2004 Infiniti QX56 Problems
- Complaints
- 106filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 86,381miles, 92 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 1campaigns 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
- 14 mpgcombined, 5.6L 8-cyl RWD · 12 city / 18 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Infiniti QX56 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Complaints about this model year center on the brakes: owners describe shuddering and vibration under braking that returns after pad and rotor work, and a separate pattern of a brake warning light with a grinding noise and a pedal that goes to the floor before returning to normal after a restart. Electrical complaints follow, most often stalling or no-start traced to the power distribution module, and several owners report airbag or seat belt warning lights. Reports come at widely varying mileage, from nearly new vehicles to well past 100,000 miles.
- Brakes
Brake warning light, grinding, pedal to floor
- 31 complaints (29%)
- median 103,600 mi at 10.9 yrs old (28 state mileage)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2004–2024
Owners describe the red brake light coming on while driving, a loud grinding or clanking from the front, and a pedal that sinks to the floor with reduced stopping. Several say the condition clears after the vehicle is shut off and restarted, sometimes for weeks, then returns. Some dealers replaced rotors and pads or suggested the brake booster, while others could not reproduce the problem. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 150,000 miles, often during normal driving or braking at moderate speed.
What to check: Check whether the brake light illuminates at rest or during braking and whether the pedal holds firm with the engine running; ask for any brake booster or ABS service history.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“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”
NHTSA complaint #10981387, filed 2017-04, 12 miles“Stepped on brakes and pedal went all the way to floorboard with out stopping the SUV. Suv finally stopped on speed bump a few feet away. Looked in the internet, there are other people with same problem. There is also a couple suing nissan for this very problem. I think nissan should be held responsible. The problem I understand is in the brake power booster. It should have being recall.”
NHTSA complaint #10622167, filed 2014-08, 105,000 miles - Brakes
Brake shudder and repeated rotor/pad wear
- 33 complaints (31%)
- median 11,169 mi at 3.1 yrs old (28 state mileage)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2004–2021
Owners describe steering wheel shake and pedal pulsation when braking, sometimes within a few thousand miles of new pads and rotors. Many say the dealer resurfaced or replaced rotors and the vibration came back, and some report repeat service visits at short intervals. Complaints commonly attribute it to the front brakes being undersized for the vehicle's weight. Reported from as little as a few thousand miles up to about 150,000 miles, with many reports in the 40,000-110,000 mile range.
What to check: Ask for brake service records and whether rotors were replaced or only resurfaced, and note any pulsation during a test drive at highway speed. A service bulletin covers brake noise, judder and pedal feel diagnosis.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11412807, filed 2021-04, 127,465 miles“I leased a new Infiniti QX56. The brakes failed at 2500 miles and pads and rotors had to be replaced. My car is being serviced again today for the same reason. The steering wheel shakes uncontrollable when the brakes and rotors wear. I have been driving for over 20 years and have never had brakes fail every 2500 miles!”
NHTSA complaint #10114661, filed 2005-03, 7,000 miles - Electrical system
Stalling or no-start (power distribution module)
- 9 complaints (8%)
- median 139,000 mi at 10.8 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2008–2022
Owners report the engine cutting off while driving, sometimes at speed, along with gauges swinging or reading wrong, interior lights blinking, and difficulty restarting. Several say a dealer or independent shop traced it to the power distribution module or engine control relay, and a few mention a recall letter while being told their vehicle was not covered. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 200,000 miles, with several reports past 130,000 miles.
Recall 10V5170001 related service bulletin
What to check: Ask whether recall 10V517000 was performed and whether the IPDM/ECM relay was replaced; note any gauge flicker or intermittent no-start on a test drive.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11377749, filed 2020-12, 200,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Infiniti QX56. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, all of the interior lights started to blink on and off, all of the gauges spun around and the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that after several attempts the vehicle restarted. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician diagnosed that the ipdm module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …”
NHTSA complaint #10660479, filed 2014-11, 142,000 miles - Air bags
Airbag and seat belt warning lights
- 8 complaints (8%)
- median 85,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2004–2016
Owners describe the airbag light flashing or staying on, in some cases repeatedly after dealer repairs, and error codes pointing to the seat belt pretensioner circuit. One complaint describes the passenger airbag indicator switching off with an adult seated. Dealers variously reset the system or identified pretensioner wiring. Reported from very low mileage up to about 113,000 miles, with several reports under 10,000 miles.
What to check: Turn the key on and confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check; ask for any seat belt pretensioner or airbag codes to be scanned before purchase.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“We currently own a 2004 Infiniti QX56. We have received error code b1177 which is for the pretensioner in seatbelts. Additionally, the airbag light is flashing. We understand from the dealership that the airbag light came on due to the battery being replaced and that it needed to be reset. The airbag light came bag on shortly thereafter and we took the vehicle to a private mechanic who scanned the code. He advised us of the error code and what it was associated with. …”
NHTSA complaint #10638108, filed 2014-09, 113,663 miles“The airbag warning light comes on. Dealer states that it has to do with the seat belt pretensioner wiring. Owners manual states that if this light comes on, it most likely means that the airbags are no longer functional. Seat belts and airbags are key safety measures. To have them be not functioning is a major concern. If you put in a google search for air bag light flashing Infiniti QX56 you will find hundreds of postings from people with similar problems, so this is not an isolated incident.”
