003 G35. The car has less than 60K on it and there is no noise or alignment problem. They did say the just bushings could be replaced – over $425 parts and labor. I have a 2003 coupe with almost 70K and the bushings are fine. We both live in southern California where the weather is much less harmful to car components.
I’m an ex-mechanic and here’s my take on this subject – rubber suspension bushings often crack from weathering and age but are not necessarily in need of replacement. An experienced, honest tech can tell the difference. With the right tools just the bushings can be replaced unless the actual rod is damaged. The ball joint on the one end should also be inspected – if it’s bad I believe the whole rod needs to be replaced. I don’t think just the joint can be replaced; anyone who knows otherwise please chime in.
Dealerships are the biggest ripoffs in the auto industry. Go there only for warranty work. Do your research and find an honest independant or franchise shop (Big O, Midas, etc.) when the car is out of warranty.
Cheers and happy motoring!
Another question!! when you determine the bushing is damaged or cracked, its also possible that the ball joint is damaged as well?? (the TSB shows that as a possiblity)
I never had my my mechanic check the ball joints as well. i hope they can tell if its cracked without taking the compression rod out!
Thanks Trueler! I have had several mechanics tell me that i should just buy the compression rod and replace the current one affected on the passenger side. two mechanics confirmed its the compression rod, one just didnt know jack! Now! i cant find anyone willing to change to compression rod BUSHING only. they claims they dont have the tools to do this. i dont know where to change this. another question can the damage to the compression rod bushing affect the beering or ball joints??
Hey Michael! Thanks for following!
I would say that the ideal estimate for replacing the bushing only is approximately $150 for work. TSB related to this issue advices that it is 1.4 hours of work to replace one bushing and 1.8 hours for both. I don’t know how much dealerships charge per hour now, still $108? Bushing itself – $40. Total about $190 + tax is a fair price to replace bushing at the dealership. However, I can bet they will offer you no less than $400… due to seized parts, etc… etc… etc… Most likely they’ll just refuse to replace bushing only and will agree to replace entire compression rod for $600-$700.
In my case I had extended warranty which covered all bushings, but not compression rods. So they cheated my by telling that I had problems with compression rod itself but not with bushings. They lied me that bushings could not be replaced. It really worth to replace bushing if your warranty covers it, but not the rod.
Regards,
Trueler
Hey Trueler!! you recommended brakes to me before. You educated us about the bloody defective infiniti brake system on the 2003 model and all! Now! I have a problem with this compression rod. At first i thought it was my brakes and rotors but i was told that it is the compression rod bushing. Now! i understand that its cheaper to replace the bushing than it is to replace the rod. Now my question is! what woudl be an ideal estimate for replacing the bushing only on the right side of my car?? its a 2003 g35 sedan RWD! THANKS!
Own 04 G35 and have all the same issues as everyone else.
If you go online and check out any vehicle you will always find problems that are similar and some vehicle are more prone to expensive repairs especially German iron.
You just have to take into consideration how much money you’ve saved in gas. You will spend it on repairs, especially if you follow the recommended maintenance schedule.
One thing I forgot to mention. I had also been advised that a front end alignment would be necessary after the replacement of the compression rods. I would have to question that. From what I can see of this part, it is not adjustable, it is solid and in one piece. You unbolt and bolt it back in place. Of course it is not a bad idea to have it done if the car is pulling to one side or the other. Or if your tires are not wearing evenly.
I brought my daughter’s 2003 G35 to Naples Nissan for what sounded like a timing chain knock. In the short time it was there the service adviser, Scott Kelly advised me that the vehicle needed the following. Battery was on it’s way out (I replaced the battery 3 months ago), needed to change the engine and cabin air filters, they noticed that the brakes had been changed recently but, the brake pads had been installed backwards and without the hardware, and finally that the compression rods needed to be replaced. When asked if only the bushings could be replaced, I was informed No. That the entire assembly was the procedure for the fix. At this time I am not saying that there is nothing wrong with the bushings but, I can say that I have yet to hear any noise coming from the front end which would indicate that kind of problem. As far as the original problem, it appears that it might have been caused by low and dirty engine oil. My daughter has the oil changed every 3 to 4 thousand miles. I know believe that the service center she takes her car to is charging her for the oil change and not doing it. I did observe that the oil was black but, failed to check it’s level before dropping it off at the Nissan dealership. It is very difficult to find an honest auto repair service these days. I really feel sorry for the individual who does not know anything about auto repair. However this type of web site is a great source of information to those who are vulnerable to having to spend money on work that was not needed.
