The contact owns a 2003 Infiniti M45. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the fuel gauge failed to read the fuel level correctly and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed several times to a dealer and independent mechanic however, the fuel gauge sensor could not be replaced. Additionally, on one occasion, the vehicle was steered to the side of the road where the vehicle was refueled. The vehicle was restarted but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel filter needed to be replaced and the fuel gauge sensor needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The worst 2003 Infiniti M45 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system78
- Engine40
- Electrical22
- Seats5
- Transmission4
- Airbags3
- Body3
- Acceleration2
- Steering2
- Visibility2
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Infiniti M45
Fuel gauge 70Stalling 36Check engine light 18Loss of power 7Engine failure 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2003 Infiniti M45 mention
P0462 4
Recalls 2
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 infiniti m45 vehicles manufactured from march 7, 2002, through june 3, 2004. Due to a circuit board failure, the fuel gauge may read a fuel level higher than actually exists. As a result, the vehicle may run out of gas without notice.
- Risk
- The vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the circuit board free of charge. The safety recall began on april 27, 2012. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 12V088000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2003 Infiniti M45
Defect investigations
Fuel level gauge system failure
In a March 5, 2012 letter to the federal safety agency, Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) submitted a Defect Information Report identifying a defect in the combination meter circuit board in approximately 8,120 model year 2003 through 2004 Infiniti M45 vehicles manufactured from March 7, 2002 through June 3, 2004 (Recall No. 12V‑088). According to Nissan, heat generated by several components of the circuit board may cause solder cracks due to thermal shock.Open circuits created by the solder cracks may cause the fuel gauge to read higher than the actual amount of fuel remaining in the gas tank or always indicate full.Because of this condition, drivers may run out of fuel without notice, resulting in an engine stall without warning with no possibility of restart. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Nissan as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers.In total, there were 315 unique reports indicating an inaccurate fuel level reading while driving, including 61 that resulted in an engine stall incident (7.5 incidents per thousand vehicles).In addition, Nissan provided warranty data showing 2,525 claims for replacement of the subject component (31% claim rate).Nissan will begin owner notification in mid-April 2012.Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified to take their vehicle to an Infiniti dealer, who will install a sub-amplifier in the combination meter to bypass the electric circuit and ensure accurate fuel level indication.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10429412, 10427140, 10426741, 10424642, 10423199, 10418078, 10416519, 10414944, 10412053, 10408935, 10406834, 10406096, 10404206, 10404080, 10395207, 10392714, 10386134, 10380863, 10374719, 10373992, 10369584, 10365717, 10365428, 10356315, 10353972, 10351181, 10349252, 10348351, 10342961, 10342641, 10336272, 10329869, 10325399, 10324572, 10323996, 10323757, 10322403, 10320190, 10318987, 10317547, 10317273, 10317234, 10317030, 10308445.
PE11038
Non-deployment of Side Thorax Air Bags
The subject vehicles are equipped with seat-mounted, side thorax air bags for the driver and front passenger.This investigation revealed that faulty side air bag module electrical connectors located under the driver and front passenger seats can cause an interruption in the electrical circuit that will drop the input voltage below the specified range.As a result, the air bag warning lamp illuminates on the instrument panel and the affected side air bag becomes deactivated.In June 2009, Nissan conducted a service campaign to repair the defective air bag electrical connectors in the subject vehicles (both Infiniti Q45 and M45 models).In June 2010, Nissan sent a second notification concerning the 2009 campaign to owners of vehicles that have not been remedied.Nissan is now conducting a safety recall of the Q45 vehicles not remedied under the service campaign (approximately 1,349 vehicles; see the federal safety agency Safety Recall No. 12V‑079 for further details).The M45 vehicles are not included in the recall; however, Nissan is re-notifying owners of M45 vehicles that were not remedied under the previous service campaign.See attached report for more information.A safety-related defect trend has not been identified in the Infiniti M45 vehicles at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10327196 and 10402282
EA09005
Side air bag non-deployment
The subject vehicles are equipped with seat-mounted, side torso air bags for the driver and front passenger.this investigation has revealed that faulty side air bag module connectors located under the front seats can cause an interruption in the electrical current that will drop the input voltage below the specified range.as a result, the air bag warning lamp illuminates and the affected side air bag is deactivated.the rates of complaints, field reports and warranty claims related to the subject issue are very high.for example, nissan submitted 4,853 warranty claims on 3,551 distinct subject vehicles out of 13,836 total subject vehicles.also, analyses of warranty claims indicate an increasing failure trend over time.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-005) to further study the issue.