NHTSA complaint #10386639, filed 2011-03, 85,000 miles
Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the brakes and ask for records of rotor, pad and brake booster work, since owners frequently report repeat visits. Also confirm recall 10V517000 status and scan for stored airbag and stalling-related codes.
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 106 consumer complaints for the 2004 Infiniti QX56. 92 of the complaints include a mileage, and 34% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 86,381 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 87 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.
- Brakes65 61%
- Electrical system16 15%
- Air bags10 9.4%
- Fuel system6 5.7%
- Engine5 4.7%
- Engine cooling5 4.7%
- Steering4 3.8%
- Body and structure4 3.8%
Also reported: Other or unknown (3), Seats (3), Suspension (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Equipment (2), Seat belts (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Electronic stability control (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1).
Example complaints
Brakes: “Coming up to a stop light I press on the brake and it goes to the floor and the ABS kicks in for no reason. I almost went through the red light. All of the brake, slip, vdc lights came on suddenly. I turned the truck off and back on again and everything is fine.”
NHTSA complaint #10594568, filed 2014-05, 116,000 milesElectrical system: “I replace my altanator and always had a problem with the RPM gauge? It dose not move or sometimes stays at the 6/7 and as of recently the car looses power and almost crashed on the freeway also I bought this car in 2014”
NHTSA complaint #10825937, filed 2016-02, 120,000 milesAir bags: “Vehicles airbag light flashes continuously as if it went off. It is unknown if the airbag will function during a crash. A quick internet search will return numerous sites with thousands of users with similar issues. People have come up with a reset procedure for this warning light, but it seems to reoccur for everyone involved. Airbags may not function during head on crash.”
NHTSA complaint #10587766, filed 2014-05, 72,000 milesFuel system: “My tank was reading 1/4 of gas in my tank. And the vehicle just shut off. My husband went and got gas and it started right up. I was almost hit by 5 vehicles that to were driving about 70 MPH. Please help. There is a recall for the 2005 model for the same thing but its happened 3 times to me in the 2004 model. Please help!!!!”
NHTSA complaint #10565226, filed 2014-02, 143,500 milesMileage when problems were reported
34% of the 92 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 16,500 and 113,663 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.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2004 Infiniti QX56 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QX56 2WD | 5.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 12 | 18 | 14 | $4,800 |
| QX56 4WD | 5.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 12 | 17 | 14 | $4,800 |
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
- 10V517000Oct 28, 2010Engine and engine coolingCovers: Infiniti QX56 2004–2006, Nissan Titan 2004–2006, Armada 2004–2006 +3 more
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…
Recall details for the 2004 Infiniti QX56 → · 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. 87 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11036439Aug 28, 2026Electrical system. VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN BODY CONTROL MODULE SUB-HARNESS Voluntary Service Campaign ID # P5235 is no longer active. · Repair orders opened after this bulletin’s published date are no longer…
- 11031720Apr 13, 2026Body and structure. CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT…
- 11002539May 20, 2024Electrical system. INTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 11001182Apr 30, 2024Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 11001179Apr 30, 2024Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 11001177Apr 29, 2024Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10232646Feb 27, 2023Body and structure, Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10232644Feb 27, 2023Body and structure, Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10232645Feb 22, 2023Wheels. WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10208936Feb 7, 2022Engine cooling. DTC P0456 CAUSED BY EVAP LEAK AT VENT CONTROL VALVE O-RING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Other model years of the Infiniti QX56
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 32 | 102,500 | 3 | — | 16 | 29 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2012 | 57 | 84,278 | 3 | — | 16 | 51 · Typical | Falling |
| 2011 | 78 | 90,000 | 2 | — | 16 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2010 | 26 | 60,122 | 2 | — | 14 | 41 · Typical | Falling |
| 2009 | 7 | 133,096 | 2 | — | 14 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 53 | 92,000 | 3 | — | 14 | 50 · Typical | Rising |
| 2007 | 21 | 94,500 | 1 | — | 14 | — | Stable |
| 2006 | 80 | 93,321 | 3 | — | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 80 | 92,000 | 3 | — | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 106 | 86,381 | 1 | — | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
All Infiniti QX56 model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Infiniti QX56?
Complaints about this model year center on the brakes: owners describe shuddering and vibration under braking that returns after pad and rotor work, and a separate pattern of a brake warning light with a grinding noise and a pedal that goes to the floor before returning to normal after a restart. The issues reported most often: Brake warning light, grinding, pedal to floor; Brake shudder and repeated rotor/pad wear; Stalling or no-start (power distribution module).
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Infiniti QX56 have?
NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints for the 2004 Infiniti QX56 as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2004 Infiniti QX56 is reported most often?
Brakes is named most often, in 65 complaints (61% of the total), followed by electrical system with 16.
Has the 2004 Infiniti QX56 been recalled?
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2004 Infiniti QX56 get?
The EPA rates the 2004 Infiniti QX56 (QX56 2WD, 5.6L 8-cyl) at 14 mpg combined, 12 city and 18 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,800 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Infiniti QX56 reported?
Among the 92 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 86,381 miles and the middle half falls between 16,500 and 113,663 miles; 34% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. 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.