Buyer Research

2021 Infiniti Q50 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $20,000–$29,000. There are 2 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

Five complaints and three recalls: on this year the recalls are the record. One is an engine-computer fault that can cut fuel and stall the car after hard acceleration, one is a heat-treatment defect in the front steering knuckles and rear axle housing that could deform on a curb strike, and one is the backup camera going blank. All three are free at an Infiniti dealer and all three are checkable on the VIN in two minutes — do that before anything else. Beyond them, this is the same 3.0L twin-turbo V6 and 7-speed as 2018–2020, and the turbocharger and oil-pressure failures on those years apply to this engine even though only five owners have filed here. A thin record is a short list of what people reported, not a clean bill.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 5 owner complaints for the 2021 Infiniti Q50, and 3 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 engine (1), wheels and bearings (1), airbags (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.

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 2021 Infiniti Q50

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

Engine computer can cut fuel and stall the engine after hard acceleration (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 21V234 covers 2021 Q50 and Q60: after detecting rapid acceleration the engine control module may wrongly reduce power and fuel supply, which can stall the engine while driving. The remedy is a free ECM reprogram, available since May 2021. The one ENGINE complaint on this year reads like a cousin of it — at 70–80 mph the car would not accelerate and the pedal had to go to the floor. Run the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup; if this is open, make the dealer visit a condition of the sale, not a promise.

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

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (1); 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Front steering knuckle and rear axle housing may be under-strength (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 21V402: a batch of 2021 Q50s (with some Nissan Murano, GT-R and Infiniti QX50/QX60) got front steering knuckles and rear axle housings that were improperly heat-treated and may lack strength. The consequence NHTSA lists is deformation on an impact like hitting a curb, with loss of steering control or a wheel coming off. Dealers inspect and replace the parts free; letters went out July 2021. Confirm it on the VIN, and if the car has any curb-rash on the front wheels, ask when the inspection was done relative to that damage.

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

Source: 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Airbag light from the passenger occupant classification sensorMedium

One complaint here — the airbag light came on while driving and the owner could not get help — but it is the fault that dominates the 2018 Q50 record: an Occupant Classification System code, and a dealer replacing the passenger seat sensor or seat bottom, with the passenger airbag disabled until it is done. Watch the airbag light go out after the bulb check, and have someone sit in the passenger seat to confirm the 'passenger airbag off' indicator changes.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,800

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (1).

Rear-view camera can stop displaying (recall)Low

Recall 21V599 covers 2021 Q50, Q60 and QX80: a software error can deactivate the audio/video control unit screen, so the reversing image never appears. Free software update; letters mailed September 2021. Put the car in Reverse at the start of the drive and again at the end, since the fault is intermittent.

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

Source: 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

3.0t twin-turbo V6: turbocharger and engine failures documented on earlier yearsMedium

Not in this year's five complaints, but the 2018 and 2019 Q50 records are dominated by this engine's turbochargers failing and, in a smaller number of cars, low oil pressure and metal in the oil. The engine is unchanged for 2021 and outside any extended turbo coverage owners describe. Cold-start it yourself and listen for a whistle that grinds or a rattle; look for white smoke; have the oil filter cut open at a pre-purchase inspection. Under 60,000 miles a factory powertrain warranty may still apply — check the in-service date with a dealer.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000–$7,000 for turbochargers; $10,000–$15,000 for a replacement engine — around 61% of what this car is typically worth

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Any of the three recalls open on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✗Car that hesitates or bogs after a hard throttle stab
✗Airbag light that stays on after the bulb check
✗Turbo whistle that changes pitch or grinds on a cold start
✗Blank screen when Reverse is selected

Good Signs

✓All three recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Steering knuckle and axle housing inspection stamped on a dealer invoice
✓Oil filter cut open at the inspection and found clean
✓Factory powertrain warranty still in force, confirmed by in-service date
✓Camera image up immediately in Reverse, twice