2021 Infiniti QX50: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
40 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Read the guide
Used Infiniti Q50, QX60 and QX50: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 40 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 8.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2021 INFINITI QX50. The contact stated while operating the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, she stated she heard a loud sound coming from the motor, she pulled over and attempt to restarted the vehicle but it would not turn on. The vehicle was towed where it was diagnosed that the vehicle engine oil had metal shavings in the oil, the vehicle was brought in for regular maintenance and a recall repai…
The front passenger door latch seems to go off and say that the door is open and the alarm goes off in the car so in the middle of the night, the alarm will start ringing and then when driving in the car, it constantly beeps and says the door is open when it’s closed. Sometimes you can’t open the door.
I proactively brought my Infiniti QX50 to the dealership for inspection due to the recall. The service department found metal in the engine, which they stated is related to a known recall issue. The service department told me that I need an engine replacement, but Infiniti has denied engine replacement despite this finding. According to the recall, metal inside the engine presents a risk of sudden engine failure, in…
Recalls: 2 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V402000 | Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Nissan Murano, INFINITI QX60, 2021 Nissan GT-R, INFINITI QX50, and Q50 vehicles. |
| 25V437000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact 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 $3,000
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.
- Engine18 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
- Engine And Engine Cooling7 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance7 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train4 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Infiniti QX50 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Infiniti QX50?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (18 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Infiniti QX50 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 50/100, computed from 40 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Infiniti QX50's most common problem?
18 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Infiniti QX50 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 2021 Infiniti QX50 cost to run per year?
About $4,522 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,610 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 2021 Infiniti QX50 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Infiniti QX50, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 27/05/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Infiniti QX50 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 — 40 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 40 NHTSA complaints on record (8.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (1.9/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 0 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