Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Infiniti QX56 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I started to break saw a major traffic jam . And my steering started shaking and my breaks did not Stop like they're supposed to.almost was i huge crash w I th my [redacted] and [redacted] old
I am having brake issues with my 2005 Infiniti QX56. The brake light keeps coming on and it makes a grinding noise. It is also very hard to get it to come to a stop. Just yesterday, I almost could not get the vehicle to stop at a red light. I am also having an issue with the fuel gauge. I have run out of fuel 3 times and each time the the gauge is showing between 1/2 and 1/4 full. Back in September of 2017 we were on a major highway. All of a sudden we lost power and we were going 70 miles an hour. We were in the passing lane and we lucky to get over to the side of the road. We were almost in a severe accident. I have researched both issues online. I know that there have been recalls on these issues. When I called Infiniti about this, I was told that there was in fact recalls but my vehicle was not on the recall list. …
50000 miles on it at moment and for the last 3 years my Infiniti looses brake power. Last week I almost ran on a vehicle with my 6 month old son riding with me. Once the vehicle comes to complete stop after a while and once the engine is turned off and restarted the problem goes away. When it happens theres a huge grinding noise and brake pedal shakes very badly as if theres no brake on the car. Above all the vehicle has all good brakes. The brake light comes on too when this happens . As mentioned once engine is turned off and restarted everything woeks normal. I googled online and so many people with similar models have these issues. Most important the dealer doesnt ackwoleges it and says there no recall . I beleive they waiting once someonr does before they will take action.I hope some action can be taken about his killing matter.
Randomly, I will step on the brakes and the brakes begin to pulsate. Then it sounds like grinding sound and the brake pedal loses pressure. Almost like it hit a void and dropped to the floor. I had to try and slow down vehicle to come to a stop. Calipers and pads were all changed, per dealer findings. And it continued. I do not go over 40 MPH for fear of this happening again. It's clearly and unsafe situation and the dealer claims they only hear this when people have back brakes. Guess what, I brought it to another Infiniti service center, and they said the same thing even thought the other service center replaced just about everything. Another mechanic, from the service center, took me aside and said this is frequently happening with this model and it is a master cylinder issue from design. Come on Infiniti, fix this!
Brake shudder - severely reduced braking power. Brake light comes on dash. This is random. Happened twice more on way to work, approximately 50 MPH,on I-40 exit ramp and 30 MPH on a side road. Turning off vehicle and back on resets this. But it randomly happens again. I am fearful in this vehicle. I called dealer and they said they are unaware of issue. A google search reveals a class action lawsuit on this subject.
The vehicle will lose power to the brakes while driving intermittently. When problem occurs you will lose power steering and pressure to braking system. Also the driver HID headlamp gets moisture in it whenever it rains. I have had to replace the HID bulb about 6 times in the past year. Also there seems to be an electrical issue with the onboard computer that causes the tachometer to not work or read correctly.
While driving ,I pressed on the brakes and the pedal dropped down and started making a weird noise kind of like loose metal parts and the truck wouldn't stop. The ABS light turned on. It felt like the brakes locked up . I managed to pull to the side of the road and shut the truck off. I turned it back on and it seemed to reset the system. Brake petal raised back up and the check engine light shut off.
Every once in a while, seemingly after slow driving where there are many stop signs not too far apart, the brake light comes on, the brake pedal weakens and brake system makes a rattling noise when the pedal is pressed. Then I turn off the vehicle and restart it and all is back to normal until the next time, can be days or sometimes weeks.
When driving, the brake light comes on for no reason and causes the brakes to work inappropriately. It becomes very hard to brake. The brakes seem to fall through and there is a grinding sound from the brakes. If I turn the vehicle off, and then back on it works fine. Then it happens again sparatically.
After driving in stop and go traffic, slow speed with many stops, the brake pedal loses power and begins to pulsate. When this happens, the emergency brake light illuminates on the dashboard. Turming the vehicle on/off seems to reset the car and the issue is resloved.
Brake complaints in other QX56 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Infiniti QX56?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Infiniti QX56, 43% of the model year's 80 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Infiniti QX56 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Infiniti QX56, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Infiniti QX56 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.