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Infiniti FX35Model year report

2004 Infiniti FX35 Problems

Complaints
120filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
60,000miles, 80 complaints with mileage
Recalls
7campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl RWD · 15 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Infiniti FX35 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Infiniti FX35 most often describe power door lock actuators that stop working, a dashboard that bubbles, melts or becomes sticky in hot weather, and a fuel gauge that reads incorrectly. Many of these reports come in at moderate mileage, and several owners say the dealer quoted a per-door repair cost or declined assistance.

  1. Latches, locks and linkages

    Power door lock actuators fail (doors and rear hatch)

    • 31 complaints (26%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (26 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2006–2020

    Complaints describe doors and the rear hatch that will not lock or unlock with the remote, the key or the door switch, sometimes one door at a time and sometimes all of them. Some owners report having to open a door manually or reach through another door, and a few mention the hatch opening while driving. According to the complaints, dealers typically diagnosed failed actuators and quoted several hundred dollars per door; several owners said they believed the part should be covered by a recall. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 90,000 miles, with some reports as low as 17,500 and others past 130,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Lock and unlock every door and the rear hatch with the remote, the key and the interior switches, and repeat a few times. Ask whether any actuators or the body control module have already been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I am a 2004 inifiniti FX35 owner. I had a right front passenger door lock actuator become inoperable, so had it replaced about 3 years ago. And recently, the driver's side door lock actuator failed, replaced it for a cost of over $500. $303 for the part alone and $216 for the labor. I know the same part costs about $35 at an Infiniti service in other countries. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10351840, filed 2010-08, 40,752 miles

    “My 2004 infinity fx 35 door actuator went out all four of them,this car is keyless entry. I have a child and it seem dangerous to use this car for our family anymore. Sometime I'm afraid to lock it and worried if a fire or emergency happened ,I couldn't get out of the car. Or I couldn't open the door to get the child out. This is very bad and must be corrected by infinity.”

    NHTSA complaint #10355436, filed 2010-09, 80,000 miles
  2. Body and structure

    Dashboard bubbling, melting or sticky in heat

    • 24 complaints (20%)
    • median 94,000 mi at 9.2 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2020

    Owners describe dashboards that bubble, crack, peel or turn sticky and soft, often after the vehicle has been parked in the sun, with some reporting a smell and glare on the windshield. Complaints say dealers either did not repair the dash or noted that a warranty extension had expired, and some owners mention a prior coverage program they were not told about. Several report the surface coming off on hands or items placed on it. Reported from roughly 36,000 to 180,000 miles, most often in warm climates and after several years of sun exposure.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Inspect the top of the dash in daylight for bubbles, cracks, shine or stickiness, and press lightly with a clean finger. Ask whether the dash has been replaced or re-covered.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Dashboard: over a 3 and a half year period of owning my vehicle, my dash has recently (and quickly) began to bubble. The dealership has told me that this is happening to all Infiniti fx vehicles with black interior. I never used cleaners with checmicals that could have caused the damage. It just happened. I also am out of warranty based on mileage not years. Driver side door actuator: my actuator has failed I do not know if that is common.”

    NHTSA complaint #10202041, filed 2007-09, 71,500 miles

    “My car had a recall on the dash board. It gets very hot and burns thus cannot put anything or have even your hands touching the dash board. It is slowly melting . I have attempted to contact the manufacturer however they have refused to resolve the issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10638614, filed 2014-09, 90,000 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Fuel gauge reads incorrectly

    • 10 complaints (8%)
    • median 41,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2005–2014

    Complaints describe a fuel gauge that never shows full, drops early, or varies by a quarter tank, with the low-fuel light coming on with plenty of fuel left in the tank. Some owners say the fuel sending unit was replaced and the problem returned. Others report the filler nozzle shutting off repeatedly or difficulty getting fuel into the tank. Reported from very low mileage (around 3,500) up to about 94,000 miles, across normal driving conditions.

