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Infiniti I35Model year report

2003 Infiniti I35 Problems

Complaints
93filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
100,625miles, 82 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns 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
20 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Infiniti I35 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report the engine stalling or losing power while driving, usually with the check-engine, SLIP and TCS lights coming on and the car restarting after a few attempts. Many of these complaints describe the camshaft or crankshaft position sensor, and several owners say they were told their vehicle was not covered by a related recall. A smaller share describe cooling-system, electrical and cruise-control concerns, mostly at higher mileage.

  1. Engine

    Engine stalls while driving (cam/crank sensor)

    • 67 complaints (72%)
    • median 117,440 mi at 11.6 yrs old (63 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2021

    Owners describe the engine cutting off without warning at ordinary road speeds, sometimes on the highway or in an intersection, with the check-engine, SLIP and TCS lights coming on and steering or brake assist feeling reduced. Some vehicles restart immediately, others need several attempts or a wait of a few minutes, and some had to be towed. Complaints frequently say a mechanic diagnosed a failed camshaft or crankshaft position sensor, and that the dealer replaced one or both sensors with the stalling returning afterward in some cases. Several owners say they were told their vehicle identification number was not included in a recall covering the same symptom. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 40,000 to over 200,000 miles, at normal road speeds and in everyday driving.

    Recall 03V455000

    What to check: Ask whether the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors or the sensor circuit board have been replaced, and whether the vehicle was ever checked against recall 03V455000 by VIN. On a test drive, watch for a check-engine or SLIP light and any hesitation or cutout.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My vehicles crank/cam sensor I believe has gone bad. I was driving on a city street, the car was driving fine and it was like the engine shut off but it was not I could drive 1 MPH, and car would not rev up. I saw there were recalls on this for infinitis made in 2202-2003 but for some reason my 2003 Infiniti is not included in this! Car no longer will move.”

    NHTSA complaint #11044756, filed 2017-11, 190,765 miles

    “The check engine soon light, slip warning, and the ESC light all came on and the car shut off while I was driving. I steered the car to the side of the road. Tried to restart the car. It restarted, but the start was tepid. Drove the car to work. Made an appointment with the Infiniti dealer. Drove to dealer and the event happened again but did not stall. Service department stated it was a bad cam sensor that needed replaced. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10618815, filed 2014-08, 135,000 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Reduced power or no response from accelerator

    • 17 complaints (18%)
    • median 104,500 mi at 10.0 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • filed 2004–2021

    Owners report the car slowing down or refusing to accelerate even with the pedal pressed, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes at low speed in a parking lot or turn. In some accounts the vehicle drops to a crawl and will only move again after being shut off and restarted. Dealers and independent shops variously attributed this to the electronic throttle actuator, the camshaft sensor circuit, or a failed catalytic converter, and in several cases the problem came back after repair. Reported from about 50,000 miles upward, sometimes shortly before or after a stalling episode.

    What to check: Test the throttle response at both low and highway speeds and check for stored codes for the throttle actuator, camshaft sensor circuit or catalytic converter. Ask whether any of these parts have already been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving at around 30- 35mph and suddently car slowed down with brake light on. I turned the emergency lights on and moved to right most lane. Swtiched off the car. Swithed on back. It worked fine. It happened twice with me. Only worry is that while travelling on freeway if car siddenly slows down, which may be extermely dangerous. So need advise what is required to be done.”

    NHTSA complaint #10479737, filed 2012-10, 104,500 miles

    “I was driving on the parkway with my family and I was traveling at approx 60 MPH. Out of no where a tcs and ABS light came on the I decreased to 5 MPH without warning and couldn't go faster. I had my foot all the way down to the pedal and vehicle wouldn't drive. This appears to be a camshaft sensor issue from what I see. There was a recall on this issue but I'm being told my vehicle was not an affected car. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10491481, filed 2013-01, 135,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Repeated no-start and intermittent starting

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Some owners describe the car dying with no warning lights and then failing to start or even take a jump, with battery, cables and fluids all checking out fine. Others report intermittent no-start conditions that persisted after replacing sensors, spark plugs, coils, the fuel pump and even the ignition key, in one case drawing a large repair bill without a lasting fix. Mostly reported above 90,000 miles, with some cases past 200,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Start the car from cold and again after it has sat, and ask whether the battery connections, key programming and sensor replacements have already been done. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I've had the same problems that other Infiniti I-35s have experienced in regards to losing power, engine cutting off and lack of braking. My car initially stalled while I was parked at a red light. After a few attempts to restart, it finally did. I made an appointment to see the dealer about this problem four days later. While driving to the dealer, my car engine lights all lit up and the car stalled and I had no braking ability. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10394498, filed 2011-04, 73,665 miles

