2006 Infiniti Qx56
The Verdict
The 2006 Infiniti Qx56 has 79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are brakes (55 complaints) and engine (12 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 79/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Infiniti Qx56, consider the 2009 model year which has 91% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2009 has 91% fewer complaints
View the 2009 Infiniti Qx56 dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
Air bag not working, horn not working properly. And other functions. Was told clock spring needs to be replaced.
Brake Failure. The brake fails occasionally while driving on the streets or on the Highways without Waring. The brake pedal goes down to the floor, and grinding/hitting metal to metal sound is heard and vehicle brake control is lost. Experiences were traumatic; you swing left or right to avoid hitting another vehicle from behind or running a red light. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic, and the brake components: rotors, pads, drum, and fluid levels were ok, each time it occurs. The brake lights come off and on and each time, the mechanic finds no issues with the brake components. One dangerous aspect of these occurrences is that after the vehicle sits for a while, like 30 minutes to one hour, and you go back to driving the vehicle, it appears that the brakes readjust and starts working normally; it continues to work normally about a month, and out of nowhere without warning it fails again and readjusts later. I was about to take my daughter to college out of County, and she has a lot of luggage as she lives in the dormitory; we would not use this Infinity which is a large SUV that could have accommodated me, my daughter and my wife, because of fear of brake failure on the highway. We decided that we would have to use our small compact Lexus instead, but I would not be accommodated in the Lexus because of my daughter's much luggage; my wife and my daughter will make the trip without me. Please look into these break failures.
MY VEHICLE STALLING ALL TIME WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN I M DRIVING ON HIGHWAY . MORE THAN 10 TIMES I ALMOST CRASH MY VEHICLE.
2006 INFINITI QX56, HAD BACK BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED IN OCTOBER 2020, 2 WEEKS LATER I'M DRIVING, FLAT SURFACE, NICE DAY, APPLIED BRAKES, MY PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, NO RESISTANCE, I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, FELT LIKE A 'SLIP' , I HAD KIDS IN CAR, I PULLED OVER, ASKED THE GIRLS WHAT THEY HEARD, TURNED OFF VEHICLE, CHECKED BRAKE FLUID, FULL, THE GIRLS THOUGHT I MAY HAVE HIT A SLICK PATCH OF OIL OR SOMETHING?? WE DID OUR SHOPPING, I MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS, GOT BACK IN VEHICLE, STARTED IT AND APPLIED BRAKES, WORKED FINE, DROVE HOME SLOW, NO ISSUES. ALSO NO LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I CONVINCED MYSELF THIS WAS JUST A FLUKE. 2 1/2 WEEKS LATER AND AFTER LOTS OF DRIVING, I HAD TO GO TO MEMPHIS 5 HOURS AWAY WITH MY DAUGHTER. EVERYTHING FINE UNTIL WE GOT THERE. CHECKED INTO HOSPITAL, THEN DECIDED TO GO DOWNTOWN 4 BLOCKS AWAY. STARTED CAR, DROVE SLOW, AT 3RD BLOCK WENT TO BRAKE AS USUAL AND IT HAPPENED!!! BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, LOUD GRINDING, CLUNKING, BRAKES WOULDN'T WORK, THIS TIME LIGHT CAME ON. JUST THE RED BRAKE LIGHT. I GOT PULLED OVER, SHUT OFF VEHICLE, CHECKED FLUID LEVELS AGAIN, FULL! SCARED NOW. I'M IN MEMPHIS. WHEN I STARTED CAR BACK UP IT WAS FINE. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE HOME. HAVE READ ALL THE BRAKE SENSOR PROBS, NO RECALLS, DEATHS, UNABLE TO STOP, I'M FRIGHTENED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. NISSAN WILL BE HEARING FROM ME
SUV WILL HAVE TROUBLE BRAKING, EMITTING A LOUD, GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DIFFIULTY STOPPING. ALMOST CAUSED A WRECK TWICE NOW. ONCE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, THE SITUATION SEEMS TO STOP. HAPPENS PERIODICALLY. FIRST TIME HAD BRAKES, ROTORS REDONE IN CASE THERE WAS AN ISSUE, THOUGH THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. HAS CONTINUED TO DO IT A FEW ADDITIONAL TIME. TOOK IT INTO INFINITI DEALER. WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN RECALLED ON OTHER 2004-2008 INFINITI QX-56 AND NISSAN ARMADAS. WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT ON THE 'RECALL' LIST.