    Recall 05V5550004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Fill the tank and watch whether the gauge reaches full and holds steady; also note whether the pump nozzle keeps clicking off. Ask whether the sending unit or fuel tank has been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The gas gauge is always wrong. Since I first had it, the behavior of this component has never shown full, and shows empty far too early, often 6-8 gallons before the tank is out. I looked up my recall for my airbags, which this car has, and I noticed a number of complaints here. I searched Infiniti forums and found a large number of complaints with recommended fixes. I cleaned the parts, and it improved, but now the gauge is off again, and this isn't safe, since I cannot trust when I will run out of gas. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10660678, filed 2014-11, 3,500 miles

    “The gas gauge is incorrectly reading the fuel, and I am not the only one having a problem. Many others are.. Infiniti wants 800+ to replace something that can cause a accident because of a gauge? This should be addressed properly. More importantly, this presents a major safety issue by potentially causing a driver to run out of gas on the interstate and be seriously or fatally injured in a rear-end accident. I have counted at least 56 other 2003-04+ FX35/45 car owners on this forum who have experienced this problem. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10584054, filed 2014-04, 41,000 miles

Buying note. On a used 2004 FX35, plan on testing every door lock and the rear hatch, inspecting the dashboard surface in bright light, and confirming the fuel gauge behavior on a fill-up. Ask for documentation that the airbag inflator recall was completed for that vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 120 consumer complaints for the 2004 Infiniti FX35. 80 of the complaints include a mileage, and 36% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 60,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns and 59 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Equipment (3), Seat belts (3), Engine (2), Suspension (2), Transmission and drivetrain (2), Engine cooling (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Steering (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Latches, locks and linkages: “2004 Infiniti FX35 automatic door lock actuators failing to unlock or lock the doors. This started happening a few weeks ago with the rear cargo door failing to unlock. Now all of the doors fail to lock and unlock intermittently. This is a safety issue. I have not taken any action yet but if this keeps up I will be forced to spend nearly $2500 to have the actuators replaced.”

NHTSA complaint #10341738, filed 2010-07, 52,000 miles

Body and structure: “Infiniti dashboard bubbling excessively causing glare while driving. Apparently there was a recall for this issue but my dealer never told me. I am the original owner and I was taking my car to the dealer for maintenance and repairs up until 2011 and the deal never told me there was a recall. No apparently the recall is expired or something and is not covered. I don't understand how a recall can expire if its an safety issue and how a deal can get away without notifying their clients.”

NHTSA complaint #10714931, filed 2015-05, 36,844 miles

Electrical system: “My daughter drove home from college and attempted to open the driver door. It was locked and would not open from the inside or the outside. If face none of the doors would open from inside or outside. She rolled town the window and climbed out. We took the auto to the dealer and they said that they had seen this before.. I thought it was a factory defect but alas $ 2,600 dollars later we learned that we must pay for the defect. I contacted Infiniti several times and they refused to acknowledge that this was a problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10502327, filed 2013-03, 47,000 miles

Fuel system: “2004 FX35- black smoke comes from the exhaust pipes when the car is started for the first time each day. I have shown the dealership video of this and yet they still are reluctant to admit there is a problem. My gas mileage is far less that the epa estimates. The transfer case has also been replaced twice in one year.”

NHTSA complaint #10147020, filed 2006-01, 6,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

36% of the 80 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 40,000 and 90,000 miles.

8%0–109%10–2520%25–5025%50–7523%75–10013%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (80 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 60,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’04’07’1019’13’16’19’23
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 Infiniti FX35. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
FX35/45 · sedan not rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 Infiniti FX35 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
FX35 AWD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152017$3,950
FX35 RWD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152217$3,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 7 recalls for the 2004 Infiniti FX35 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 59 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 59 bulletins →

Other model years of the Infiniti FX35

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20121462,1070—19—Not enough data
20111175,0000—19—Not enough data
20101385,0000—19—Not enough data
20092062,0001—19—Falling
20083596,5004—18Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20073871,5004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20064094,3797—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20059489,5009—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200412060,0007—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20036167,00010—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Infiniti FX35 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Infiniti FX35?

Owners of the 2004 Infiniti FX35 most often describe power door lock actuators that stop working, a dashboard that bubbles, melts or becomes sticky in hot weather, and a fuel gauge that reads incorrectly. The issues reported most often: Power door lock actuators fail (doors and rear hatch); Dashboard bubbling, melting or sticky in heat; Fuel gauge reads incorrectly.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Infiniti FX35 have?

NHTSA recorded 120 consumer complaints for the 2004 Infiniti FX35 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Infiniti FX35 is reported most often?

Latches, locks and linkages is named most often, in 27 complaints (23% of the total), followed by body and structure with 19.

Has the 2004 Infiniti FX35 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Infiniti FX35 get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Infiniti FX35 (FX35 RWD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 15 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Infiniti FX35 reported?

Among the 80 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 60,000 miles and the middle half falls between 40,000 and 90,000 miles; 36% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.