INFINITI QX56 · model year

2004 INFINITI QX56

147 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004INFINITIQX56 carries 147 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 QX56 is service brakes with 33 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic (17) and electrical system (14). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 7 investigation files overlapping the 2004 QX56. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

147
Complaints
7
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

147 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES33
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM14
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR9
AIR BAGS8
ENGINE5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE4
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING3
STEERING3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE2
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS2

Recalls (2)

10V51700028/10/2010

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDU

10E01900020/05/2010

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2010 TITAN, ARM

Recent Complaints

20240705SERVICE BRAKES

My wife was driving home from work, said brake is failing, makes loud grindy, rattling noise when brake is applied. Once the car is turn off and back on, everything is back to normal. When I got home, i took the wheels off to check everything was ok, pads were almost new, which I replaced last year. Drove around for 10 miles no problem. This is a serious safety issue which Nissan/Infiniti should take care of.

20220228ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2004 Infiniti QX56. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start up after multiple attempts with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, he stated that the vehicle would intermittently stall while driving at various speeds with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they informed him that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V517000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was referred to NHTSA for assistance. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Mileage: 68,000

20210419SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING MY FAMILY FROM TEXAS TO NORTH CAROLINA WHEN I RAN INTO RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC LONG THE WAY. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN, THEN SUDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING, THERE WAS A LOUND GRIDDING NOISE AS IF THE ENGINE ABOUT TO FALLOUT AND MY BRAKE DIDNOT HOLD IMMEDIATELY WHEN APPLIED.

Mileage: 127,465

20201203UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE EMC RELAY IS BAD. I HAVE A LETTER SAYING IT WAS A RECALL.. AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. IF YOU WAITED A LITTLE WHILE IT WOULD START UP AGAIN BUT IT SEEMED THAT WHEN IT GOT HOT IT WOULD SHUT DOWN AGAIN. IT COST ME 102.00 FOR TOW TRUCK AND THE DEALERSHIP IS CHARGING ME 160.00 AN HOUR TO CHECK WHAT IT IS. THEY SAY THERE IS NO RECALL BUT I HAVE LETTER IN FRONT OF ME.

Mileage: 200,000

20190806STRUCTURE:BODY

TAKATA RECALL PAINT IS FADING IN DIFFERENT PLACES CLEAR COAT HAS FADED AWAY THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PASS COUPLE OF YEARS

20190730SERVICE BRAKES

THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE WARNING LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. ROTORS ARE FINE. BRAKE FLUID LEVEL IS HIGH. YET, WHEN I APPLY MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS ALSO A BAD SOUND ON THE FRONT WHEELS THAT SOUNDS LIKE METAL TO METAL (THERE IS A VIBRATION). ONCE I PULL OVER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A MINUTE OR SO, I AM ABLE TO CONTINUE. HOWEVER, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES BACK ON MOMENTS LATER. THIS IS GETTING VERY DANGEROUS AS IT MAY TRIGGER ME TO REAR END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORST. THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT ALSO COMES AND STAYS ON. PLEASE HELP.

Mileage: 15

20190730VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE WARNING LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. ROTORS ARE FINE. BRAKE FLUID LEVEL IS HIGH. YET, WHEN I APPLY MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS ALSO A BAD SOUND ON THE FRONT WHEELS THAT SOUNDS LIKE METAL TO METAL (THERE IS A VIBRATION). ONCE I PULL OVER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A MINUTE OR SO, I AM ABLE TO CONTINUE. HOWEVER, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES BACK ON MOMENTS LATER. THIS IS GETTING VERY DANGEROUS AS IT MAY TRIGGER ME TO REAR END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORST. THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT ALSO COMES AND STAYS ON. PLEASE HELP.

Mileage: 15

20180830ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI QX56. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL GAUGE AND OTHER GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAYED INACCURATE INFORMATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (INFINITI OF ELK GROVE, 8586 LAGUNA GROVE DR, ELK GROVE, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE PART WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.