DIFFICULTY STOPPING. PINGING NOISE. REPLACED THE BRAKES BUT DIDN'T FIX THE ISSUE. VERY DANGEROUS AS IT'S VERY HARD TO BRAKE AND BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES AND IT SEEMS TO RESET ONCE THE CAR IS SHUT OFF! VERY SCARY. HAPPENS OUT OF THE BLUE.
WHEN MY CAR IS IN MOTION AND I GO OVER ANY BUMPS IT PULLS THE BACK END OF CAR MY TO THE SIDE AND BOUNCES AROUND SO MUCH THAT I ALMOST DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF MY CAR.THIS WILL PULL SO MUCH IT TAKE ME TO THE SIDE OF THE LAND IM CURRENTLY IN I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I LOOK OUT FOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD AND MAKE SURE I SLOW DOWN BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT SO I CAN KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS CAUSES MY ABS TO TURN ON WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS BECAUSE THE CAR THINK IM NOT IN CONTROL WHICH ALSO CAUSE MORE ISSUES. THIS ALSO CAUSE A RISK AS I HAVE OTHER TRAFFIC DRIVING AROUND ME, I HAVE CHILDREN AND I AM IN CONSTANT WORRY THAT IM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO KEEP CONTROL ESPECIALLY ON A HWY THERE IS NO SLOWING DOWN TO 20MPH ON A HWY. 2ND ISSUE MY DASHBOARD LIGHT CONTINUOUS FLICKER AND THEN GO OUT. RPM/TACK NEEDLE HAS QUIT WORKING. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED SEVERAL TIME AND STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE AND DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RADIATOR FAILED WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO MIX WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A FREEWAY WHEN TRAFFIC AHEAD CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR AND I DID NOT FEEL THE CAR SLOW AT ALL. THE "BRAKE" DASH INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, AND I CONTINUED PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TRY AND SLOW THE CAR. WHILE I CONTINUED PRESSING THE BRAKES, THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN RAPIDLY ON ITS OWN AS IF IT WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES ON ITS OWN AND I COULD HEAR A LOUD GRINDING SOUND. I RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CROSSED SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC AS THE CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLY SLOWING TO REACH THE SHOULDER. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO TELL HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND REMAINED ON THE SHOULDER WITH THE CAR RUNNING. MY HUSBAND MET ME ON THE SHOULDER AND DROVE THE CAR HOME. HE SAID THAT THE GRINDING SOUND WAS THE ABS ON IN A PERMANENT STATE, AND WOULD ACTIVATE DURING EVERY BRAKING UNLESS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED EXTREMELY LIGHTLY. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO OUR DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF. SEVERAL HOURS LATER MY HUSBAND DROVE IT AGAIN. THE "BRAKE" LIGHT WAS OFF, BRAKING RETURNED TO NORMAL, AND ABS COULD BE ACTIVATED WITH HARD BRAKING AS USUAL.
WHILE IN MOTION THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS LOOSE AND THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE. THE BRAKING POWER LOSES FUNCTION, THE RED BRAKE LIGHT TURNS ON AND YOU HAVE TO PULL OVER AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE FOR IT TO RESET ITSELF. I ONLY LEARNED THAT IT WILL RESET ITSELF WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME ON A STREET. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND FREEWAY. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND MOST RECENTLY 1 WEEK AGO.
I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT MY BRAKE LIGHT WARMING WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION TO INFINITY FOR 13 YEARS TO INFINITY OF VANNUYS ( THE ONLY DEALER THAT SERVICES MY VEHICLE). WHY OLE THIS 6000 LB VEHICLE IS MOTION AND THIS SAFETY HAZARD OCCURS, DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES. IT STOP THE VEHICLE PROMPTLY AS THE BRAKE SYSTEM SHOULD AND A LOUD METAL GRINDING NOISE IS PRODUCED. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE TOAD TO THE DEALER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND ALL I AM TOLD IS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS OCCURS INFREQUENTLY AND OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. WHAT IS MORE TERRIFYING IS THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD THAT IS KNOWN TO NHTSA AND NISSAN/INFINITY OF AMERICA AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED OR THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR FIXING THIS SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAZARD HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER THE LIFE OF OWNERSHIP ( I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE). I HAVE MADE INFINITI OF VANNUYS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND IT WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY THAT MY SERVICE ADVISOR COMMUNICATED WITH ME IF HOW ALARMED AND CONCERNED HE WAS WITH THE ISSUE AS HIS TECHNICIAN WAS TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND THE BALEARIC LIGHT TURNED ON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AND MAKING THE METAL GRINDING NOISE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO BRAKE AS THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS INTENDED TO DO SO. I COMMUNICATED WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS AT INFINITI AND WAS TOLD BY THEIR DEPARTMENT THAT THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME AS THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND THAT NISSAN:INFINITI IS NOT AWARE OF THIS MATTER. I MENTIONED TO THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINING THIS CONCERN WITH SERVICE ADVISORS OVER 13 YEARS AND THEY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO LISTEN TO MY CONCERNS: THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, SPECIALLY AFTER READING ABOUT CRUZ V. MATHENGE | NO. B286067. MY FAMILY'S LIFE AND MY OWN HAVE BEEN IN JEOPARDY OVER 13 YEARS AND I NEED HELP.
