Most common 2003 Infiniti I35 problems
Share of the 93 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Infiniti I35 complaints by model year
Best I35 years: 2001, 2004. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2003 Infiniti I35 recalls (5)
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.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor May have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s).
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2003 Infiniti I35:
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 I35 owners say
Engine & cooling all 69 →
Camshaft sensor according to the Infiniti dealership (Ray Brandt on Causeway in Metairie La.) Is malfunctioning at makes the car engine die while driving. Then when you restart the car the engine revs fine in neutral but once in drive it won't go over 5 mph. Also the timing chain tensioner fails on this car and can cause severe engine damage while the car is being driven. I've looked up both of these problems and have spoken with Nissan and Infiniti and a simple internet search will also confirm that these 2 problems are extremely common on this 5th generation engine. Nissan even lost 2 class action lawsuits on the timing tensioner. Well if Nissan lost 2 court battles over an engine defect that every Nissan internet forum says is a very very common problem then why isn't there a recall. And shouldn't hazing headlights be a safety issue on ALL cars? …
My 2003 infinity I35 stalsl while driving on local roads and busy state highways located in the greater hilton head sc area. It requires coasting to the side of the road, turning the vehicle off. The service engine light turns on. I then can restart the engine and return to my home as soon as I can. I researched the problem and found a recall notice that described my problem. Since discovering the problem, I took it to the dealer and they informed me that my vehicle was not covered by the recall. I have taken it back to them twice now to fix this problem at my expense. The problem has again returned and I don't want to pay a 3rd repair bill to fix a problem that others are getting fixed under the recall ( 03V455000). This is getting expensive, very dangerous, and eliminates the use of my car by my wife. She is afraid to drive it and I understand her fear. …
Electrical system
Camshaft sensor according to the Infiniti dealership (Ray Brandt on Causeway in Metairie La.) Is malfunctioning at makes the car engine die while driving. Then when you restart the car the engine revs fine in neutral but once in drive it won't go over 5 mph. Also the timing chain tensioner fails on this car and can cause severe engine damage while the car is being driven. I've looked up both of these problems and have spoken with Nissan and Infiniti and a simple internet search will also confirm that these 2 problems are extremely common on this 5th generation engine. Nissan even lost 2 class action lawsuits on the timing tensioner. Well if Nissan lost 2 court battles over an engine defect that every Nissan internet forum says is a very very common problem then why isn't there a recall. And shouldn't hazing headlights be a safety issue on ALL cars? …
I bought a 2003 infinit I35 a year ago as my first car. I have been having problems with my vehicle dying for what seems to be no reason. No warning lights would come on not even a check engine light. I was driving on the highway when it happened a week ago. While I was driving it died a total of four times. When I tried to start it back up it wouldn't turn over. It would not take a jump. No fluids were low. No cables or terminals were loose. I ended up having to get the vehicle towed. At the time it had 216,000 miles roughly. When I did research, I found that there was a recall associated with Infiniti models 2003-2004 that had faulty crankshaft and camshaft position sensors. The same symptoms that I had were matching up to the those of the recall. It was happening to those models having 113,000-225,000 roughly. …
Speed control & acceleration
Camshaft sensor according to the Infiniti dealership (Ray Brandt on Causeway in Metairie La.) Is malfunctioning at makes the car engine die while driving. Then when you restart the car the engine revs fine in neutral but once in drive it won't go over 5 mph. Also the timing chain tensioner fails on this car and can cause severe engine damage while the car is being driven. I've looked up both of these problems and have spoken with Nissan and Infiniti and a simple internet search will also confirm that these 2 problems are extremely common on this 5th generation engine. Nissan even lost 2 class action lawsuits on the timing tensioner. Well if Nissan lost 2 court battles over an engine defect that every Nissan internet forum says is a very very common problem then why isn't there a recall. And shouldn't hazing headlights be a safety issue on ALL cars? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Infiniti I35. While driving 45 MPH, the service engine and TCS/slip warning indicators illuminated. The engine power reduced and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted and accelerated independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft position circuit failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
2003 Infiniti I35 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Infiniti I35 a good car?
Based on 93 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 I35 rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the I35 at the same age. It is one of the I35 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 I35?
The engine & cooling — 69 complaints, 74% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (13) and speed control & acceleration (10).
How many recalls does the 2003 Infiniti I35 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2003 Infiniti I35, 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 I35?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002 and 2003. See the full Infiniti I35 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Infiniti I35 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 101,000 miles; 12% 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.