Buyer Research

2018 Infiniti Q50 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $15,000–$23,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Infiniti Q50 years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Three engines were sold in this Q50 — a Mercedes-sourced 2.0L turbo four, the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 (300 hp, or 400 hp as the Red Sport), and a 3.5L hybrid — and the 42-complaint record is mostly about the V6: 45% of complaints are ENGINE, and the words that recur are turbocharger, low oil pressure, and knocking. The 2.0t has its own recall for a fuel-pump software fault that can stall the engine, and every rear-drive car carries a 2024 driveshaft recall. Buy a 3.0t only with proof of the turbo's health and a dealer answer on extended coverage; buy a 2.0t only with the stall recall closed. 42 complaints is a thin record — treat it as a list of what to check, not a rating.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 42 owner complaints for the 2018 Infiniti Q50, and 3 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 45% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

3 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2018 Infiniti Q50

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

3.0t twin-turbo V6: turbocharger failure, then low oil pressure and engine knockHigh — wallet impact

The VR30DDTT V6 is the reason this record exists. Owners describe a turbo failing at 40,000–60,000 miles (loss of power, a whine or rattle from the engine bay, white smoke, a check-engine light), and a second group describe a 'Low Oil Pressure — STOP' warning, knocking, metal in the oil filter and an engine that would not restart; one report is a fire. One owner blames a porous block leaking coolant. Owners also say Infiniti extended turbocharger coverage on 2016–2018 3.0t cars — ask an Infiniti dealer whether this VIN carries it and when it expires; do not take the seller's word. On the test drive listen for a whistle that changes to a grind, and ask for the oil filter to be cut open at a pre-purchase inspection.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000–$7,000 for turbochargers; $10,000–$15,000 for a replacement engine — around 79% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (19).

2.0t fuel-pump control module can starve the engine and stall it (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 17V476 covers 2016–2018 Q50s with the 2.0L engine: the fuel pump control module software can let the main tank run low enough that fuel stops reaching the engine, which stalls while driving. The fix is a free reprogram at an Infiniti dealer. The FUEL SYSTEM complaints on this year are otherwise a mix — a stall with a P0106 code, two owners angry about 14–18 mpg in town, and duplicates of the turbo complaint — so the recall is the actionable part. Run the VIN on NHTSA's lookup before you pay.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (6); 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Driveshaft can fatigue and break on rear-drive cars (2024 recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 24V470, issued in 2024, covers 2014–2018 rear-wheel-drive Q50s: the driveshaft can fatigue and snap, which means loss of drive on the road or a car rolling away in Park if the parking brake was not set. Dealers replace the driveshaft free. Because the letters only went out in August 2024, many cars sold since then have not had it done — check the VIN, and on the test drive feel for a driveline vibration that builds with speed. AWD cars are not in this recall.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (3); 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Airbag warning light from the passenger occupant classification sensorMedium

Eight complaints, one story: the airbag light comes on and stays, a scan shows an Occupant Classification System fault, and the dealer says the passenger seat sensor — sometimes the whole seat bottom and the seat belt — needs replacing, with the passenger airbag switched off until it is. Under warranty it was free; out of warranty owners were quoted four figures. Check the airbag light goes out after the bulb check, and sit in the passenger seat to see whether the 'passenger airbag off' indicator behaves.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,800

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (8).

Backup camera image can fail to display (recall)Low

Recall 19V654 is the Nissan-wide 2018–2019 backup camera recall: a setting could leave the rear-view image off when reversing. The remedy is a free software update to the display settings. Three owners on this year filed camera complaints. Put the car in Reverse at the start of the test drive and make sure the image comes up every time.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under back over prevention (3); 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Turbo whistle that turns into a grind or rattle, or white smoke on a cold start
✗Any 'Low Oil Pressure' or check-engine message during the drive
✗Airbag light that stays lit after the start-up bulb check
✗Seller who cannot say whether recalls 17V476 (2.0t) or 24V470 (RWD) were done
✗Driveline vibration that builds with road speed on a rear-drive car

Good Signs

✓Turbochargers replaced under Infiniti's extended coverage, with the dealer invoice
✓All three recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Oil changed every 5,000 miles with receipts on a 3.0t
✓A clean oil filter cut open at the pre-purchase inspection
✓Backup camera image appears immediately in Reverse