Illustration2004 INFINITI M45 RAN OUT OF GAS WITH MY GAUGE READING 1/4 LEFT. FOUND OUT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH GAUGE CLUSTER WHICH IS ABOUT $1000.00 TO REPLACE. I HAVE FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT INFINITI REFUSES TO HELP WITH THE COST. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. THANK YOU. *TT
2004 Infiniti M45
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Infiniti M45 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 27.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all M45 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
325–50K
1350–75K
1175–100K
9100–150K
4150K+
42 reports with mileage · 1 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Fuel System, Other complaints
7 reportsFOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2004 INFINITI M45 STARTED ACTING UP. WHEN THE FUEL GOES BELOW HALF A TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL RISE. THE MILEAGE READING CORRELATES & TELLS ME I HAVE LOTS OF FUEL LEFT, WHEN IN REALITY IT MAY BE ON OR NEAR EMPTY. I AM FORCED TO USE THE TRIP ODOMETER TO TRY TO GUESS WHEN THE FUEL IS RU…
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FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2004 INFINITI M45 STARTED ACTING UP. WHEN THE FUEL GOES BELOW HALF A TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL RISE. THE MILEAGE READING CORRELATES & TELLS ME I HAVE LOTS OF FUEL LEFT, WHEN IN REALITY IT MAY BE ON OR NEAR EMPTY. I AM FORCED TO USE THE TRIP ODOMETER TO TRY TO GUESS WHEN THE FUEL IS RUNNING LOW. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT'S A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL GAUGE CLUSTER & THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE M45'S. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S NOT A RECALL OR ISN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
MY 2004 INFINITI M45'S FUEL GAUGE READS AT OR ABOVE TANK OF GAS WHEN THERE IS NO FUEL RESULTING IN A STALL. PROBLEM STARTED AT AROUND 59K MILES BUT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO AGE. I CURRENTLY HAVE 72K MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE TO RESET THE TRIP COUNTER AS THE FUEL GAUGE IS USELESS. THE INFINITI DEALER IN GWINNETT COUNTY GEORGIA…
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MY 2004 INFINITI M45'S FUEL GAUGE READS AT OR ABOVE TANK OF GAS WHEN THERE IS NO FUEL RESULTING IN A STALL. PROBLEM STARTED AT AROUND 59K MILES BUT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO AGE. I CURRENTLY HAVE 72K MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE TO RESET THE TRIP COUNTER AS THE FUEL GAUGE IS USELESS. THE INFINITI DEALER IN GWINNETT COUNTY GEORGIA HAD THE CAR TWICE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. INFINITI CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE DEALER CAN'T IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE. FROM MY RESEARCH MY BEST GUESS WOULD BE THE GAUGE CLUSTER, A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. UPDATED 01/28/11 *BF UPDATED 03/18/11 *TR
INCORRECT GAS LEVEL ON 2004 INFINITI M45. COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY M45'S IN 2003 AND 2004. GAUGE CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. THE CONTACT OBSERVED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING WHICH INDICATED THE FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS FULL. HOWEVER, THE FUEL TANK CONSUMPTION WAS HALF OF THE FUEL LEVEL CAPACITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING THAT T…
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TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. THE CONTACT OBSERVED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING WHICH INDICATED THE FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS FULL. HOWEVER, THE FUEL TANK CONSUMPTION WAS HALF OF THE FUEL LEVEL CAPACITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE FAILURE OCCURRENCES FLUCTUATED AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL GAUGE ASSEMBLY. THERE HAD BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DRIVES THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SHOW 1/2 GALLON MORE GASOLINE THAN THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY HAS IN THE TANK. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130000. UP…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DRIVES THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SHOW 1/2 GALLON MORE GASOLINE THAN THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY HAS IN THE TANK. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130000. UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 05/10/10*JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. WHEN THE CONTACT ADDED FUEL TO THE GAS TANK HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATE WITHOUT GIVING THE DRIVER AN ACCURATE READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. WHEN THE CONTACT ADDED FUEL TO THE GAS TANK HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATE WITHOUT GIVING THE DRIVER AN ACCURATE READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80000.
Official recalls
212V088000 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Mar 6, 2012
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
04V497000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Oct 13, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3PE11038 · Fuel Level Gauge System Failure
Opened Dec 14, 2011 · Closed Mar 22, 2012
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System
In a March 5, 2012 letter to NHTSA, 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.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID 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.
EA09005 · Non-deployment Of Side Thorax Air Bags
Opened Apr 1, 2009 · Closed Apr 3, 2012
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA 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.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10327196 and 10402282
PE08067 · Side Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT
Opened Dec 2, 2008 · Closed Apr 1, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
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.