AI Damage2004 Infiniti QX56: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Infiniti QX56 filed 106 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 106
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 61% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 65 complaints (61% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 10 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 5 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 5.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 106 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 65 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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).
Vehicle was parked and consumer was outside of the vehicle when it started rolling backwards, knocking the consumer to the ground. It continued to roll down the driveway and struck a tree. Dealer could find no defects. The same thing happened a second time.
Consumer's vehicle was in a head on collision while driving at approximately 45 mph. Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy.
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.
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…
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.
Takata recall paint is fading in different places clear coat has faded away this has happened over the pass couple of years
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).
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,431 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the QX56 has 54 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 106, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Infiniti QX56?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 106. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (21%), vibration (14%), warning lights, check engine (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Infiniti QX56?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Infiniti QX56 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.