Infiniti Qx56 Years to Avoid
CarWhere's analysis of 251 federal NHTSA complaints for the Infiniti Qx56, by model year, updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated avoid
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 52 | 36 | 4 | CAUTION |
| 2009 | 7 | 4 | 3 | N/A |
| 2010 | 25 | 9 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2011 | 76 | 56 | 1 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 59 | 40 | 2 | CAUTION |
| 2013 | 32 | 25 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Infiniti Qx56. Full methodology.
Common Infiniti Qx56 problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Infiniti Qx56 are engine, fuel, brakes. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Timing chain failure
· Infiniti Qx56 2011–2013Corroborated by 43 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 85 engine complaints across 2011–2013, typically 50,000–169,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,800–$5,000.
Catalytic converter failure
· Infiniti Qx56 2011–2013Corroborated by 32 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 29 fuel complaints across 2011–2013, typically 70,000–154,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $2,000–$7,500.
Catalytic converter failure
· Infiniti Qx56 2011Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 38 engine complaints across 2011, typically 67,000–200,500 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,100.
Brake pedal skip and grinding with ABS activation
· Infiniti Qx56 2008–2013Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 27 brakes complaints across 2008–2013.
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FAQ
What years of the Infiniti Qx56 should you avoid?
No Infiniti Qx56 model year rises to an "avoid" rating in the current federal data; see the year-by-year verdicts below.
What are the best years for the Infiniti Qx56?
No single Infiniti Qx56 year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Infiniti Qx56 verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Infiniti Qx56's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Infiniti Qx56 before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Infiniti Qx56 reliable?
No Infiniti Qx56 model year rates "avoid" in the current federal data. Across 251 NHTSA owner complaints, the model's record is relatively even year to year — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Infiniti Qx56?
The most-reported problem area for the Infiniti Qx56 is engine, followed by fuel and brakes. Confirmed failures include timing chain failure, catalytic converter failure, catalytic converter failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Infiniti Qx56 across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Infiniti Qx56, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.