hey trueler,
i’ve been back and forth about buying a g35 for quite some time. i’ve thoroughly looked at a nice amount of cars and recently researched potential problems with this particular model (’05 g35 sedan-base). i’m going to look at an ’05 “well maintained-through the dealer” 35 who just had its bushings and *tires replaced (due to feathering on the tires). now, i have observed that this is a common problem…but how frequent will this problem occur even after the originals have been replaced and is there a permenant fix if constant wear is inevitable. also, is this a defective part?, or a batch of lemon 35’s with other potential problems (ie: leaky valve covers, cam position sensor, rotor/break shields, tps/throttle body problems etc)… and lastly would you happen to know:.. if just the bushing problem exists, what else is a direct effect of this nuisance?
thanks in advance,
dave
Hey Builder1,
I share your pain. I have the same famous radio/ac problem right now. Not going to the dealership for sure.
Regards,
Trueler
I have the original 2003 G35 with the square in the trunk lid. I am having the compression rod bushing problem and local dealer want’s $750 to replace compression rods. He states that they cant just replace the bushings on my VIN. This goes along with the potential $325 to replace the driver’s side seat switch, $650 to repair the famous radio/ac battery drain fuck up, $150 to to fix, tighten or whatever to repair the drivers door rattle problem. The radio/ac bugs me the worst. This problem has the potential to kill someone if the windows fog up in bad weather and you can’t see a thing around you.
Hi,
I have a 03′ G35 Sedan and recently I took it to my dealer and told me that i had to replace my bushings (which is $600 to replace). I had experience some minimal trembling when braking on the freeway but recently it has gotten worse. I actually can see that it is leaking into the inside part of the rim. I have feeling its going to get worse, what do you recommend. I also took it to a brake shop and told me that my rotors might be warped but i still have about 30-40% of life in my pads. Help!!
I just brought my 03 G35 to a dealership to fix my clunky noise in my front suspension..I suggested it might be my Comp. rod bushings…”nope” they said…everything is nice and tight…might be your brake system…what a bunch of BS!This is why I don’t by warranties…I fix my own cars and save the hassle…found the bushings online for around $25…now I just have to get my hands dirty…lol
I had the same problem with a car i bought a week ago.I took it to a guy that works for infinity,he replaced my fuel regulator and the sound went away.I had other mechanics say that won’t fix my problem,but boy were they wrong.I’m happy now and enjoy my 03 G35
Update
Go figure…it was the sway bar link.
Hi Trueler,
Thanks for the information. I have a 2005 G35x and this is my fourth replacement in four years. Thanks to you, I will be armed with the necessary information when I visit the dealer for the repair tomorrow. I will post and let you know how it goes.
Dee
Hi Jay,
There is a special TSB on how to replace only bushings from Infiniti! A lot of people across the Internet have already done it for 2003 G35! But your dealer tells you that they can not…
Thanks,
Trueler
Today I had an Infiniti dealer tell me that the whole arm has to be replaced. That for a 2003 G35, they are made so toucannot replace just the bushung. Based on this article, it appears that the bushings only can be replaced. HAs someone actually had the bushings only replace….is the dealer lying to me?
thank god buddy saved me a few hundred on shocks which i though it was and the FSU manual sure will come in handy when im replacin them.
You can buy them on E-bay, 20$
You may search through the Internet and order bushings. I don’t have any store on mind.
Thanks,
Trueler
Do you know where I can purchase only the front compression bushings for the infiniti g35 2003? Thank you
Having the same problem, called Agincourt Nissan and was told they do not sell the bushing for the compression rods seperately… anyone else have this problem?
