Infiniti Q50 Reliability by Year

Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

704 NHTSA complaints (2014–2023).Complaint rate: 28.6 per 1,000 vehicles.

?

Should I buy a Infiniti Q50?

Quick answer from 704 NHTSA complaints · 2014–2023

Infiniti Q50 reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is steering defects. Pick the right year and this Q50 can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.

Best years to buy
Years to avoid
Most common Infiniti Q50 problem: Steering Defects117 complaints (6.8% crash-involvement rate).

Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.

Why these years are worse

The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:

  • steering defects117 complaints (6.8% involved a crash)
  • electrical faults82 complaints (3.7% involved a crash)
  • transmission / drivetrain72 complaints (4.2% involved a crash)
  • engine problems69 complaints (2.9% involved a crash)
  • airbags57 complaints (26.3% involved a crash)
Severity Score
632.6
Complaints
704
Crash Rate
9.5%
Fire Rate
1.4%
Injuries
30
Fatalities
6

Which Years to Buy & Avoid

Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.

Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.

Bottom line: Avoid the 2014–2015 Infiniti Q50. The 2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Steering.

Avoid These Years

2014–2015
~216/yr complaints · 44 crashes
2017
~89/yr complaints · 5 crashes

Average

2016
~52/yr complaints
2018–2019
~56/yr complaints

Better Years

2023
~8/yr complaints
2020–2021
~6/yr complaints
Looking at a specific Infiniti Q50?

A model's reputation is just the start.

Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA complaint count per model year

Common Infiniti Q50 Problems

Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.

Show full table
ComponentComplaintsCrash %
Steering Defects1176.8%
Electrical Faults823.7%
Transmission / Drivetrain724.2%
Engine Problems692.9%
Airbags5726.3%
Unintended Acceleration4311.6%
Brakes4022.5%
Fuel System254.0%
Wheel Issues1717.6%
Seat-Related Issues147.1%

When Each Problem Spiked

Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.

Data Sources & Methodology

Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (704 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.

Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.

Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.

Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).

See also: Infiniti Q50accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.

Buying a Infiniti Q50?

Check the specific VIN for hidden accidents, title issues, and full vehicle history — just $4.99.

Check VIN Free