Most common 2003 Infiniti FX45 problems
Share of the 25 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Infiniti FX45 complaints by model year
Best FX45 years: 2006, 2007, 2008. Years to avoid: 2003. Compare all years →
2003 Infiniti FX45 recalls (9)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2017. All owners should receive a second notice by May 15, 2017.
Air bags
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2003-2005 FX35 and FX45, and 2006 M35 and M45 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
During a canadian compliance test, certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, 'lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.' the headlamp assemblies do not meet the headlamp photometric values requirements of the standard.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the headlamp assemblies. The recall began on December 18, 2006. Owners May contact Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
Exterior lighting
During a canadian compliance test, certain sport utility vehicles failed to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, 'lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.' a rear combination lamp assembly did not meet the requirements.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear combination lamp assemblies. The recall began on December 18, 2006. Owners May contact Infiniti at at 1-800-662-6200.
Show 3 more recalls
Fuel system, gasoline
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the fuel filler hose May crack and result in fuel leakage from the hose while refueling.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel filler hose. Recall began on February 27, 2006, for Nissan owners, and on March 13, 2006, for Infiniti owners. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front brake caliper mounting bolts May not be adequately tightened. This could result in one or both of the caliper mounting bolts loosening.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the front brake caliper mounting bolts to ensure that they are secure. Owner notification began on January 5, 2004. Owners should contact Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On certain sport utility vehicles, the bolts which attach the propeller shaft(s) to the transaxle and differential(s) May not have been adequately tightened.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the propeller shaft bolts and tighten the bolts to the proper specification. Owner notification began May 27, 2003.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2003 Infiniti FX45:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2003 Infiniti FX45 owners say
Lights
All the lights are sweating, poor visibility. According to: number of reviews on htsa: 06v-328 review date: abryct 3 2006 number revocation manufacturer: r0608 summary during canadian compliance testing some special vehicles sports not eligible for federal standard safety car. 108, “lamps, reflected devices and related equipment” head lamp charges do not correspond to the requirements of photometric values of the head lamp requirements of the standard red card react heat haze right hyrece right hyrece reactor hyrecranior reactor hyrelectricants only hyres to have on right hyrects on right hardware right hardware right hyrece hyres, right to have right to have right to have right to have ites, right heats, right hyrects, right hyrece requirements, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrece, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, red cards, …
Hello! My name is [redacted]. I owner of Infiniti FX45 2003 [redacted] and according to vinrcl.safercar.gov/VIN/ I have several incomplete defects in my car. Could you please check this and support me with parts replacement? Thank you in advance! I contacted a dealership in russia, no action on my appeal happened. They don't do anything. Please help, I am worried about my own safety and the safety of other people.russia cannot be selected in your form. Sorry for the inaccurate information
Air bags
Vehicle experienced a minor grazing impact on both right side doors (in the middle of an intersection), which deployed the right side airbags and also the airbag inside the front passenger leather seat. After the accident, the window glass didn't break, the doors opened and closed normally. The safety issue is that when the airbags deployed, the engine died immediately, as if from an electrical failure, and the steering wheel pulled to the right and the driver (me) had no braking. The car veered to the right and coasted to a stop in a yard at the far end of the intersection. Afterwards, the car started normally and was drivable. Fortunately, there was no traffic or pedestrians, so nobody was injured. …
All the lights are sweating, poor visibility. According to: number of reviews on htsa: 06v-328 review date: abryct 3 2006 number revocation manufacturer: r0608 summary during canadian compliance testing some special vehicles sports not eligible for federal standard safety car. 108, “lamps, reflected devices and related equipment” head lamp charges do not correspond to the requirements of photometric values of the head lamp requirements of the standard red card react heat haze right hyrece right hyrece reactor hyrecranior reactor hyrelectricants only hyres to have on right hyrects on right hardware right hardware right hyrece hyres, right to have right to have right to have right to have ites, right heats, right hyrects, right hyrece requirements, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrece, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, right hyrects, red cards, …
Transmission & drivetrain
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Infiniti FX45. While driving 35 MPH, a loud noise was heard when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed the driveshaft on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the shaft bolt separated from the vehicle and the driveshaft needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Owner was driving at approximately 50 MPH and suddenly the driveshaft fell out from under the vehicle. Owner was able to get to the side of the road, and had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Currently this year, make, and model was being recalled for this defect however, this vehicle was not included due to VIN.
2003 Infiniti FX45 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Infiniti FX45 a good car?
Based on 25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 FX45 rates use caution: 3.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the FX45 at the same age. It is one of the FX45 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Infiniti FX45?
The lights — 5 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights › high/low beam dimmer switch. Next are the air bags (5) and transmission & drivetrain (4).
How many recalls does the 2003 Infiniti FX45 have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2003 Infiniti FX45, the most recent from January 9, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Infiniti FX45?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2007 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003. See the full Infiniti FX45 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Infiniti FX45 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 52,000 miles; 50% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.