2003 Infiniti M45 problems & reliability
129 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Infiniti M45, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Infiniti M45 vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 65 | 50% |
| Engine | 23 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 22 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Other | 11 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 5% |
| Seats | 5 | 4% |
| Power Train | 4 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% |
| Structure | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 97,450 miles (middle 50% between 72,000 and 127,625 miles), based on 110 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Apr 30, 2024
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 25, 2023
“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…”
Power Train · filed Nov 2, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel level gauge system failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE11038 · opened Dec 14, 2011 · closed Mar 22, 2012 · led to recall 12V088000
- Non-deployment of Side Thorax Air Bags
Engineering Analysis EA09005 · opened Apr 1, 2009 · closed Apr 3, 2012 · led to recall 12V079000
- SIDE AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE08067 · opened Dec 2, 2008 · closed Apr 1, 2009
Technical service bulletins
67 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Infiniti M45. The 10 most recent:
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
ITB09-063C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
INTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB13-052E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 20, 2024
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB17-009H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB13-007I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB09-039K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 2024
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB13-007H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB09-039J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB10-067C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
INFINITI; FRONT SONAR PARKING SENSOR SERVICE INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB16-006A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 24, 2021
NAVIGATION MAP DATA UPDATE MATRIX This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ITB11-003F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Infiniti M45 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Infiniti M45?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 97,450 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.