2006 Infiniti QX56 service brakes problems

“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,…”

“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.…”

“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.”

“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.”