2004 INFINITI M45 Complaints

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. *TR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE FUEL GAUGE AND FUEL REMAINING COMPUTER SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT, ALMOST HALF A TANK. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF DRIVING THE CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED CRANKING THE MOTOR. AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WAS NOW SETTLED ON EMPTY. CHECKED THE COMPUTER AND IT SHOWED 0 MILES TILL EMPTY. LUCKILY MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO BRING ME THE GAS FOR THE LAWNMOWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THIS INITIAL INCIDENT. A COUPLE TIMES WITH JUST MY WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE CAR. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE'S COMMUTE INVOLVES STREETS AND AVENUES AND NO FREEWAYS OR HIGHWAYS. I'VE COMMUNICATED MY ISSUES ON FORUMS AND BLOGS, TURNS OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY INFINITI TO ADDRESS THIS. THE FIX COMES AT A RIDICULOUS PRICE, DEALER WANTS TO CHANGE OUT GAUGE CLUSTER, UPWARDS OF $1,000. I'VE BEEN USING THE KEEP IT FULL METHOD, SINCE I LIKE THE CAR, OF COURSE I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE DOING THIS. I DECIDED TO FILE THIS REPORT AFTER READING THAT THE NHTSA WAS LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

I RAN OUT OF FUEL ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED FULL WHEN THE TANK WAS ACTUALLY EMPTY. THESE GAUGES HAVE MAJOR INTERNAL ISSUES RESULTING IN WHAT MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE (LINK BELOW) AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOUR ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS THIS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES: HTTP://FORUMS.NICOCLUB.COM/M45-FUEL-GAUGE-PROBLEM-POST-HERE-IF-YOU-HAVE-HAD-IT-T316682.HTML. *TR

THIS CAR DIED ON ME ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE SAID THAT I HAD A 3/4 TANK OF GAS REMAINING. THE CAR STARTED SPUTTERING LIKE IT HAD RUN OUT OF GAS SO WE ADDED GAS AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. I DROVE IT TO A LOCAL INFINITI DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, WHICH SHOCKED ME AS I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR A CAR RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I SEARCHED SOME ONLINE FORUMS ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. HAD THE FUEL SENDING UNIT OR FURL PUMP WENT OUT, THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOING BAD COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. SINCE THE CLUSTER CONTROLS MILEAGE AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS SUCH AS CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, THIS WAS VERY SCARY. IT SEEMS THAT INFINITI KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS SAID INFINITI HAD PAID FOR A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WITH THIS PROBLEM BEING SO PREVALENT, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH MY ISSUE HAPPENED AROUND 90,000 MILES, THERE WERE MANY OTHERS THAT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM AT 30 AND 40,000 MILES. *TR

2004 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

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

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

AS A FOLLOW-UP TO AN EARLIER POST (ODI ID NUMBER: 10369584) I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE INFINITI DEALER IN ROSWELL GEORGIA AND WHEN LOOKED AT BY COMPETENT TECHNICIANS WHO ACTUALLY BROKE DOWN THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT I HAVE A FAULTY GAUGE CLUSTER (EXPENSIVE BUT THE GUYS HERE KNOW THEIR STUFF, ARE THOROUGH, AND KNOW A BIT ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE). EVEN AFTER BEING PROPERLY DIAGNOSED INFINITI CONSUMER AFFAIRS (ICA) STILL REFUSED TO COMPENSATE (WISH THEY HAD JUST TOLD ME THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE). THE MOST INFURIATING THING IS THAT ICA ACTS AS IF THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE... DO THEY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. I SEARCHED AND BEFORE THE FIRST DEALER EVEN LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE I KNEW TWO THINGS; 1) THE PROBLEM WAS COMMON BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BLOGS AND THE FACT THAT THERE WASN'T A LOT OF THESE MADE IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND 2) THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY THE GAUGE CLUSTER AS ALMOST EVERY INSTANCE OF OWNERS HAVING THEIR FUEL SENDING UNIT REPLACED ENDED UP HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI M45. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE DISPLAYED A GASOLINE LEVEL READING OF ONE HALF FULL YET THE VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO LACK OF FUEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT NOTICED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DEFECTIVE FUEL GAUGE ONLINE BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE FUEL GAUGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,500.

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