Buyer Research

2019 Infiniti Q50 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $16,000–$25,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue 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

The hybrid is gone and the 2.0L turbo four is in its last year, so most 2019 Q50s you will find are the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 — and 40% of the 30 complaints are that engine: turbochargers failing, then metal in the oil and a knock. Owners on this year say the extended turbo coverage stops at 2018, so the repair is on you. The rest of the record is small and scattered: a jerky 7-speed, a dashboard that went black at 70 mph, a low battery that took the power steering with it, and one backup-camera recall. A 3.0t with a documented turbo replacement and a clean oil filter is a genuinely quick, comfortable car for the money; one with a whistle that has changed pitch is a bill waiting to be sent.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 30 owner complaints for the 2019 Infiniti Q50, and 1 recall campaign.

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. 40% 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.

One recall campaign covers 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 2019 Infiniti Q50

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

3.0t twin-turbo V6 turbochargers fail; some engines follow with metal in the oilHigh — wallet impact

Twelve of 30 complaints. The pattern on this year matches the 2018: a turbo lets go somewhere past 40,000 miles (sudden loss of power, will not pull above 40 mph, check-engine light), and a smaller group report the engine shutting off, knocking on restart, and a dealer finding metal debris in the oil filter — an engine, not a turbo. Two owners specifically say Infiniti's extended turbo warranty covers only up to 2018 and was refused on their 2019; ask a dealer about this VIN anyway, but budget as if the answer is no. Cold-start the car yourself, listen for a whistle that grinds, and have the oil filter cut open at the inspection.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000–$7,000 for turbochargers; $10,000–$15,000 for a replacement engine — around 73% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (12).

7-speed automatic jerks from a stop, hesitates, or drops into limp modeMedium

Six complaints, and they are of two kinds. Two describe the car losing power and shutting off with warning lights — those read like the turbo failures filed under a different heading. The other four are the transmission itself: a hard jerk when pulling away after a stop, a shift shock in Drive, and one rear end that 'slides around' on turns that the dealer could not reproduce. One 2019 crash report is an unintended-acceleration claim while parking. Drive it in stop-and-go traffic for ten minutes; a healthy 7-speed on this car is smooth off the line. A fluid service and relearn is cheap; a valve body is not.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$400 for a fluid service and relearn; $2,000–$4,000 if the valve body or torque converter is at fault

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (6).

Instrument cluster goes dark, driver aids drop out, and a weak battery kills the steering assistMedium

Six complaints with no single part. One owner's dash and cruise control went black for 30 seconds at 70 mph and rebooted. Another had the horn, lane-keeping and parking warnings all die together. One car with 580 miles had no dash, no navigation and very heavy steering — the dealer found only a low battery, which on this car is enough to shut the electric steering assist down. One report is of the car braking on its own with no obstacle ahead. Have the battery load-tested (a $0 job at any parts store) and cycle every driver-assist feature on the test drive.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$400 for a battery; $800–$2,000 if a control module is at fault

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (6).

Backup camera image may not display (recall)Low

Recall 19V654 covers 2018–2019 Q50s among many Nissan and Infiniti models: a display setting could leave the rear-view image blank when reversing. The remedy is a free software update, and it has been available since November 2019, so an open one on a 2019 means the car has not seen a dealer in years — a useful thing to know in itself. Select Reverse at the start of the drive and confirm the picture appears.

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

Source: 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.

Airbag light from the passenger occupant classification sensorMedium

This year's record has only two airbag complaints, but the 2018 Q50 record is full of the same fault: the airbag light stays on, a scanner shows an Occupant Classification System code, and the dealer replaces the passenger seat sensor or the seat bottom. The seat is the same, so the check is the same. Make sure the airbag light goes out after the start-up bulb check, and have a passenger sit down to confirm the 'airbag off' indicator changes state.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,800

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Turbo whistle that changes pitch or grinds, or white exhaust smoke on a cold start
✗Car that will not pull cleanly past 40 mph under full throttle
✗Hard jerk pulling away from a stop in Drive
✗Dashboard or driver-assist warnings that flicker during the drive
✗Airbag light that stays on after the bulb check

Good Signs

✓Turbochargers replaced with an invoice from an Infiniti dealer or a specialist
✓Oil filter cut open at the pre-purchase inspection and found clean
✓Battery load test showing a healthy charge and a cranking voltage above 9.6V
✓Recall 19V654 shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Smooth pull from a stop in ten minutes of stop-and-go traffic