Simple (until dopers get done with it!) question:
You run out of gas. Your car will not run. You assume it will run again once you have gas in it. Is it accurate for you to say “My car died”?
I think so. No less so than “my car died… until I put a fresh battery/new alternator/whatever”. But it was working, now it’s not. Unless it not working is intentional, it died.
Of course, if you know WHY it died, it’s more accurate to say “My car died from [reason]”
Not that you need my vote in here, but I think it’s an inaccurate (or, at least, misleading) statement. To me, a car “dying” means that something has broken, and that you don’t know what the problem is. Running out of gas just doesn’t fall into that category in my view.
Which is, of course, the reasonable view, here. 
This. “My car died” implies that there is a repair (or retirement) in its immediate future rather than refueling.
Not accurate. It isn’t dead - it’s just resting.
Resting? That car wouldn’t VROOOOM if you put 20,000 volts through it.
It’s pining for the Fords.
I’d say ‘not accurate’.
I would accept “my car died” as a legitimate excuse for being late to work.
I would not accept “my car ran out of gas”.
throws a bunch of raspberries
Car death implies a sudden and unpredictable event. It’s entirely possible for a car to die from running out of gas; a broken fuel gauge, for instance, or a fuel leak that drains the system rapidly. If the car is 100% working as expected, and notified you via the gas gauge of it’s impending shutdown, then no, your car didn’t die, you just weren’t paying attention.
eta: You know, I’d make an allowance for extreme circumstances. Husband borrowed the car and didn’t fill it up, I thought I had a half a tank so I didn’t think to look, kids were screaming the whole time, next thing you know my car died. That sort of thing.
This. “Died” means there’s a significant mechanical problem with the car, but the problem here is with the driver.
‘Died’ doesn’t mean anything in particular for a car. It makes sense to use the word for more serious problems but people will say “My car died” if it just stalls. If you don’t add anymore qualification you can’t make assumptions about the meaning.
Eh, I don’t think it’s a federal issue or anything, but “my car died” to me means it died from forces outside of the driver’s immediate control. So no, I would not think running out of gas means the car died. And if someone said that to me, and then later I found out it was because it was out of gas … I’d have a :dubious: reaction.
A car will die if a fuse blows, or a belt slips off, or a battery goes kaput. None of those are anywhere close to a “significant mechanical problem,” and in many cases wouldn’t require a trip to a mechanic. Heck, Ford Escorts used to die because hard bumps would trigger the fuel safety cutoff. The only real difference is that we expect all drivers to be able to monitor fuel level, but not even above average drivers are expected to be able to quickly diagnose a blown fuse
I would say that it’s not the same thing.
If I am waiting for you and you tell me your car died, I am going to infer that you are no longer coming. Also your car will be going to the shop, so you’re probably not coming tomorrow and you might even ask me for money.
If I am waiting for you and you tell me your ran out of gas, I know I just need to wait a little longer for you to show up.
I agree with those who say it is not accurate. Your car is not dead, it’s just out of gas. You can bring it back to life without actually replacing anything.
My own thinking is that I regularly use “died” for the lawnmower running out of gas (“Mower’s gonna die soon, get the gas can”) so one internal combustion engine running out of fuel is as good as the next. That said, I wouldn’t use it for a car in that context but it seems reasonable enough to do so.
You’re not asking us to settle a domestic dispute here, are you? 
Its a subtle difference, but its inaccurate.
“My cat died.”
“OMG! What happened…?”
“I stopped feeding it…”
ow, ow, ow
On the topic, yes, I think you can say that a car died when it runs out of gas. It’s certainly not running. Measuring how much of a twit the driver is would be case specific. For example, just to be helpful, when my sister ran out of gas on the Hollywood Freeway, in the 2 lane, in My Car, she was an epic twit. Also very lucky not to get killed. She did cause an accident to MY CAR (not bitter at all). 