2004 Infiniti M45

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2004 Infiniti M45 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2004 vehicle, but with only 49 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is fuel system (23 complaints), typically at 7.0 yr or about 73,500 miles.

Complaints: 49
Median age at failure: 7.3 yr
Median mileage: 86,500 n=48
Crash / fire / tow: 0% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

12V088000 2012-03-06

Fuel system

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.

THE VEHICLE MAY STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

04V497000 2004-10-13

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION.

IF THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Fuel system 93,500 mi 4.9 yr in service

FUEL GAUGE INCORRECTLY INDICATED 1/2 TANK OF FUEL, BUT THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, FORCING ME TO EXIT TO BERM. GAUGE STILL INDICATES INCORRECT FUEL LEVEL. *TR

Fuel system 117,500 mi 7.0 yr in service

CAR'S FUEL GAUGE INDICATED NEARLY 1/2 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING WHEN TANK IS COMPLETELY EMPTY. I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY -- WAS DRIVING, MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO A BUSY ROAD, HIT THE GAS AND THE ENGINE DIED. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON I-75, PARTICULARLY THE 20+ MILE STRETCH THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HAS NO SHOULDERS, THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

Fuel system 68,250 mi 6.8 yr in service

DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY MY CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. AFTER SAFELY MAKING MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER I DETERMINED THAT I HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL, EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED 1/4 TANK FULL. THE FUEL GAUGE HAS NOT REGISTERED AN ACCURATE READING SINCE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND IT TO A COMMON PROBLEM (HTTP://FORUMS.NICOCLUB.COM/M45-FUEL-GAUGE-PROBLEM-POST-HERE-IF-YOU-HAVE-HAD-IT-T316682.HTML?HILIT=P0462%20DTC). I HAVE NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. THE PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY UNRESOLVED. *TR

Other M45 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2004 Infiniti M45

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other M45 model years

How to read this