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.
2003 Infiniti M45 engine problems
40 complaints (31% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 120,000.
- owner complaints
- 40
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- typical mileage
- 120,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Engine4
- Exhaust system: emission control1
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Infiniti M45 engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Infiniti M45 engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Stalling 36Check engine light 18Loss of power 7Engine failure 5
Related recalls
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
What 2003 Infiniti M45 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. While driving various speeds, the vehicle shut off without warning, preceded by the dynamic control indicators illuminating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crank sensor was defective, but not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer determined that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 149,000.
While leaving an entrance ramp to merge onto the interstate, the vehicle suffered a complete and total engine power loss along with its power steering and power braking functions. After this failure, the vehicle would crank but not start, leaving it stranded. There is currently a recall in place for the vehicle's make, model, and model year (recall #03v455000), however I was told by both the dealership and infiniti that the vehicle was not covered under that recall because the part in question was made by a different manufacturer than what was included under the existing recall. The summary and consequences of this failure align exactly with that of the existing recall. It is evident that the safety hazard exists beyond the scope of the original recall and the purpose of this complaint is to address that deficiency.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the crank shaft and cam shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that the failure recurred four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,500. Updated 08/03/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. The contact stated that the vehicle randomly stalled without warning. The manufacturer and the dealer indicated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 12v088000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was unable to determine when the failure would recur. The failure mileage was not available.
While turning left with on coming traffic the engine died. The check engine light came on and the communications center said it was emissions related. The car did restart, the warning light remains on, and after a short drive there was a burning smell and heat coming from the car. The local nissan dealer will only work on it as customer pay, and will not do any recall work, said I need to go to the infinity dealer 2 hours away. I just notified nissan corp today of the issue and waiting for their response.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 infiniti m45. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the engine stalled without warning. After waiting fifteen minutes, the vehicle was restarted and resumed normally. The failure recurred two times. On two separated occasions, the vehicle failed to start until after numerous attempts. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I was driving on the highway and all of a sudden my car stalled without warning. Shortly after the service engine light came on. The car restarted only to do that again the next day. It did it another time and didn't restart. Had it repaired by and independent mechanic. 6months later the same problem is bck. Decided to check on the recalls and there was a recall called engine and engine cooling that described my issue to a t but did not include my VIN! This is very dangerous and unsafe. Both times my daughter was in the car.
Questions about the 2003 Infiniti M45 engine
Does the 2003 Infiniti M45 have engine problems?
Owners have filed 40 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Infiniti M45, 31% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Infiniti M45 engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 120,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Infiniti M45 engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V455000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Infiniti M45 have bad engine?
The Infiniti M45 model years with the most engine complaints are 2003 (40 complaints) and 2006 (18 complaints).
Other 2003 Infiniti M45 problems
Fuel system 78Electrical 22Seats 5Transmission 4Airbags 3Body 3Acceleration 2Steering 2Visibility 2Driver assistance 1Lights 1Suspension 1Tires 1
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