WHEN I AM DRIVING (PRESSING THE GAS) AN INCONSISTENT RANDOM CLICKING NOISE THAT'S AFFECTING THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND USAGE IS HEARD. IT'S DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE. IN THE PAST, I WOULD SIMPLY TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON AND THE NOISE WOULD STOP. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN AND SHOW TO ANY MECHANIC BECAUSE IT DOES IT RANDOMLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, THEREFORE IT WOULD NEVER DO IT WHEN NEEDED. I WENT ON BECAUSE IT WASN'T OFTEN AT FIRST. NOW IT'S AT AN EXTREME LEVEL AS IF THE VEHICLE DOESN'T WANT TO DRIVE AND I COULD BE ON THE HIGHWAY (YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW SCARY THAT IS AT HIGH SPEEDS).
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY AND THE TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE EVER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED ON DECEMBER 4, 2017. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WENDLE NISSAN (8900 N DIVISION ST, SPOKANE, WA 90218) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.
TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I STARTED TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND SLOW DOWN. WHEN I WOULD DEPRESS THE BRAKES THERE WAS AN INCONSISTENT CLUNKING NOISE, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BRAKE, ABS SYSTEM DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE NOT ENGAGED THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE DRIVING FINE. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW TO A STOP IN A PARKING LOT WHERE I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND PHYSICALLY ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I THEN DISENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED ALL OF THE BRAKES FOR VISIBLE DEBRIS AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AND STARTED IT. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL.
I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW. WHEN THE CAR IDLES FOR LONG TIME, HIGH TRAFFIC OR RUN IN A LONG DISTANCE, THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON, SLIP LIGHT AND THE BRAKES CHATTER AND STOPPING CAR BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE DEALER OVER THE YEAR HAS PRODUCED NO FIXES....REPLACED SENSOR, BRAKE BOOSTERS, BRAKE PADS, FLUID CHANGES, IN ESSENCE PRACTICALLY AN ENTIRELY NEW BRAKING SYSTEM WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. THIS IS MAJOR ISSUE!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, LIKELY BECAUSE IT CAN NOT BE REPLICATED ON DEMAND. SOMEONE WILL GET HURT AND THEN SOMEONE MIGHT LISTEN.
I WAS IN MOTION ON A ROAD WHEN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT BROKE OFF, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THEN CAUSED THE DRIVE SHAFT TO EXPLODE, UPON PULLING OVER, I DISCOVERED METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE ROAD, AND RED TRANSMISSION FLUID RUNNING OUT OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER A COMPLETE INSPECTION MY VEHICLE IS TOTALED!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 INFINITI QX56. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED, JERKED, LOST POWER, AND STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. PEARSON INFINITI (11701 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, MIDLOTHIAN, VA 23113, (804) 527-0300) INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V517000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.
MY 2006 INFINITI QX56 DRIVER SIDE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED 4 TIMES IN 6 MONTHS. EACH TIME IT HAS CRACKED I WAS JUST DRIVING NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. I HAVE FIXED IT 4 TIMES AND AM CURIOUS IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH A PRIOR RECALL ON THE ARM SUSPENSION.
BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING OFF AND WEIRD NOISE WHEN PRESSING IT, CAR ONLY HAS 39K MILES
I OWN AN INFINITI QX 56 2006. I STARTED THE VEHICLE FROM MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED THE THE GAUGE CLUSTER SHOWING THE RMP SIDE WAS NOT MOVING AND THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS FADING. SO FAR MY SPEED IS STILL MOVING BUT I'M SCARED IT WILL STOP WORKING!!!
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