BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKING WAS AFFECTED WHILE DRIVING ON A TOWN STREET GOING ABOUT 25 MPH. ONCE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND CRANKED LIGHT WENT OFF AND BRAKES WERE FINE. HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT A FAULTY SENSOR.
2004 Infiniti QX56
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Infiniti QX56 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 55.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all QX56 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
92 reports with mileage · 14 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
106 reportsI 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
BRAKE DOES NOT BRAKE WHEN SQUEEZED SCARES ME THE MECHANICAL AND DID NOT FIND THE PROBLEM I HAVE CHILDREN
THE VEHICLE DIED WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT AND ROLLED BACK HITTING THE CAR BEHIND US. I LOOKED ON YOUR WEBSITE AND APPARENTLY IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) IN THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM). THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RECALLED ON ALL 2004 TO 2006 INFINITI QX56 VEHICLES, HOWEVER, I RECEIVED N…
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THE VEHICLE DIED WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT AND ROLLED BACK HITTING THE CAR BEHIND US. I LOOKED ON YOUR WEBSITE AND APPARENTLY IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) IN THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM). THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RECALLED ON ALL 2004 TO 2006 INFINITI QX56 VEHICLES, HOWEVER, I RECEIVED NO SUCH NOTICE AND INFINITI SAYS THEIR IS NOT RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH MY VIN NUMBER. I BELIEVE MY VIN NUMBER WAS LEFT OUT IN ERROR AND THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALSO LOST POWER A NUMBER OF TIMES WHILE DRIVING, BUT THOSE INCIDENTS DIDN'T RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT (LUCKILY). THANK YOU. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 2015. THE LIGHT FOR THE AIR BAGS STARTED BLINKING OUT OF THE BLUE. NOW EVERY TIME I GET IN THE SUV TO GO SOMEWHERE IT STAYS BLINKING.
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY MAKES A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT COME ON ON GAUGE. WHEN TRYING TO BREAK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IT WILL NOT STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 6 TIMES ALREADY. THANKFULLY I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC OR COLLISION AND INJURY COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL YOU HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE…
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WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY MAKES A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT COME ON ON GAUGE. WHEN TRYING TO BREAK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IT WILL NOT STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 6 TIMES ALREADY. THANKFULLY I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC OR COLLISION AND INJURY COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL YOU HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO RESET IT. THIS PROBLEM MAY CAUSE A SEVERE INJURY OR EVEN DEATH.
MY GAS GAUGE IS ALWAYS NOT CORRECT. I ONLY RELY ON THE TIME AND HOW MUCH I FILLED IT. SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT IT DIDN'T START, EVEN THE GAS GAUGE IN THE DASHBOARD SAYS ITS FULL BUT IT'S EMPTY. I DID TALKED TO THE MECHANIC HE TOLD ME THAT THERE'S A RECALL FOR IT FROM THE NATIONAL SAFETY BUT EVERY TIME I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE THE DEAL…
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MY GAS GAUGE IS ALWAYS NOT CORRECT. I ONLY RELY ON THE TIME AND HOW MUCH I FILLED IT. SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT IT DIDN'T START, EVEN THE GAS GAUGE IN THE DASHBOARD SAYS ITS FULL BUT IT'S EMPTY. I DID TALKED TO THE MECHANIC HE TOLD ME THAT THERE'S A RECALL FOR IT FROM THE NATIONAL SAFETY BUT EVERY TIME I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE THE DEALER WILL DENY IT AND SAYS THAT THE VIN NUMBER SAYS NO HISTORY OF RECALL. THE SPEEDOMETER AND RPM NOT READING ACCURATELY, THE DEALER SAYS I HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE DASH BOARD, BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE OTHER MECHANIC HE SAYS IT'S THE IPDM AND ON I WAS GOOGLING ABOUT ANY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND IT TO YOUR SITE ABOUT RECALL BUT THE DEALER AGAIN SAYS THERE'S NO RECALL IN VIN NUMBER. IN YOUR WEBSITE IT SEEMS LIKE THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING WHICH I PAID THEM TO FIX IT. ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON, THE MECHANIC SAYS ABOUT EXHAUST MANIFOLD NEED TO BE REPLACE, NISSAN MATERIAL CAN BREAK EASILY. I SPEND MORE THE $4500 FIXING THIS AND THAT. EXCLUDING THE EXPENSES THAT I HAD FROM THE DEALER SHOP.
