2018 Infiniti Q50 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
67/100
#4 most-complained of 10 Q50 years
The 2018 Infiniti Q50 has 44 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 67, and 3 recalls, ranking 4th worst out of 10 model years and earning a Caution verdict. Engine issues drive 43% of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 22,000.
- Complaints
- 44
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 1 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 23.5
- 21 city / 28.5 hwy
Top 2018 Infiniti Q50 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine19 (43%)
- Airbags9 (20%)
- Electrical System7 (16%)
- Fuel System6 (14%)
- Other6 (14%)
- Brakes4 (9%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras3 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain3 (7%)
- Structure & Body2 (5%)
What owners report
- Some owners report the engine catching fire under the hood shortly after driving, near 17,000 miles.
- Owners describe the serpentine belt snapping multiple times while driving on the highway, around 23,000 miles, sometimes recurring after dealer repairs.
- Some report a persistent whirling or noise from the engine during warm-up, near 22,000 miles.
- Owners report repeated flat tires from potholes on the run-flat tire setup, with no spare tire available, at very low mileage.
- Some describe the vehicle failing to stop despite full brake pedal pressure during low-speed parking maneuvers, resulting in a collision.
- Owners report daytime running lights staying on while headlights and taillights remain off, reducing visibility at night.
2018 Infiniti Q50 recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 24V470000Jun 21, 2024Transmission & Powertrain7,222 vehicles
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Nissan North America, Inc. (INFINITI) is recalling certain 2011-2013 M56, 2012-2013 M35 Hybrid, 2014-2018 Q50, Q70 Hybrid, 2014-2019 Q70, and 2015-2019 Q70L two-wheel drive vehicles. The driveshaft can fatigue and break.
Risk: A broken driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power, or a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 13, 2024. Owners may contact INFINITI's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. INFINITI's numbers for this recall are R24A5 and R24A7.
- NHTSA 19V654000Sep 12, 2019Collision Avoidance & Cameras1,228,830 vehicles
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
- NHTSA 17V476000Jul 27, 2017Electrical System14,192 vehicles
Electrical system:software
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 and 2017 Infiniti Q60 vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. Incorrect Fuel Pump Control Module (FPCM) software may allow the fuel level in the main tank to be too low to supply fuel to the engine, causing the engine to stall while driving.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and Infiniti dealers will reprogram the Fuel Pump Control Module (FPCM) with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began August 29, 2017. Owners may contact Infiniti customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
2018 Infiniti Q50 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 28.5 MPG
- Combined
- 23.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,375
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2018 compared with other Q50 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Infiniti Q50 reliable?
- NHTSA lists 44 complaints and 3 recalls for the 2018 Q50, giving it a complaint index of 67 and a Caution verdict relative to other Q50 model years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2018 Infiniti Q50?
- Engine complaints make up 43% of all reports for this year, with a median failure mileage of 22,000, including one fire incident.
- Does the 2018 Infiniti Q50 have recalls?
- Yes, it has 3 recalls covering the driveshaft, back-up camera software, and the fuel pump control module software, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2018 Q50 compare to other years?
- The 2018 model ranks 4th worst of 10 model years tracked, with a complaint index of 67, better than 2014 (100), 2015 (89), and 2017 (78), but worse than 2016 (44) and 2019 (56).