Fuel Pump problems of the 2003 Infiniti M45

This relates to NHTSA investigation pe11038. I write about a faulty design that Infiniti did not recall and will not take responsibility for. Some time ago, my fuel gauge became erratic, then the "service engine soon" light went on. The trouble code, p0462, was for "fuel level sensor a circuit low input" (not really news since the gauge wasn't working). I took it to a shop that replaced the fuel sender and fuel pump, but that didn't solve the problem. They told me that the instrument cluster had to be replaced and that Infiniti has redesigned the cluster because the original design was faulty. As I was told, the design error caused the cluster to fail when the fuel sender failed. I see online that this is a recurring problem and one that Infiniti will sometimes take responsibility for - though not for me. I understand, of course, that manufacturers generally need to put some limits on their warranty liability. My fuel sender failed after my warranty had expired, and I would not expect Infiniti to cover the cost of that repair. However, the instrument cluster was poorly designed such that it too could fail if the fuel sender went bad. That, apparently, is a problem that Infiniti knew about years ago and chose not to address. It seems reasonable to me that Infiniti would not issue a recall for such an issue that would likely be seen only by a minority of owners. However, it also seems fair that the owners who are affected - regardless of their warranty status at the time of failure - would have their faulty clusters replaced at Infiniti's expense (which would certainly be a small expense compared to a recall). Repeated inquiries to Infiniti - directly and through my dealer - have elicited only the response that my car is out of warranty.

2003 Infiniti M45. Consumer writes in regards to recall concerning fuel gauge the consumer is requesting reimbursement of related expenses of $2,168. 76 as he previously paid to have the defect corrected. The consumer stated the vehicle had to be towed, where an inspection revealed the gas tank was empty, even the needle read half full. The fuel pump sending unit was replaced, but it did not rectify the problem. Finally in December 2011, during a smog test, it was discovered the fuel gauge was defective.