PE08067
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Infiniti M45 68
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Wiring harness repair information
- Certification label and VIN plate replacement service information
- Intelligent key not detected / engine will not start
- Removing foreign material from the window glass
- Window glass warranty information
- Windshield cracking
- Wheel bearing collision damage
- Infiniti; front sonar parking sensor service information
- Navigation map data update matrix
- Exterior cleaning information service information
2003 Infiniti M45 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
What 2003 Infiniti M45 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2003 Infiniti M45. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that the driver’s side module needed to be replaced. The driver’s side air bag module was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 112,965.
Traveling at about 60 MPH on a state route, the car shut down. No power, no dash lights, inability to use turn signals to indicate the intention of changing lanes to the right and onto the side of the road, which nearly caused a collision as the car slowed to crawl. Once pulled onto the side of the road, after many attempts the car started and we drove it home, the symptons suggest the cam positioning sensor is to blame, which seems to have happened to other motorists.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the fuel gauge indicated the fuel tank was full at all times. The vehicle ran out of fuel due to the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer bennett infiniti (1060 pa-315 wilkes barre pa) was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact indicated that the fuel gauge had previously been repaired however, the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 159,000. *bf
I am the owner of a white 2003 infiniti m45. A few years ago, I noticed a small chip right above he windshield on the roof of the car. I contacted infiniti back then to see if there were any recalls, but there were not. At this point, there is no paint covering the top of the vehicle. As of today, infiniti still has no recalls/campaigns for chipped paint of this particular model. But, I did find during research that there new models with defective (white) paint that has been reported. The vehicle was never damage, I have seen a couple other 2003 m45's with chipping paint. Which would leave be to believe that there must have been defective paint. My vehicle is unrecognizable. This vehicle had been garaged kept and not driven for 1-2 years, yet the paint continued to peel. I got an estimate to have the car painted, which would have been close to $4,000! I would just like for this to be researched through your agency if at all possible. Thanks
2003 infiniti m45 with approximately 106,000 miles. Car will stall suddenly at highway or city road speeds necessitating putting car into neutral or pulling over to restart. Previously, after this had happened, a code for faulty crankshaft position sensor was recovered, and both the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors were replaced with aftermarket new parts from duralast. Car no longer has a check engine light code associated with the stalling, but the stalling persists. Also, when car is cooled to ambient temperature, it may take 2-3 ignition attempts to start the car and occasionally a backfire/misfire is heard during failed attempts. If car has sat for multiple days without being driven, it may take 10-15 attempts to start the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. While stationary and while driving various speeds,the vehicle stalled without warning on several occasions. The contact stated that there was a complete loss of power. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle. On another occasion, the contact stated that the engine indicator illuminated and "check your fuel cap" displayed on the instrument panel. A dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failures. The contact cited the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling) as a possible cause of the failures, as reported by a code reader. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. While driving the vehicle, the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.
When in motion the engine stall without warning
The bracket on the left side of the drivers front seat has broken. The seat now sags several inches in the left/ rear side. This is placing substantially more stress on the right side's bracket. This bracket failed while driving the car.
Compare the 2003 Infiniti M45
Other model years
Questions about the 2003 Infiniti M45
Is the 2003 Infiniti M45 reliable?
Owners have filed 129 complaints about the 2003 Infiniti M45, 4.8 times a typical M45 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Infiniti M45 year score?
The 2003 Infiniti M45 scores 19 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Infiniti M45: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Infiniti M45?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 78 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles. Next is engine (40).
How many recalls does the 2003 Infiniti M45 have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Infiniti M45 fuel system?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V088000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Infiniti M45 have the most fuel system problems?
The Infiniti M45 model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2003 (78 complaints) and 2004 (29 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Infiniti M45 get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Infiniti M45 range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.5L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 16 city and 22 highway.
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