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2004 Infiniti QX56

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 QX56.

The 2004 Infiniti QX56, as presented in this overview, features an engine oil capacity of 6.6 qt and calls for a 5W‑30 API SL viscosity. During the 2004‑2013 model span it recorded the highest number of owner complaints—106 total, with service brakes the leading concern—and was subject to two recalls. This peak places the 2004 model year at the low end of the QX56’s reliability history, in stark contrast to the markedly lower complaint count of just seven seen in 2009.

Model year2013 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.6 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 API SLOEM · verified

Lug nut torque98 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 27F · 710 CCA battery, OE oil filter 152089E01A. Note the factory battery is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 27F · 710 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	152089E01A
Engine air filter	165467S000
Spark plug	224015M014 alt 224015M015
Battery	244108S100 discontinued
Front wiper blades	288904Z800 alt 288907S200
Serpentine belt	117207S00A
Thermostat	212001LA1A
Cabin air filter	27277VP00A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	207.5 in
Overall width	78.7 in
Overall height	78.7 in
Wheelbase	123.6 in
Curb weight	5631 lb
Track (front / rear)	66.9 / 66.9 in

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the QX56 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.8–7.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.80 sec — 2004 SUV

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2004	SUV 5.6L V8	6.80 sec	15.20 sec	315 hp	4x4
2004	SUV 5.6L V8	7.40 sec	15.90 sec	315 hp	4x4
2006	SUV 5.6L V8	7.10 sec	15.60 sec	315 hp	4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.6 qt of 5W-30 API SL engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 98 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 28.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	11.2
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3.4 Pints
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6.6 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts	62-68 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	28.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	98 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	101 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	170 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Spark Plug Gap	0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	15, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance	5 degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPM	Idle rpm

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.27-2.49 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.80 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	27F
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	710 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	176-183 °F
Engine Compression	192-220 PSI. 14 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ Idle, 43 psi @ 2000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 24 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	155 ft-lbs / 73 ft-lbs
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0016 in / 0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.024 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.024 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.965 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.964 in / 0.471 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

Bolts 1-9

1.4 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

11 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

69 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

69 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages

1	33.0 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
2	70 degrees	70 degrees
3	Loosen all bolts completely in order.
4	33.0 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
5	60 degrees	60 degrees
6	60 degrees	60 degrees

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

Bolts 1-10

29 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 3,750 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 3,750 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Emission Control System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 mi	Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 Infiniti QX56 generated 106 federal complaints, two recalls and 104 technical service bulletins, a complaint volume that exceeds the 80 complaints recorded in 2005 and the 79 complaints recorded in 2006, while its recall count aligns with the four‑recall pattern seen in those years. In contrast, the following year 2007 saw a sharp drop to 21 complaints and two recalls, and the low complaint levels persisted through 2009 before rising again, positioning 2004 at the height of an early‑generation complaint peak. The primary complaint categories — Service Brakes (28) and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (25) — account for the majority of the 106 complaints, though the data does not specify a root cause. The model also recorded five crash‑related complaints and one fire complaint, but these represent a small fraction of the overall record. Given the elevated complaint volume and the lack of a clear safety‑related recall pattern, the 2004 QX56 is not the optimal choice for a used‑vehicle purchase compared with later model years.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

104

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

106

Owner complaints

5 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’04’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 106 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes28

Service Brakes, Hydraulic25

Electrical System7

Air Bags5

Fuel System, Gasoline4

Power Train3

Engine3

Unknown Or Other2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

10E019000Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower ArmReported 20/05/2010

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009… Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

10V517000Engine And Engine CoolingReported 28/10/2010

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 104 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
ITB13-052E	2024-05-20	Electrical System	INTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See…
ITB17-009H	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY…
ITB13-007I	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…
ITB09-039K	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last…
ITB13-007H	2023-02-27	Structure	REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific QX56. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 27F battery Vehicles taking 6.6 qt Engine oil filter 152089E01A Engine air filter 165467S000 Spark plug 224015M014 Battery 244108S100

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 QX56 take?

6.6 qt of 5W-30 API SL, per the factory manual.

Does the 2004 QX56 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.