    “I bought a 2003 infinit I35 a year ago as my first car. I have been having problems with my vehicle dying for what seems to be no reason. No warning lights would come on not even a check engine light. I was driving on the highway when it happened a week ago. While I was driving it died a total of four times. When I tried to start it back up it wouldn't turn over. It would not take a jump. No fluids were low. No cables or terminals were loose. I ended up having to get the vehicle towed. At the time it had 216,000 miles roughly. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11011159, filed 2017-07, 216,000 miles

Buying note. The most common theme in these complaints is a stalling or no-power condition tied to the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors, so a pre-purchase inspection should focus on that history and on stored engine codes. It is also worth confirming by VIN that both the sensor-related recall and the passenger air bag inflator recalls have been addressed.

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 93 consumer complaints for the 2003 Infiniti I35. 82 of the complaints include a mileage, and 12% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 100,625 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 54 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: Seats (1), Steering (1), Body and structure (1), Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “Car shuts down. Over three years ago it died while driving. I took it to the infinity dealership. They told me it was cam sensor. Had it & crank sensor replaced. Problem persisted. Took back to infinity & was told it was the cylynoid. Had thatbreplace. Problem persisted. The Infiniti dealer said the timing chain need replaced but my car was not worth spending that amount of repair. My car is well kept with it just now tirning over 100,000 miles. I got a second opinion from a certified custom nissan/Infiniti shop. He laughed at the timing chain suggestion. …”

NHTSA complaint #11306318, filed 2020-01, 88,000 miles

Engine cooling: “We were driving locally at normal speed and the car suddenly lost power as though we ran out of gas. We were able to slide somewhat to the side of the road. After a while, the car started again and we thought it was just some kind of fluke. We are senior citizens and do not drive a great deal however we thought all was well and in august we road on the highway 95 to connecticut and the exact same thing happened after we arrived and were pulling into a local mall, once again we had to be towed. If this had happened to us on 95 we would have been killed. …”

NHTSA complaint #10544405, filed 2013-09, 100,250 miles

Electrical system: “While driving down the street, the vehicle shut completely off. I could not steer or anything. It was not the battery, alternator. It just stop right in the middle of the street; which is very dangerous. I called the used car dealer whom had just sold me the vehicle less than 6 month whom had the vehicle towed. They indicated they fixed one of the sensor & there was electrical issues. It drove for about a year, now it is continuously doing the same thing, shutting down while driving. The check engine light will come on & slip/ tcs. …”

NHTSA complaint #10743712, filed 2015-07, 163,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The car loses power after a while and will just stop as if it ran out of gas. This has happened several times, otherwise the car is ok. The mechanic suspects it has something to do with the crank position or circuit board. There was recalls on this model in 11/2003 and 12/2003 that describe exactly what happens to my vehicle. This slowing down to stopping happened on a major expressway and I had to be towed. It also happened again in my street and driveway having to be towed again.”

NHTSA complaint #11045241, filed 2017-11, 137,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

12% of the 82 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 76,000 and 153,000 miles.

2%0–101%10–259%25–5011%50–7526%75–10026%100–15026%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (82 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 100,625 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.

’06’09’1212’1512’18’21
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 2003 Infiniti I35. 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
I35 · sedan not rated4 / 4———

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 2003 Infiniti I35 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
I35 FWD3.5L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172420$3,350

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

Recall details for the 2003 Infiniti I35 → · 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. 54 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 54 bulletins →

Other model years of the Infiniti I35

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20043590,0003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200393100,6255—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200270125,0005—20Not compared (before 2008)Rising

All Infiniti I35 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Infiniti I35?

Owners of this model year most often report the engine stalling or losing power while driving, usually with the check-engine, SLIP and TCS lights coming on and the car restarting after a few attempts. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls while driving (cam/crank sensor); Reduced power or no response from accelerator; Repeated no-start and intermittent starting.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Infiniti I35 have?

NHTSA recorded 93 consumer complaints for the 2003 Infiniti I35 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Infiniti I35 is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 44 complaints (47% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 27.

Has the 2003 Infiniti I35 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2003 Infiniti I35 get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Infiniti I35 (I35, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Infiniti I35 reported?

Among the 82 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 100,625 miles and the middle half falls between 76,000 and 153,000 miles; 12% 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.