Infiniti QX50 Engine Problems

Owners have filed 146 complaints about engine & cooling problems with the Infiniti QX50 — 54% of all QX50 complaints. The worst model years are 2019 (89), 2021 (25) and 2020 (22). Problems typically start around 77,000 miles. One related recall has been issued.

146complaints
2019worst year
77ktypical miles
1related recalls
4crashes
4fires

Engine complaints by model year

201620172019202020212022518922254
Engine complaints per model year, Infiniti QX50.
YearComplaintsShare of year's complaintsTypical mileage
2022424%34,000 miles
20212561%90,000 miles
20202267%51,000 miles
20198961%81,000 miles
201718%—
2016526%25,000 miles

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    717%
  • 25k–50k
    614%
  • 50k–75k
    819%
  • 75k–100k
    921%
  • 100k–150k
    921%
  • 150k+
    37%

What owners report

The contact owns a 2022 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was sluggish while driving and made an abnormal sound while accelerating. The local dealer was contacted, but declined to inspect the vehicle because the recall repair part was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

2022 QX50 · 34,000 miles · Aug 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently while driving from a complete stop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

2022 QX50 · 3,000 miles · Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for an oil change; however, the dealer informed the contact that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for an oil change, and the dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that there were metal flakes in the oil pan and that the flakes were believed to be caused by inconsistent oil changes. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. …

2021 QX50 · 90,000 miles · Sep 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included, but the vehicle was not repaired. …

2021 QX50 · 80,000 miles · Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the RPM became elevated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown recall repair was performed. The contact stated that the engine was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was associated with the computer system which was not recalibrated after the engine replacement. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Critical Warning - CVT Hot - Power Reduced" was displayed. In addition, the RPM became elevated, and there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. …

2020 QX50 · 108,000 miles · Aug 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, other failures occurred. The contact stated that after the vehicle was dropped off by the local dealer, the front passenger's side tire deflated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was repaired. The contact stated that the underbody shield of the engine guard had detached, allowing road debris to enter the hood. In addition, the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended, with a rattling sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was lost and misplaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

2020 QX50 · 51,000 miles · Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated there was smoke and fire coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the smell of burning oil and smoke was inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the independent mechanic was not an engine expert and recommended that the vehicle be towed to an engine expert. The vehicle was towed to an alternate independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with total engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The engine was replaced with a used engine. …

2019 QX50 · 99,000 miles · May 2025 · fire

The contact owns a 2019 Infiniti QX50. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle sputtered while the accelerator pedal was depressed before accelerating as needed. The vehicle also failed to start immediately after the initial start-up due to a loss of battery power. The vehicle would be jump-started. The failure occurred intermittently but had become more consistent. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a year before the failure, the engine was making abnormally loud sounds and the vehicle failed to accelerate, with the check engine warning light illuminated. …

2019 QX50 · 38,000 miles · Feb 2024

Related recalls (1)

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical

NHTSA recall 25V-437 · Jun 27, 2025 · 443,899 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at…

NHTSA investigations

Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure

NHTSA investigation PE23023 · opened Dec 13, 2023 · closed Jul 18, 2025 · led to recall 25V-437

On December 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-023 to investigate allegations of engine failures leading to loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue; MY 2019-2021 Nissan Altima; and MY 2019-2021 Infiniti QX50 vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

Which Infiniti QX50 years have engine problems?

By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (89), 2021 (25), 2020 (22) and 2016 (5) model years. Engine complaints make up 61% of all complaints for the 2019.

Is there a recall for Infiniti QX50 engine problems?

Yes — 1 recall, including 25V-437 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Jun 27, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.

At what mileage do Infiniti QX50 engine problems start?

Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles; 31% happened before 50,000 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.