Most common 2006 Infiniti M45 problems
Share of the 72 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Infiniti M45 complaints by model year
Best M45 years: 2010, 2009, 2008. Years to avoid: 2003, 2006, 2004. Compare all years →
2006 Infiniti M45 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 2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on June 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.
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 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.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45 vehicles manufactured April 4, 2004, through October 5, 2010. Over time, the accelerator pedal sensor signal may deteriorate resulting in the output of an incorrect signal causing the engine to go into fail-safe (limp home) mode.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator pedal assembly and reprogram the engine control module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during November 2013.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2006 Infiniti M45:
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 2006 Infiniti M45 owners say
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2006 Infiniti M45. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled while driving downhill. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering and braking functionality. The contact was able to safely stop the vehicle by using excessive force on the brake pedal. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle stalled. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Over the last 6 to 8 months, the 2006 M45 stalls intermittently. Most of the time (7 out of 10) it would stall when I stopped at a light (or a stop sign). The engine would shut off, all the indicator lights would come on, and I would put it in park and re-start, and it would continue to operate fine. The other three times or so, the car would randomly shut down while driving (both times in the city at 30 mph or so), and the same procedure to restart. Midas Muffler (3 different locations) did not detect any error codes in any of the occasions, and since it was happening intermittently, they could not duplicate it. In atleast 3 or 4 of the events, I had another passenger in the car who observed it.
Steering
Vehicle's steering wheel jerks out of no where. It also sways back and fourth while braking at times. The vehicle vibrates/shakes at speeds over 70mph. The Infiniti dealership (plano, tx) stated the problems were due to a warped rotor, which is another issue with Infiniti vehicles, so I resurfaced the rotors and within 6mths (under or around 5,000 miles) had to replace them. After I replaced the rotors crest Infiniti stated the problem was then the tires so I replaced the tires and the problem continued. Afterwards they said it was the rims, I had the rims inspected and any defective rim either replaced or repaired. Within two month I replaced all four rims and tires. None of these solutions fixed the vibrating or jerky steering so I had alignments and road force balances performed on the car. Car still vibrates at speeds of 70mph or higher, far worse at speeds of 75-80mph or higher. …
This car cannot keep a straight line on any road. I have had all four tires replaced, all four wheels replaced, five tire alignments/balances done to no avail. This has caused severe danger when driving on both one and two lane roads, as the car will suddenly move into other lanes. Has caused another car to go off the road to avoid my car hitting theirs causing damage and injury to that person. I, as well as other complainants on here, have been told that Infiniti is aware that there is a defect in the steering rack but is not authorizing dealers to repair or replace under warranty. This issue effects all Infiniti m35s and m45s from 2006-2010. Class action lawsuit is in progress.
Seats
I currently own a 2006 Infiniti M45. I have a safety issue which involves a broken driver side seat lift bracket. I wasn't doing anything abnormal, but when I sat down in my vehicle I heard a "pop" and notice the seat now had a slight lean towards the center console. This is a huge concern, and after doing extensive research online, I have found that it is a manufacture defect rather than normal part wear. I'm real frustrated that I have spent this much money on a luxury vehicle (my third Infiniti), and a safety concern like this (which should be a recall) isn't addressed by Infiniti, but rather the cost be covered out of the customers pocket. I spoke with my local dealer about it, and was given a substantial estimate to examine it, and 6-7 x's larger amount to repair it. …
While driving at normal highway speed, my drivers seat suddenly collapsed onto the floor on the left side of the seat. After regaining control of the car, I pulled over to find that the seat bracket had broken. The seat is completely detached from the frame and now moves freely up and down. I took the car to the dealership and without even looking at it, they said that I would need a new drivers seat at a cost of $2000.00. The technician then stated that this was a common problem on 2006-07 infinities. I started researching this online and found that there are thousands of complaints and serious safety issues involving broken seat brackets in these vehicles. Infinity accepts no responsibility for this problem and refuses to even attempt to correct the problem.
2006 Infiniti M45 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Infiniti M45 a good car?
Based on 72 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 M45 rates avoid: 4.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the M45 at the same age. It is one of the M45 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 2006 Infiniti M45?
The engine & cooling — 18 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the steering (17) and seats (14).
How many recalls does the 2006 Infiniti M45 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2006 Infiniti M45, 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 M45?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2009 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003, 2006 and 2004. See the full Infiniti M45 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Infiniti M45 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 19% 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.