The 2008 G37 is Infiniti's first year with the VQ37VHR engine—a potent 3.7L V6 that's largely reliable but gained notoriety for catastrophic gallery gasket failures and transmission cooler weaknesses. When maintained properly, it's a solid sport sedan; when neglected or unlucky, you're looking at full engine replacement.
VQ37VHR Gallery Gasket Failure (Catastrophic Oil Starvation)
Occasional · high severityTypical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Metal shavings in oil during changes, Rapid drop in oil pressure at idle, Knocking/ticking from lower end that worsens quickly, Sudden catastrophic bearing failure with no prior warning in some cases
Fix: Internal gallery gasket deteriorates, starving rod and main bearings. Repair requires full engine teardown: crank polishing or replacement, all bearings, gaskets, machine work. Many opt for low-mileage used engine swap instead. 20-30 labor hours for in-frame rebuild, 12-16 for engine R&R with used motor.
Estimated cost: $6,000-12,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Corrosion and Cooler Failure
Common · high severityTypical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Coolant mixing with transmission fluid (strawberry milkshake in reservoir or trans pan), Transmission slipping or erratic shifting after cooler breach, Visible coolant or ATF leaks at radiator/cooler junction, Overheating transmission, especially under load
Fix: Factory cooler integrated into radiator fails; crossover contamination destroys transmission. MUST replace radiator, flush both cooling and transmission systems, often replace transmission if contamination went unnoticed. External cooler recommended as preventive upgrade. 8-12 hours labor if trans replacement needed, 3-4 if caught early.
Estimated cost: $1,200-5,500
Rear Differential Bushing and Mount Wear
Common · medium severityTypical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking from rear on acceleration or deceleration, Vibration through chassis at highway speeds, Wheel hop during aggressive launches, Visible torn rubber on differential mounts during inspection
Fix: OEM rubber bushings deteriorate, especially on sport-driven examples. Replace all four diff mounts and bushings as a set. Subframe may need to be dropped for access. 3-5 labor hours depending on rust/access.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200
Steering Lock Actuator Failure (Electronic Steering Lock)
Occasional · high severitySymptoms: Car won't start, push-button does nothing or flashes error, Steering wheel physically locked and won't release, Intermittent no-start with no other symptoms, Dash warning about steering lock system
Fix: Electronic steering lock motor behind steering column fails, preventing ignition. Infiniti TSB exists but no recall. Best fix is complete removal/bypass of lock mechanism with resistor mod or replacement with updated part. 2-3 hours labor for delete, 1.5-2 for OEM replacement (which may fail again).
Estimated cost: $400-900
Timing Chain Guide and Tensioner Wear (Secondary)
Occasional · medium severityTypical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Cold-start rattle for first 2-3 seconds, Timing chain noise from front of engine, especially passenger side, Check engine light with timing correlation codes (P0011, P0021), Loss of power, rough idle if chain has jumped
Fix: Secondary timing chains and guides wear faster than primaries. Requires front engine disassembly, both valve covers off, chains, guides, tensioners, VVT solenoids. Do water pump and front main seal while in there. 10-14 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $2,500-4,000
Fuel Level Sender and Gauge Erratic Operation
Common · low severityTypical onset: 50,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Fuel gauge reads full when tank is half or bounces erratically, Range calculation wildly inaccurate, Low fuel warning when tank still has 1/4 or more, Gauge drops to empty suddenly then returns
Fix: Fuel level sender unit in tank fails. Requires dropping fuel tank, replacing sender assembly. Not a safety issue but annoying. 2-3 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $400-700
Window Regulator Failure (Driver and Passenger)
Occasional · low severityTypical onset: 60,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: Window moves slowly or binds going up or down, Clicking or grinding noise from door when operating window, Window drops into door and won't rise, Auto-up/down feature stops working
Fix: Plastic regulator guides crack or motor fails. Replace entire regulator assembly. Door panel removal required. 1.5-2 hours per side.
Estimated cost: $350-600
Buy one with a documented fresh or low-mileage engine and proof of transmission cooler upgrade—otherwise you're gambling on a $10k repair bill with no warning.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.