I am having the same exact problem. Started about 2 months ago very lightly and escalated more and more. Its popping or fluttering noise especially when driving over small bumps such as hard snow or gravle in alley and going over small cracks on the road. When going over big dips in the road i dont hear the sound. A mechanic friend inspected the car and told me he sees nothing wrong and that he seen this on another 03 g35 sedan with the same noise and replaced pretty much the whole front end and noise wouldnt go away. I took it to nissan and they said it was my struts and sway bar links, called my mechanic friend and he says they are bullshitting me. But after reading this its been the most helpfull article i found, I’m going to ask him to change the cp bushings before anything becuz i was going to change struts anyway in desperation hoping noise would go away even tho i was skeptical about it. Thanks let me know if u have anymore info and if not i will keep u updated if my bushings fixed my problem.
Shageo
I’ve experienced the shaking and the infiniti mechanic said it was because of the bushings.
I hav emy 06 G35 coupe at the dealershp right now becuase it was leaking oil. Truns out the upper oil pan (i was told there is two) leaking and needs to be replaced. I have 56K miles on it and it was covered under warranty. At the same time the Service Manager said the compression rod bushings look torn and will need replacement. They just looked at the car for five minutes. Seems like they new the bushings would be torn.
here is my quote:
Mechanic found that your front compression rod bushings are torn and he recommended replacing these bushings $468.00
He also recommended replacing the coolant $165.00
replacing the transmission fluid $125.00 drain and refill or $340.00 for a complete fluid exchange.
Replacing brake fluid $147.00
Replace rear differential gear oil $82.00
The service manager double checked my MMP (mechanical protection plan) i bought when I purchased the car and the bushings are not covered. Awesome. I haven’t noticed the noises that often so I’ll just live with it.
I agree with Jonathan about the paint on these cars. So weak that sometimes bugs will chip the paint. And does anyone notice the road noise? It reminds when I used to ride in my radio flyer.
@Jonathan, Don’t buy a model B6 Audi A4 either. I spent over 3k in 14 months before I got rid of it. It only had 85K miles on it too.
Liz,
I looked into it twice and they will do nothing for me either.
That’s why my recourse is not buying another Infinity.
They know that this component is defective. They changed the part number claiming that it’s improved now but that’s all rubbish, they fail the same way and in my case after pretty much the same mileage. It’s beyond my understanding why they would not cover it under a recall and re-design the part. I really like this car but like I said earlier I’m done with Infinity… just because they play stupid claiming wear and tear when they know well this part defective.
I have a 2004 G35x and have already replaced the compression rod on both sides. My son drove the car for one year and brought it back with the same sounds happening on the right side again. My extended warranty recently expired (84K) and I don’t have another $600 to replace the rod again. Can I bring it to a local mechanic and ask him to replace only the bushing. Is there any recourse with Infiniti since they tell me there is no recall on these parts. Why is the same part breaking over and over again???
I have Infiniti g35,05 i do have the same problem since 1 year i show it to the technician in nissan service centre,he said u have to change 3 to 4 parts of the suspension package,it cost 2K.
Doha,Qatar
I have a 2004 G35 sedan with 210K and I’m looking at a 3rd set of compression rods for my car (rattling agin). I replace them as sets because when it happened the first time both sides failed within 3K apart.
Willowdale Infiniti just quoted me $600 per rod replaced.
As much as I like the car, between premature brakes wear, weak paint, rusting doors and defective compression rods, I’m going to get rid of it this time. And I don’t think I will be looking at Infinity anymore.
Hi Andrew,
This particular PDF version specifies only sedans. However, on different Infiniti forums (with mechanics involved) I see description of ITB08-013 TSB as “2004-2006 INFINITI G35 SEDAN, G35 COUPE; NOISE FROM FRONT COMPRESSION ROD”. If it is true, TSB affects Coupe as well.
Actually many people are complaining on the same problem with Coupe and not only for 2004-2006 years, as TSB specifies. 2003 is also affected by fast-wearing compression rod bushings, because they are defective.