Mileage: 167,000

20180630SERVICE BRAKES

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING IN A DRY PARKING LOT AND APPLYING MY BRAKES, MY ABS BRAKES KICKED ON FOR NO REASON AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND STOP. THE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AND I HEARD ALOT OF GRINDING. THIS WAS VERY SCARY AS BOTH TIMES I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE ONLY WAY TO RESET ABS WAS TO TURN OFF VEHICLE. I AM SO AFRAID THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE AND AM THINKING ABOUT SELLING IT BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

Mileage: 74,000

20171027SERVICE BRAKES

I GET A BRAKE LIGHT AND A SLIP LIGHT SOMETIMES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. MAKES AN AWFUL NOISE AND SOMETIMES THE BRAKES FAIL TO OPERATE. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT TO RESET SOMETHING AND THEN ITS FINE FOR A FEW DAYS AND COMES BACK. IT IS VERY SCARY. OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME THING. SAYING THEY THINK THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ALSO HEARD OF PEOPLE CRASHING THEIR SUV BECAUSE OF THIS. THIS HAPPENS JUST WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. I SEE THIS A LOT IN THE FORUMS AND WONDER WHY THEY HAVEN'T RECALLED THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST 5 YEARS.

Mileage: 138,000

20170830POWER TRAIN

RADIATOR CRACKED. INTERIM WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. $5,000 TRANSMISSION REBUILD.

20170829SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW/HIGH SPEEDS, THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL JUST TURN ON UNEXPECTEDLY. ALSO, THE ABS BRAKES SEEM TO FAIL WHERE YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE ONLY WAY TO TEMPORARILY FIX THIS IS TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT TO GO AWAY. AGAIN, THIS WILL OCCUR AT LEAST 1-2 TIMES A DAY AND/OR 28 TIMES IN A MONTH WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO PUT A DRIVER IN ON THE HIGHWAY OR OTHER ROADWAYS.

Mileage: 255,700

20170819SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION THE RED BRAKE LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND WHEN YOU PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR SLOWS DOWN BUT MAKES A LOUD THUMPING NOISE, AND YOU CAN FEEL LIKE A SPRING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATING, IF YOU TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, IT RESETS FOR A WHILE BUT NOW IT IS HAPPENING CONSTANTLY. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE NEW.

Mileage: 5

20170429SERVICE BRAKES

AS I WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY STREET, THE BRAKES ON MY 2004 INFINITI QX56 STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH BOARD WENT ON MAKING IT HARD TO COME TO A STOP. I DON'T KNOW WHATS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME REASON (BRAKES) BUT I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER

Mileage: 12

20161106SERVICE BRAKES

THE FIRST TIME I HAD ISSUES WITH MY BRAKES I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE PARKED. I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND TRIED TO RELEASES THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT THE LIGHT WOULDN'T DISENGAGE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THEN THE VEHICLE MADE A SEVERE GRINDING NOISE. I THEN TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID "NO". THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD. I NOTICE THE BRAKE LIGHT TURNED ON, SO I SLOW APPLIED PRESSED TO THE BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AND BEGAN TO SHAKE FURIOUSLY AS IF IT WAS SKIDDING ON THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, THEIR WASN'T ANYONE ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I TRIED PRESSING THE PARKING BRAKES TO RELEASE THE LIGHT BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK SO I TRIED SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF. I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND THE LIGHT WAS G

Mileage: 93,313

20161017SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES PULSATED AND MADE AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE. THE CHECK ENGINE AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

Mileage: 68,000

20160808STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IPDM BOX FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

Mileage: 139,000

20160808ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IPDM BOX FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

Mileage: 139,000

20160714SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING THE EMERGERCNY BRAKE DASH LIGHT WILL BECOME LIT AND ALL BRAKING ACTIONS HAVE DRASTICALLY REDUCED POWER. A AN AUDIBLE GRINDING NOISE IS OBSERVED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKE PEDDLE HAS LITTLE TO NO RESISTANCE. A RESTART OF THE VEHICLE TEMPORARILY RESOLVE THE ISSUE, BUT THE ISSUE HAS REOCCURED NUMEROUS TIMES AND IS INCREASING IN FREQUENCY.

Mileage: 116,000

20160711AIR BAGS

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT AND DASH LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME.

Mileage: 183,000

Compare 2004INFINITIQX56 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 INFINITI QX56 have?
The 2004 INFINITI QX56 has 147 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2004 INFINITI QX56?
Yes, the 2004 INFINITI QX56 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 INFINITI QX56?
The most-complained component for the 2004 INFINITI QX56 is SERVICE BRAKES with 33 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2004 INFINITI QX56 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.