2016 Infiniti Q50: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
39 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2014 Q50, which has 169 owner complaints and a score of 37, and the 2015 car, with 125 complaints and a score of 44. Buy a 2016 or newer car: complaints fall to 39, then 62, 42, 30 and 3 through 2020, with scores of 79, 66, 79, 87 and 94. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 39 complaints, score 79/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Infiniti Q50, QX60 and QX50: the years to avoid, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 39 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 3.9
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My 2016 Q50 was driving strangely, but no indicator light came on the dashboard. I took the vehicle to the dealer where I purchased it and was told that the engine is dying. No other information was given to me. I called the service advisor asking what in particular was wrong with my car, but he said he wasn't sure. I took issue with the fact that my engine died, and no warning lights what-so-ever showed on the …
Something happened to cause power loss. I checked the recalls and work that was supposed to be performed but didn’t get done like it was supposed to. I need to have it checked now asap! I see 2 engine replacements and also the turbos and 2 of the catalytic converters. The last 2 need replacing as well or it’s not going to be right.
Had 2 new tires installed on the rear of the car and they both busted at the seam. Shredded the tires and damaged 4 wheels.
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V430000 | Steering:Automated/Adaptive Steering | Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Infiniti Q50 vehicles manufactured December 26, 2012, to December 11, 2015, and Infiniti Q50 Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to December 17, 2015. The Direct Adaptive Steering system may experience an error at vehicle start up altering the vehicle's steering… |
| 24V470000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Nissan North America, Inc. (INFINITI) is recalling certain 2011-2013 M56, 2012-2013 M35 Hybrid, 2014-2018 Q50, Q70 Hybrid, 2014-2019 Q70, and 2015-2019 Q70L two-wheel drive vehicles. |
| 16V244000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan… |
| 17V476000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 and 2017 Infiniti Q60 vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine10 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Steering6 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Air Bags5 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Power Train4 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Vehicle Speed Control3 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Infiniti Q50 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Infiniti Q50?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (10 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Infiniti Q50 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 39 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Infiniti Q50's most common problem?
10 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Infiniti Q50 sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Infiniti Q50 cost to run per year?
About $5,043 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,218 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Infiniti Q50 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Infiniti Q50, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/06/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Infiniti Q50 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 39 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 39 NHTSA complaints on record (3.9/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (4.1/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality