NHTSA Complaint #11306423 — 2006 INFINITI QX56

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.