RoadVitals

2016 INFINITI QX50

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
19
Latest Mar 18, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
6
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 INFINITI QX50, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and powertrain (other) categories. 83 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine521.7%
  • Electrical417.4%
  • Powertrain (other)313.0%
  • Driver assistance313.0%
  • Fuel system313.0%
  • Airbags313.0%
  • Brakes14.3%
  • Interior & seats14.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 18, 2025

My qx50 is currently back in the shop. So far I’ve spent about $12,000 on engine and transmission repairs and the NHTSA doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Now it needs a new “ignition coil” for another $1,000. I’m just at a loss for words!! I’m attaching the “Review of services” that was conducted earlier this month, when my Infiniti was in the shop and the diagnostic codes that came up when I had to have the vehicle towed there, less than a week later.

NHTSA ID
11648896
Incident
Mar 15, 2025
Airbags
Filed Feb 13, 2025
Crash reported

On December 24, 2024 I was in a car accident where my car did make impact twice after spinning out of control due to black ice. The first impact occurred hitting a car then the final impact occurred when the car was flung into the metal barricade after spinning. The air bags did NOT deploy during this accident and I was very concerned for my safety and my life.

NHTSA ID
11642405
Incident
Dec 24, 2024
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 4, 2024

I was driving and came to a red light behind other cars. I was completely stopped with brakes applied and vehicle suddenly lurched forward, RPM’s reved up over 3,000 without me accelerating. I was about two blocks from home and was able to make it by slowly driving and jerking all the way. Mechanic codes were 720 output speed sensor. Very alarming situation! I could have easily hit the car in front of me if I would have been any closer, or worst yet a pedestrian! Appears to be critical safety issue and something that may need to be recalled.

NHTSA ID
11598791
Incident
Jul 3, 2024
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 13, 2024
Fire reported

so after my initial report about my engine catching fire on the highway, I received an invoice for $5,000 for a used engine with 80k miles on it; plus another $2800 for the service fee. I already put down about $3900 for the engine repair. The mechanic sent me pictures of the engine with the holes on it that caused the damage (or the holes might have happened during the fire). I’m attaching photos sent to me, from my mechanic, showing the holes/damage on the engine, for your consideration and a photo of the initial repair bill (including receipt of my deposit) for your review … also, I still need to pay another $4300 to pick it up, but he said my check engine light is still on due to a transmission, that may be related to the valve body failing. What are these qx50s still being sold?? On the car forums and YouTube, there are so many issues with the engines and the transmissions (including the 450k that are currently under investigation). And their consumer affairs dept is extremely hostile about the situation, when you call into the infiniti office/headquarters. These defective engines/ transmissions need to be recalled, as soon as possible. They’re extremely dangerous and Infiniti is not taking responsibility for the problem. Why is the govt not intervening on behalf of the infiniti owners??

NHTSA ID
11594280
Incident
Jun 13, 2024
Airbags
Filed May 31, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving or parked, the “Air Bags Deactivated” and “Seat Belt Detached” warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a local dealer. The independent mechanic performed an electronic reset on the vehicle and the lights were off for one day; however, the failure reoccurred. The independent mechanic related the failure with the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 (Air Bags) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The local dealer diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed a failure with the sensor module for the air bags. The contact approved the repair; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ID
11591765
Incident
Apr 15, 2024
Mileage
54,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 22, 2024
Fire reported

The engine blew up on the expressway. And this has happened for many other qx50 drivers.

NHTSA ID
11590265
Incident
May 10, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that following the warning light illumination the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic and diagnosed as a speed sensor module located inside the transmission. The contact was advised the module being in the transmission caused the transmission to overheat requiring valve body replacement. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ID
11590184
Incident
May 17, 2024
Mileage
110,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed May 13, 2024
Fire reported

There are 2 check engine codes that came up as an issue for my vehicle, out of the blue: P0720 and P0500. I reached out to my mechanic and he couldn't fix it. So my plan was to take it to the dealership at the end of this month; however, while driving the vehicle back from my sister's house, the bottom of the car caught on fire and I had to pull over to jump out the car with my children. Called 911. The police and fire dept came, but the fire had gone out by that time, so the officer had the vehicle towed off the highway. Looked into the issue online and apparently it's very common. One Infiniti dealership said that he fixes about 30 per month. Why didn't Infiniti issue a recall for this very serious, hazardous situation? Where is their due diligence to fix this problem for their customers? Why are they letting so many vehicles fail? What happened to reasonable due care? Is it not enough that they are aware of this issue and won’t recall it, but what about the physical danger that they are putting us in? And the emotional distress they caused my children, having to jump out of their vehicle on a highway in the middle of the night? Doesn’t Infiniti have a minimum safety requirement of due care to mitigate hazards for its customers?

NHTSA ID
11588477
Incident
May 10, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

ITB09-063C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Infiniti by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

ITB13-052E

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

INTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

ITB10-029C

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

ITB13-006D

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

ITB13-007I

VISIBILITY/WIPER

REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

ITB17-009H

VISIBILITY/WIPER

WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

INFINITI QX50 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025101
2024411
2023411
2022162162.9
2021392163.7
2020302159.3
20191353166.0
2018000
2017130043.0
2016Viewing190046.4
2015300
2014200

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.