I HAVE AN 04 QX56 AS A DAILY DRIVER. I WAS LEAVING WALMART AS I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT I PULLED INTO THE TURN LANE TO ALLOW A CAR TO GO BY MASHED MY BRAKE AND IT STARTED JER KING LIKE SOMETHING WAS TRAPPED IN MY BRAKES. WE PULLED ON DOWN TO A LARGE PARKING LOT GOT OUT NOTICE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON AND UNDER THE HOOD S…
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I HAVE AN 04 QX56 AS A DAILY DRIVER. I WAS LEAVING WALMART AS I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT I PULLED INTO THE TURN LANE TO ALLOW A CAR TO GO BY MASHED MY BRAKE AND IT STARTED JER KING LIKE SOMETHING WAS TRAPPED IN MY BRAKES. WE PULLED ON DOWN TO A LARGE PARKING LOT GOT OUT NOTICE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON AND UNDER THE HOOD SOMETHING WAS CLICKING NEAR THE AIR INTAKE THING. IT DID IT THE ENTIRE RIDE HOME AS WE WERE 30 MINS FROM HOME WE JUST DRIVE SLOW. GOT IN IT TODAY FOR THE 1ST TIME WAS OK TIL ABOUT 45 MINS INTO TRIP LIGHT CAME BACK ON BRAKES STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE. IF IT DOESN'T GET RECALLED THERE WILL BE A WRECK IN THESE VEHICLES! PLEASE MAKE NISSAN/INFINITI RECALLED THIS PART! I HAVE RESEARCHED IT AND THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FILED BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE THEM ADMIT THERE WAS AN ISSUE JUST MADE THEM PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM COLLEGE STUDENT MY HUSBAND JUST LOST HIS JOB DUE TO HEALTH REASONS. I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THIS ISSUE! *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND PRESSING ON THE BRAKES THERE IS A CRANKING,GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKES APPEARS TO LOCK UP THE SLIP. VDC OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD, BRAKES NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 QX56 -- I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY BRAKES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE YOU HEAR A SCARY LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND TRYING TO STOP IT REALLY TOUGH. IT FEELS LIKE THE ABS BRAKES KICKED IN --- IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE TRUCK…
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I HAVE A 2004 QX56 -- I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY BRAKES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE YOU HEAR A SCARY LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND TRYING TO STOP IT REALLY TOUGH. IT FEELS LIKE THE ABS BRAKES KICKED IN --- IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTARTED IT THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME OFF AND IT STARTED TO DRIVE LIKE NORMAL. BUT I HAVE HIT THE GRASS SEVERAL TIMES BC WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS YOU'RE LIKELY TO HIT SOMEONE IN FRONT OR, WITH A SUDDEN GRINDING STOP, SOMEONE HIT YOU FROM BEHIND. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A BRAKE ISSUE. SO I REPLACED ALL 4 BRAKES AND ROTORS -- YET THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENED!! I WENT BACK AND THEY SAID IT'S PROBABLY THE DELTA SENSOR AND IT'LL BE $1000 PLUS A FEW HUNDRED TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER TOO. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE SCARY PART IS THERE IS NO WARNING-- IT JUST HAPPENS RANDOMLY. THIS IS SOMETHING INFINITI / NISSAN SHOULD FIX!! *TR
Official recalls
110V517000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Oct 28, 2010
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 REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECM RELAY INSIDE THE IPDM ASSEMBLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 6, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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