NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE11-038: Fuel level gauge system failure
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE11-038 on December 14, 2011 and closed it on March 22, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003–2004 Infiniti M45 for it and links recall 12V-088 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE11-038 (also written PE11038)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed March 22, 2012
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Nissan North America, Inc.
- Component
- Fuel System, Other — Storage — Fuel Gauge System
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 12V-088: FUEL GAUGE, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2003–2004 Infiniti M45
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-038.
In a March 5, 2012 letter to NHTSA, Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) submitted a Defect Information Report identifying a defect in the combination meter circuit board in approximately 8,120 model year 2003 through 2004 Infiniti M45 vehicles manufactured from March 7, 2002 through June 3, 2004 (Recall No. 12V-088). According to Nissan, heat generated by several components of the circuit board may cause solder cracks due to thermal shock.
Open circuits created by the solder cracks may cause the fuel gauge to read higher than the actual amount of fuel remaining in the gas tank or always indicate full.
Because of this condition, drivers may run out of fuel without notice, resulting in an engine stall without warning with no possibility of restart. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Nissan as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers.
In total, there were 315 unique reports indicating an inaccurate fuel level reading while driving, including 61 that resulted in an engine stall incident (7.5 incidents per thousand vehicles).
In addition, Nissan provided warranty data showing 2,525 claims for replacement of the subject component (31% claim rate).
Nissan will begin owner notification in mid-April 2012.
Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified to take their vehicle to an Infiniti dealer, who will install a sub-amplifier in the combination meter to bypass the electric circuit and ensure accurate fuel level indication.
This preliminary evaluation is closed.
The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10429412, 10427140, 10426741, 10424642, 10423199, 10418078, 10416519, 10414944, 10412053, 10408935, 10406834, 10406096, 10404206, 10404080, 10395207, 10392714, 10386134, 10380863, 10374719, 10373992, 10369584, 10365717, 10365428, 10356315, 10353972, 10351181, 10349252, 10348351, 10342961, 10342641, 10336272, 10329869, 10325399, 10324572, 10323996, 10323757, 10322403, 10320190, 10318987, 10317547, 10317273, 10317234, 10317030, 10308445.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-038. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Infiniti
All Infiniti recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Infiniti VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE11-038
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.