Buyer Research

2020 Infiniti Q50 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $18,000–$27,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

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

Kestrel Take

From 2020 every Q50 is the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 — the 2.0t is gone — with the 7-speed automatic and a choice of 300 hp or the 400-hp Red Sport. NHTSA holds only three complaints for this year and no recalls, which tells you that few owners filed, not that the engine changed: it is the same VR30 that fills the 2018 and 2019 records with turbocharger and oil-pressure failures, and the one engine complaint here is exactly that story — turbos replaced, then the engine failed under 60,000 miles. So we have not checked this year the way a bigger record would let us; buy it on the same terms as a 2019, with a cold start you hear yourself and an oil filter opened at the inspection.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 3 owner complaints for the 2020 Infiniti Q50, and no recall campaigns.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under the transmission and drivetrain (1), the engine (1), throttle and cruise control (1). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

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

Known Issues for the 2020 Infiniti Q50

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

3.0t twin-turbo V6: the turbocharger and engine failures seen on 2018–2019 carry overMedium

The single ENGINE complaint on this year is the 2018–2019 pattern in one paragraph: both turbochargers failed early and were replaced, then the engine failed while driving before 60,000 miles. One report is not a pattern, and that is why this is not rated high here — but the engine is unchanged from the years where it is, and this year is outside any extended turbo coverage owners describe. Start it cold, listen for a whistle that grinds or a rattle from the engine bay, check for white smoke, and pay a shop to cut the oil filter open. If the seller has a dealer invoice for turbochargers already, that is worth real money to you.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000–$7,000 for turbochargers; $10,000–$15,000 for a replacement engine — around 67% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (1).

7-speed automatic slow to shift, needing more revs than it shouldMedium

One owner reports the transmission taking too long to shift and needing more RPM to do it — the same 7-speed hesitation that shows up on the 2019 record in larger numbers. On a healthy car the upshifts under light throttle are quick and quiet. Drive it in traffic for ten minutes and try a few firm merges; a flare in revs between gears is the thing you are listening for. A fluid service and relearn is the cheap first step, and worth asking whether it has ever been done.

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 (1).

Forward emergency braking activates with nothing aheadLow

One detailed complaint from the first day of ownership: forward emergency braking slammed on at 30 mph on a winding road with a truck in the next lane, and it kept happening. Automatic braking became standard on the Q50 by this year, so every car has the radar. It is not a wallet item — a sensor recalibration or an alignment fixes most of it — but a false stop at speed with a car behind you is a real hazard. Drive a road with curves and parked cars and see whether the warning chimes or brakes without cause.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$300 for a radar recalibration

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under throttle and cruise control (1).

Airbag light from the passenger occupant classification sensorMedium

Absent from this year's three complaints, but the 2018 Q50 record is full of it: the airbag light comes on, a scanner shows an Occupant Classification System fault, and the dealer replaces the passenger seat sensor or the whole seat bottom, with the passenger airbag disabled until then. The seat did not change for 2020, so the check does not either: watch the airbag light go out after the bulb check, and confirm the 'passenger airbag off' indicator changes when someone sits down.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,800

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Turbo whistle that changes pitch or grinds on a cold start
✗White smoke from the exhaust at start-up or under load
✗Rev flare between gears under light throttle
✗Forward-collision warning that chimes or brakes with the road clear
✗Airbag light that stays on after the bulb check

Good Signs

✓Dealer invoice for turbocharger replacement on this VIN
✓Oil filter cut open at the inspection and found clean
✓Oil changed every 5,000 miles with receipts
✓Quick, quiet upshifts on a cold drive through traffic
✓Radar sensor calibration on record after any front-end work