Infiniti Q50 years to avoid
Across the 2015–2018 Infiniti Q50, the 2015 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 129, about 2.5× the 52 median of the other two model years with enough complaints to compare. It is also the oldest year in this comparison, and older years have had longer to accumulate reports. The most-reported components that year were the powertrain and steering. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2016 and 2017 each carry the most recall campaigns, 4. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
The 2015 Q50 is the outlier of the 2015–2018 Infiniti Q50, with 129 complaints against the model's 62 median.
Every Q50 model year, ranked
Every Q50 model year NHTSA holds records for, most complaints first. Counts are NHTSA records as of 2026-09-15; recall campaigns and complaints are counted separately because a recall is the manufacturer acting and a complaint is an owner reporting. Years with enough on record have a page of their own.
| Model year | Owner complaints | vs the 62 median | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Q50 | 129 | 2.1× | 3 | the powertrain |
| 2017 Q50 | 62 | 1× | 4 | the engine |
| 2018 Q50 | 42 | 0.7× | 3 | the engine |
| 2016 Q50 | 39 — too few to compare | — | 4 | — |
| 2019 Q50 | 30 — too few to compare | — | 1 | — |
| 2021 Q50 | 5 — too few to compare | — | 3 | — |
| 2020 Q50 | 3 — too few to compare | — | 0 | — |
| 2022 Q50 | 1 — too few to compare | — | 0 | — |
Buying a Infiniti Q50? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Confirm its identity free, then decide whether to review its reported title, mileage and auction history before you buy.
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See what the paid report includes →How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse car. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road.
- The comparison is between years of the Q50 only. It says nothing about how the Q50 compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. Only a VIN lookup shows whether one vehicle is included and whether the work was done.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Infiniti Q50 year-by-year questions
Which Infiniti Q50 year should I avoid?
Across the 2015–2018 Infiniti Q50, the 2015 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 129, about 2.5× the 52 median of the other two model years with enough complaints to compare. It is also the oldest year in this comparison, and older years have had longer to accumulate reports. The most-reported components that year were the powertrain and steering. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2016 and 2017 each carry the most recall campaigns, 4. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
Which Infiniti Q50 year is the safest bet?
No model year of the 2015–2018 Infiniti Q50 has enough owner complaints on record to call it the quietest. Choose on condition and service history rather than model year, and check the individual VIN.
Do complaint counts mean the Infiniti Q50 is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model — which is what this page does — not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Q50?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. That reports open campaigns for that exact vehicle, including whether the repair is still outstanding. A model-year page cannot tell you that.