AI Damage2002 Infiniti Q45: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Infiniti Q45 filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 20
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 15% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 15% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 10% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (20% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (15% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (15% of all).
- Wheels: 3 complaints (15% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 20 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My "2002" infiniti automobile model q45 was rear ended by another auto while traveling through an interstate construction zone. My car was moving at the time and I was driving.
I had a problem with my car, with the tires constantly leaking. I had to fill them with air all the time, had them checked a number of times, and had to have the rims cleaned and reground, etc., trying to determine and solve the problem.
My car randomly shuts off in the middle of driving. First time I was on the highway and it started right back up. Then again when I got home. One time it had a p0340 code for the camshaft position sensor, and I changed it three times in the last week and it still shuts off in the middle of driving.
The contact stated that the air bag light was constantly illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Was on the highway takings grandkids home and the car just cut off right in the middle of a busy highway. It took several tries to get it to start again but it stayed on only long though for me to get it on the shoulder. We could have been in a serious wreck.
The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the air bag warning indicator was illuminated. The problem occurred numerous of times. The vehicle was taken to dealer mechanic and diagnosed the harness underneath driver seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
I am not able to fill my gas tank via a standard fuel station pump. I have to manually insert a funnel to fill my gas tank which takes about 30 minutes to perform.
Have had 3 hid headlight actuator/ballast failures, leading to inoperative lamps (two left side, one right side). The ballast is a high-voltage transformer that drives the discharge lamps. Occurrences at 24k, 95k, and 105k miles. Car only has 110k. First failure replaced under warranty.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,257 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Q45 has 14 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 20, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Infiniti Q45?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 20. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (15%), headlights and tail lights (15%), A/C or heater (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Infiniti Q45?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Infiniti Q45 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.