2020 Infiniti QX50: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
32 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
17,650 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 17 of 32 complaints (53.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 5 | 15.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 6.3% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 3.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 3.1% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 3.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 17 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 6 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 |
| Power Train | 4 |
| Unknown Or Other | 3 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 2 |
Engine: 17; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 6; Electrical System: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Power Train: 4; Unknown Or Other: 3; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 2; Service Brakes: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 26 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2020: 1; 2021: 3; 2022: 2; 2023: 1; 2024: 3; 2025: 12; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11366795 · 2020-10-28 (October 28, 2020)
CAR ABRUPTLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING. HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES. DRAMATICALLY INCREASING A CHANCE OF COLLISION. NAVIGATION ALWAYS GETS ME LOST. NAVIGATION AND OTHER SCREEN GOES BLACK AND RESTARTS WHILE DRIVING. AUDIO/RADIO COMES ON WHILE DRIVING ON IT'S OWN WHEN I WANT MUSIC OFF. TOUCH SCREEN APPLICATIONS LIKE CHANGING RADIO STATION, SWITCHING SCREENS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK. AUTO DOOR UNLOCK WITH THE KEYS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK, HAVE TO WAIT MANY TIMES FOR THE FUNCTION TO WORK. MOST IMPORTANT IS THE ABRUPT STALLING THAT JERKS MY BODY FORWARD ITS TERRIFYING!
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11366795 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11399845 · 2021-03-08 (March 8, 2021)
FUEL SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN PARKIED IN THE GARAGE. HAS BEEN CHECK OUT TWICE. 1 ST TIME INFINITI COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUE, BUT TOLD ME THEY WERE LOOKING INTO IT UNDER ENGINEERING REVIEW. 2 MONTHS LATER AFTER LIVING WITH THE SMELL BROUGHT IT BACK THEY HAD A INFINITI ENGINEER LOOK AT IT. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THEY ACKNOWLEGDE THAT THERE IS A ISSUE WITH THE CRANK CASE VENTALATION SYSTEM. STILL NO FIX WAITING ON ENGINEERING REVIEW TO COME OUT WITH NEW BULLETIN COULD TAKE UP TO 3 MONTH. THE SMELL OF GAS IN MY GARAGE IS A HEALTH HAZARD…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11399845 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11404257 · 2021-03-22 (March 22, 2021)
-DISPLAY SCREEN COMPLETELY BLACK, BUTTONS WOULD WORK, RADIO WOULD WORK, HEATED SEATS WOULD WORK, AC WOULD WORK BUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON THE SCREEN. I DID NOT BRING THE VEHICLE IN BECAUSE I THOUGHT 'THAT WAS WEIRD' AND IT WOULD JUST GO AWAY. UPON STARTING THE CAR THE NEXT TIME, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. -SEVERE CONDENSATION INSIDE VEHICLE WINDOWS. CONDENSATION WAS SO SEVERE THAT WATER WAS ACTUALLY DRIPPING FROM MY WINDSHIELD ONTO THE DASHBOARD AND DRIPPING FROM THE SUNROOF ONTO MY SEAT. -DISPLAY SCREEN BLANK AGAIN EXACTLY THE SAME AS FEB INC…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,569 miles reported. Look up ODI 11404257 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11444616 · 2021-12-21 (December 21, 2021)
Day 1 noted car was having issues with irregular RPM's while cruising, and spiking of rpm's during acceleration. while on hwy w/ cruise control activated, "malfunction" warning lit on screen and forward propulsion ceased. had to move car to roadside, turn off engine and turn back on. took to dealership. they inspected vehicle and indicated there were no codes in system and with checks nothing to indicate any issues. they reset computer systems. drove home noting that the issue did not seem to be resolved. Day 2 same issues. Issues with reverse …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11444616 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11446663 · 2022-01-07 (January 7, 2022)
While driving vehicle, randomly vehicle brakes are applied on their own, causing vehicle to suddenly slow down in traffic. Red warning light appears on the dash. This has occurred 6-7 times over the past 2 years. 3 of the times occurred on the interstate, causing vehicle to drop speed from 60-40 within few seconds. The other 3-4 times have occurred while driving underneath a light rail walk way and an underpass. Most recent incident was 12/25/21 on interstate. I am concerned this will contribute to a car crashing into the rear of my car. I had …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11446663 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11448996 · 2022-01-26 (January 26, 2022)
Jan 25,2021 Highway 35 San Antonio Texas Display board lights turned off for a few seconds it made a click sound and the car turned off and turned back on for a few seconds, stalling the car. The automatic break was activated and deactivated at the same time. Trying to stop the car. This is the third time since octubre 2021 that this happens. My safety and the safety of the other drives was at risk, I can’t drive this car anymore because it may cause an accident. Approximate a month ago the car stoped in the middle of Stone Oak street in …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11448996 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11522009 · 2023-05-15 (May 15, 2023)
I was going 70 miles an hour on a highway with no cars around me. When the car suddenly breaks and beeped. It was very dangerous. I was in the center lane of a 3 Lane Highway with no one around.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11522009 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11568151 · 2024-01-27 (January 27, 2024)
Equipped with ProPILOT Assist and Intelligent Cruise Control inclusive of Lane Keep assist, traffic sign recognition, and Direct Adaptive Steering. Vehicle has just under 60,000 miles and still under warranty When in ProPILOT Assist/Intelligent Cruise Control, when hands leave the steering wheel, car failed to give a dash visual warning, sensory warning, or did not take control of the vehicle to bring it to a safe stop. This of course is a serious safety issue if the driver becomes incapacitated to the point of not being able to respond to the…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11568151 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
21V025000 · Equipment:Other:Labels | Tires
Reported: 2021-01-26 (January 26, 2021)
Nissan North America, Inc. (INFINITI) is recalling certain 2020 INFINITI QX50 vehicles. The text of the Tire and Loading Information placard, including the tire size and loading capacity, may be illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: Illegible tire size or loading capacity information can lead to the incorrect sized tire being installed or its overloading, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: INFINITI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the legibility of and, as necessary, replaced the placard, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Infiniti's number for this recall is PC788.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V437000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical
Reported: 2025-06-27 (June 27, 2025)
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