This vehicle's year, make and model has a known fuel gauge issue that nissan/infiniti chose to ignore for the longest time. I thought I was one of the lucky ones because my car didn't have the issue but it happened back in september of 2011 while driving home from work. Luckily, it was only me in the car and I was able to coast onto the shoulder and call my wife to bring gas for me.
2004 Infiniti M45 fuel system problems
29 complaints (67% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 72,000.
- owner complaints
- 29
- of this car's complaints
- 67%
- typical mileage
- 72,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Storage: fuel gauge system4
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Infiniti M45 fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Infiniti M45 fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
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
Related 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
What 2004 Infiniti M45 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
This car has a well-known issue with the fuel gauge where it no longer works correctly. This resulted in my car running out of fuel as the instrument was not working correctly to notify me of my correct fuel amount, leaving me stranded on the highway. I believe this issue is already under investigation by the federal safety agency. A recall should have been issued for this as it is a manufacturer defect.
Hello, I own a 2004 infinity m45 and I wish to file a complaint. My gas gauge doesn't function properly and it reads half full at empty which caused my wife to stall out at night!!!!! On the highway!!!!! I thought it may have been just my car at first until I googled it realizing there are thousands of identical incidents. My check engine light is also on reading p0461 faulty fuel sensor. I hope someone can get infinity to fix this situation seeing its obvious that this is a manufacturing issue...thanks for your time in advance...
Car had no fuel despite gauge reading. Traveling 65mph in left lane of crowded rush hour traffic on garden state parkway with no left shoulder. Very dangerous series of right lane changes and coasting in neutral to exit traffic. No accident or injury but challenging situation that did not need to happen since we all know these gauges will fail but not when. Engine has always burned oil. Requires a quart after 2,000 miles to get to next oil change.
Driving down the road car slowed then died. System read 1/2 tank of gas and over 150 miles left to refuel. Gas tank was empty.
My fuel gauge was showing a half a tank of gas and I ran out of gas stalling in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle is out of warranty do to time frame but well within the mileage. This continues to be a problem and I have run out of gas 2 additional times. The vehicle reads full 99% of the time but will drop down to about a half a tank every now and then (but not often), usually as it gets close to being empty. The dates and mileage for this compliant are not actually but are to my best guess.
Car cut off due lack of gas, however, the fuel gauge was showing a half a tank.
The fuel gauge on my 2004 infiniti stopped working. I was driving on the highway and my fuel gauge, read 2/3rds full, I ran out of gas in the middle of the road. I had to have the car towed to a repair shop, the fuel pump was replaced. To date the gauge will not go below 2/3rds no matter how much fuel is left in the tank.
My fuel gauge read 1/3 of a tank and I ran out of gas. I bought the car used in approximately jan 2009 and I bought an extended complete powertrain warranty. They initially thought it was my float mechanism in the gas tank but finally realized it was the dash and replaced it under warranty ($50 deductible applied). My warranty expired a few miles ago (car has 90500 miles on it now) and I have begun to notice the problem again. Currently I fill up after the trip odometer reaches 300 miles driven on a tank because while the gauge appears to work accurately, once it reaches 1/4 of tank left, it begins to rise and will go as high as 3/4 full. Sometimes turning the car off and then back on will reset it but it will soon begin to rise again. Very annoying and according to the dealer the dash costs $900+ (in 2009). Ramsey infiniti of ramsey nj did the work in 2009.
I ran out of fuel lost all power @ 70 MPH with fuel gauge reading 1/4 tank. No accident but there was traffic in my immediate area and it was 9pm and dark.
Questions about the 2004 Infiniti M45 fuel system
Does the 2004 Infiniti M45 have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 29 complaints about the fuel system of the 2004 Infiniti M45, 67% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2004 Infiniti M45 fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 72,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 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).
Other 2004 Infiniti M45 problems
Engine 8Electrical 5Seats 3Airbags 2Lights 1
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