Anyway, the TSB does not allow a free repair, it is just an instruction for service center how to fix noise problem without replacing entire compression rod. So if you show this TSB to your mechanic it may be helpful for him to understand what needs to be done.
If your Infiniti is under Warranty, so it should be covered.
Regards,
Trueler
Does this TSB affect only Sedans?
Or coupes as well?
I have a coupe and have the same problem!
Cracked bushing produce knocking noise when you drive over small bumps, or gravel for example. I have not experienced any shaking when my bushing was cracked.
As for brakes, I recommend you to consider after market brakes, because OEM Infiniti brakes are known to be defective. You may refer to this article:
Nissan Infiniti G35 Brake Problems – squealing, fast wear out due to defect
Regards,
Trueler
The technician said it was cracked 2 months ago after my oil change. Also, this morning when driving, the car was shaking when I stepped on my breaks. It could be my breaks are worn out too because they also recommended an get new pads. Would the cracked bushing cause the vehicle to shake when stopping?
Hi Shageo,
You may search the internet to get an idea of MSRP for a new Infiniti G35 compression rod bushing. As I remember it was about $20 some time ago. It is just a piece of rubber.
As for labor. $300 looks too much. According to the TSB provided in this article, it requires 1.4 hours of work for one side (1.8 for both). In Toronto Infiniti dealership rate was $109/hour about half a year ago. So it would come to $152.6 CAD here in Toronto. However, I believe Toronto’s Infiniti dealerships would estimate much more than $300 to replace bushing. And it is called overcharging.
Shageo, what is the reason to replace the bushing on your car? Is there any noise, or service advisor just told you it is cracked?
If there are indeed problems and you must replace it, ask for a quote to replace cracked bushing in a different service center (not Infiniti dealership), you can probably save some money.
Regards,
Trueler
I have a 2005 G35. I was told I need to replace bushing. This is what I was quoted Compression rod bushings- (cracked) Labor $300.00 Parts $94.56 Total= $402.83. I’m I being over charged? I’m in Southern California
Hi Larry,
You have G35x. Compression rod assy is made from steel in stead of aluminum (as on G35 rear-wheel drive). So it could be be corroded. This is the only reason I see why solid metal part can be worn out just in 4-5 years.
Regards,
Trueler
I was told that my ’05 G35x with 98,000 miles on it had worn compression rods. Research brought me to this site and I asked if just bushings could be replaced and was told in my case the joint itself is worn and if I want the job done its about $900, but it is not an emergency. I will live with the noise.
I just had to replace my bushings as well. The throttle body was shot too, which seems to be a re-occurring problem with 02-05 G35’s. I spent thousands to replace when these should obviously be recalled parts when they fail under 75K miles or even far less.
I have the same problem on my 2008 G35 and they have replaced the bearing (hub assembly) 4 times already and I still have that noise. Any suggestions?
Hi Steve,
That is a lot. It is almost half of the vehicle market price! (If you have G35 Sedan 2003)
If compression rod bushing is seriously damaged, it may cause excessive tension between metal parts, which may eventually cause a failure. But I believe it should be at least some noise, usually kind of “clunk-clunk” when going over bumps. To make sure that bushings are OK, it is worth to show them to mechanic in any garage other than your dealership. It could be a pure fraud, but bushings could be damaged as well.
The reason why dealer did not find problems when you had warranty, and found $4K problems when warranty is over is simple. Dealership can get only less than a half of money from warranty company than from the customer.
Came back from dealer with a $4,000 list of things needing doing, including replace Compression Rod Bushings, $935.
Came across your post while researching. Had not noticed any noise driving over bumps, etc. Assuming that there is not actually any problem and it’s pure fraud, what are the consequences if I don’t repair? If it’s not bothering me, is it bothering my car?
In the “those so and so” dept, I had a 100K 7 year bumper to bumper Infiniti extended warranty. Until the last visit, in 2008 at 94K miles, no problem was diagnosed. Now in Oct 10 at 116K miles, there’s a problem diagnosed,