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2019 Infiniti Q50 Recalls, Issues & Maintenance

The 2019 Infiniti Q50 carries 1 open NHTSA recall — most recently covering camera. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Steering drift and rear-end instability at speed.” Infiniti manuals split service into Schedule 1 (severe — short trips, city traffic, extreme temperatures) and Schedule 2 (easy highway use). Most US drivers honestly belong on Schedule 1: oil every 5,000 miles. The VQ V6s that power most of the lineup are chain-driven and durable when the oil stays fresh. The two things owners skip at their peril: CVT fluid on QX50/QX60 (extended intervals are how these transmissions die) and oil discipline on the twin-turbo VR30 in Q50/Q60 Red Sport.

1 Open Recall

Source: NHTSA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Campaign #19V654000 · Dec 9, 2019

Issue: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Recall data refreshed Sep 13, 2026.

Known issues for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2019 Infiniti Q50.

Reported to NHTSA

Steering drift and rear-end instability at speed

STEERING, SUSPENSION

5 NHTSA complaints · 2020-04 → 2025-01

“Vehicle is tramaling or wandering at 50+ mph speeds. Making it dangerously difficult to keep between the lines without constant steering corrections”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11636939
“This car has been drifting to the right since bought causing premature tire wear which has now been 5 sets of tires in 36k miles. The front right tire always seems to blow out”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11490234
“THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. NOW IT IS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. CONSTANTLY HAVING TO CORRECT STEERING TO KEEP STRAIGHT. CAR PULLS HARD TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11320913

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Electrical system malfunction affecting instrumentation

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

5 NHTSA complaints · 2019-02 → 2022-11

“DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WITH ACTIVE CRUISE ENGAGED. THE INSTRUMENTATION ALL WENT BLACK, CRUISE CONTROL RELEASED BUT ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING AND I USED MANUAL ACCELERATION IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SPEED IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11279831
“Vehicle was purchased December 2021 upon purchasing the vehicle I noticed the horn was not functioning, vehicle was taken back to dealership, they corrected the issue, then months later horn isn't functioning at all”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11493583
“CAR STARTED NO DASH LIGHTS, NO NAVIGATION LIGHTING, AND NO POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE DRIVE CAR BUT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11174708

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Sunroof shattering while driving

UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER

2 NHTSA complaints · 2021-01 → 2021-02

“MY 2019 INFINITI Q50 SUNROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON A STRAIGHTAWAY, THERE WERE NO OBJECTS THAT IMPACTED THE SUNROOF”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11396607
“2019 INFINITI Q50 SUNROOF SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE ROCKS/DEBRIS ON ROADWAY OR SEEN COMING TOWARDS VEHICLE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11388523

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Powertrain hesitation and jerking during acceleration

POWER TRAIN

2 NHTSA complaints · 2021-12 → 2022-11

“While vehicle is in “D” drive move the car would jerk likes its trying to shift/switch gears and jerk hard. It sounds like the issue would involve the transmission”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11444229
“While driving vehicle if you suddenly stop vehicle would stop, however when applying pressure to gas pedal vehicle would not move, if foot is left on pedal car would jerk and then proceed forward”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11493585

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Turbocharger failure and engine knocking

ENGINE

9 NHTSA complaints · 2024-04 → 2026-07

“The vehicle began experiencing engine knocking/ticking noises, rough idle, hesitation under acceleration, shaking, and intermittent misfire symptoms. The issue continued even after replacing spark plugs and ignition components”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11738654
“The twin turbo failure is a known issue with Infiniti. I took my vehicle to the dealership and it was diagnosed with having a passenger side turbo failure”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11730686
“While driving, my vehicle suddenly shut off without warning. After restarting, the vehicle would not accelerate over 40 miles per hour”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11682053

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Airbag warning light and non-deployment

AIR BAGS

2 NHTSA complaints · 2024-02 → 2026-06

“Air bags failed. Auto has 28,000 miles and has no accidents. Warning light showed that airbags were not working June 2026”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11746066
“The car was involved in an accident, after the shop checked the vehicle it was brought to our attention that the air bags got stuck and did not deploy because of a malfunction”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11572632

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 13, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 13, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter

Every 5,000 mi

Every 5,000 miles under Schedule 1 (most US driving); 7,500 on the easy-use Schedule 2. VQ engines tolerate a lot but reward fresh oil with quiet chains and clean variable-timing operation. VR30 twin-turbo: treat 5,000 as the ceiling.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 5,000 mi

Rotate with every oil change. Staggered-fitment sport models (G37S, Q60) can't rotate front-to-rear — budget rear tires accordingly.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

CVT Fluid (QX50 / QX60)

Every 60,000 mi

CVT-equipped models: replace fluid around 60,000 miles — sooner with towing or hot-climate city driving. Use only Nissan NS-spec CVT fluid. This is the single most skipped, most expensive-to-skip item on modern Infiniti SUVs.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$360–$500

Shop

~$255–$355

DIY

~$80–$180

CVT fluid is manufacturer-specific and pricey — do NOT substitute conventional ATF.

Brake Inspection

Every 7,500 mi

Inspect pads, rotors, and lines at every service. Akebono-caliper sport packages wear pads unevenly if the slide hardware isn't serviced — have it cleaned and lubricated with pad changes.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Engine Air Filter

Every 30,000 mi

Replace around 30,000 miles. Twin-intake VQ and VR engines use two filters — replace both, not just the easy one.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Brake Fluid

Every 30,000 mi

Replace roughly every 30,000 miles or 2 years — Infiniti pairs it with major services. Sport models driven hard should err toward the 2-year mark.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Automatic Transmission Fluid (7/9-speed)

Every 60,000 mi

Conventional automatics (G35/G37/Q50 RWD 7-speed, QX80 9-speed): fluid service around 60,000 miles under severe use keeps shifts clean. Matic-S/Matic-D spec fluid only.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Spark Plugs

Every 105,000 mi

Iridium plugs rated to 105,000 miles. On transverse VQ models (older QX60, JX35) the rear bank hides under the intake plenum — pay the labor once, at the full interval.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter

Every 15,000 mi

Replace about every 15,000 miles; behind the glovebox on most models.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Long-Life Coolant

Every 75,000 mi

First replacement at 75,000 miles / 5 years (Nissan blue long-life), then about every 4 years after. Genuine or NS-spec coolant only — mixing types gels.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Drive Belt Inspection

Every 60,000 mi

Inspect from 60,000 miles; replace on cracking, glazing, or tensioner noise. VQ accessory belts announce their age with a cold-start chirp.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$195–$235

Shop

~$135–$165

DIY

~$20–$50

DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.

Battery Test & Service

Every 25,000 mi

Test annually after year 3. Intelligent-Key and always-on telematics draw at rest — weak batteries show up first as slow push-button starts.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$225–$390

Shop

~$160–$280

DIY

~$130–$250

Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

21 crashes 2010–2024

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

3

complaints mentioning a crash

0

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2019 Infiniti Q50 reflects INFINITI's published service intervals and the Schedule 1 / Schedule 2 Maintenance system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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