2021 Infiniti QX50
Gas Compact SUV
The 2021 Infiniti QX50 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the QX50, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 40 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QX50 | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 29 | 26 | $3,000 |
| QX50 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 28 | 25 | $3,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling
criticalProblem: 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. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Risk: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
Steering
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Nissan Murano, INFINITI QX60, 2021 Nissan GT-R, INFINITI QX50, and Q50 vehicles. The front steering knuckle or rear axle housing may have insufficient strength due to improper heat-treatment.
Risk: The steering knuckle or rear axle could deform upon impact, such as from hitting a curb, resulting in a loss of steering control, or possible wheel separation. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckle and rear axle housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2021. Nissan owners may contact customer service at 1-800-867-7669. INFINITI owners may contact customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
NHTSA investigations
Engine — Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure (closed)
On December 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-023 to investigate allegations of engine failures leading to loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue; MY 2019-2021 Nissan Altima; and MY 2019-2021 Infiniti QX50 vehicles. At that time, ODI had received 6 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) and multiple early warning reports, with consumers reporting engine knocking noises accompanied by a loss of engine power while driving. The investigation identified bearing failures in certain vehicles equipped with the subject 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. ODI also identified early warning reports describin
Opened Dec 13, 2023 · closed Jul 18, 2025 · action PE23023
Owner complaints
40 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 4 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2021: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 17
Most-cited components
- Engine — 18
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 8
- Electrical System — 8
- Engine And Engine Cooling — 7
- Service Brakes — 4
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.
Other QX50 model years
2025 QX50
0 recalls · 1 complaints
A2024 QX50
1 recalls · 4 complaints
A2023 QX50
1 recalls · 4 complaints
C2022 QX50
2 recalls · 16 complaints
C2020 QX50
2 recalls · 32 complaints
C2019 QX50
3 recalls · 139 complaints
A2017 QX50
0 recalls · 13 complaints
A2016 QX50
0 recalls · 19 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 42800, 42803). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.