AI Damage2016 Infiniti QX50: common problems
Owners of the 2016 Infiniti QX50 filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. The maker issued 47 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 47
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 26% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 16% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 16% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 5% of all complaints
- Engine: 5 complaints (26% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 13.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (16% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Air bags: 3 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 7-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 3 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did NOT deploy during this accident and I was very concerned for my safety and my life.
Today, December 2, 2022, the car (while gear shifted into park) again rolled down the driveway, across a street and hit my neighbor's house. This was all caught on video as well. I posted the video on the manufacturers social media site. See below for the email I sent to the dealership after they contacted me.
I kept telling him there is something wrong because it would either lose power or jerk forward out of nowhere. This was a cpo vehicle so I did not expect to be taking it in for service only a couple of months after purchasing it.
I was completely stopped with brakes applied and vehicle suddenly lurched forward, RPM’s reved up over 3,000 without me accelerating. I was about two blocks from home and was able to make it by slowly driving and jerking all the way. Mechanic codes were 720 output speed sensor. Very alarming situation!
so after my initial report about my engine catching fire on the highway, I received an invoice for $5,000 for a used engine with 80k miles on it; plus another $2800 for the service fee. I already put down about $3900 for the engine repair.
The contact stated that while driving or parked, the “Air Bags Deactivated” and “Seat Belt Detached” warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a local dealer.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that following the warning light illumination the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic and diagnosed as a speed sensor module located inside the transmission.
There are 2 check engine codes that came up as an issue for my vehicle, out of the blue: P0720 and P0500. I reached out to my mechanic and he couldn't fix it. So my plan was to take it to the dealership at the end of this month; however, while driving the vehicle back from my sister's house, the bottom of the car…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,274 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 39% least complained about).
On average one model year of the QX50 has 28 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 19, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- INTELLIGENT KEY NOT DETECTED / ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- HEADLAMP, FOG LAMP, OR REAR COMBINATION LAMP FOGGING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- ABS/VDC CAN DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DRIVE SHAFT BOOT SERVICE INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION If a Drive Shaft (Axle Shaft) Boot on an APPLIED…
DRIVE SHAFT BOOT SERVICE INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION If a Drive Shaft (Axle Shaft) Boot on an APPLIED VEHICLE is found to be leaking grease, AND There is no abnormal noise or obvious CV Joint risk due to water…
NHTSA lists 47 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Infiniti QX50?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (26%), jerking, harsh shifts (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Infiniti QX50?
NHTSA lists 47 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2016 Infiniti QX50 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2016 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.