InfinitiM452004Overview/infiniti/m45/2004/base/

2004 Infiniti M45

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 M45.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S5)

The 2004 Infiniti M45 is a passenger car featuring an S5 automatic transmission and an engine requiring 5.9 quarts of 5W-30 API SL oil. This model delivers an EPA-rated fuel economy of 16 city, 22 highway, and 18 combined mpg. Reliability records for this model year include two recalls and 43 total owner complaints, with the gasoline fuel system emerging as the primary area of concern.

Model year20042003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 API SLOEM · verified
Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24 · 490 CCA battery, OE oil filter 152089E01A. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24 · 490 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size235-45R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter152089E01A
Engine air filter16546AR000
Fuel filter1640041B1A
Spark plug224015M015 alt 224015M014
Front wiper blades28890CR905 discontinued · alt 28890CR900
Thermostat212306N20A alt 212001LA1A
Cabin air filter27277VX00A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S5)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length197.2 in
Overall width70.1 in
Overall height57.5 in
Wheelbase110.2 in
Curb weight3882 lb
Track (front / rear)59.4 / 59.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)55/45

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 22 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume91 cu ft
Cargo volume13 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.9 qt of 5W-30 API SL engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity10.9
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.4 Pints
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.1 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts62-68 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug25.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub181 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque18.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing17, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance5 degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.32 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance490 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief11-14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)51.0 psi
Engine Compression164-191 PSI. 14 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure14
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in
Exhaust Valve LashHydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket102-122 ft-lbs / 25-30 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle72-87 ft-lbs / 29-37 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.0028 in / 0.0039 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.1 in / 0.63 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.1 in / 0.63 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.024 in / 0.55 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 9-101.4 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., Step 2: 6011 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
165-72 ft. lbs., step 2: 90-9665–72 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
172.0 ft. lbs.72 ft. lbs
2Loosen all bolts completely in order.
326.0-32.0 ft. lbs.26–32 ft. lbs
490-95 degrees90–95 degrees
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-1029 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 Infiniti M45 shows a marked improvement over its 2003 predecessor, with complaints dropping sharply from 131 to just 43—a 67% reduction—while recalls held steady at 2 and investigations remained at 3. Technical Service Bulletins also decreased from 67 to 55, suggesting refinements were made during this generation. The primary complaint category in 2004 was the Fuel System, Gasoline (19 complaints), followed by Fuel System, Other (6) and Engine (5), though these represent isolated rather than widespread issues. Notably, there were zero crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints filed for the 2004 model year, indicating no major safety concerns in the federal database. Compared to the relatively problematic 2003 launch year, the 2004 M45 represents a more mature and reliable iteration of this generation, making it the stronger choice within this two-year window.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
55
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
43
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 43 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline19
Fuel System, Other6
Engine5
Seats3
Electrical System,Engine2
Fuel System, Gasoline,Electrical System2
Air Bags2
Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

12V088000Fuel System, GasolineReported 06/03/2012

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2003-2004 INFINITI M45 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 7, 2002, THROUGH JUNE 3, 2004. DUE TO A CIRCUIT BOARD FAILURE, THE FUEL GAUGE MAY READ A FUEL LEVEL HIGHER THAN ACTUALLY… Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE CIRCUIT BOARD FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT…

04V497000Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:SwitchReported 13/10/2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 55 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
ITB09-063C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
ITB13-052E2024-05-20Electrical SystemINTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See…
ITB17-009H2024-04-29Visibility/WiperWINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY…
ITB13-007I2024-04-29Visibility/WiperREMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…
ITB09-039K2024-04-29Visibility/WiperWINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific M45. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 M45 take?

5.9 qt of 5W-30 API SL, per the factory manual.

Does the 2004 M45 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the M45 get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.