The 2014 Q50 introduced Infiniti's controversial steer-by-wire system and shares a platform with multiple powertrain options, but the 3.5L hybrid variant suffers catastrophic engine failures while the 3.7L V6 sees frequent transmission cooler and mount issues. Electric power steering problems are platform-wide.
Hybrid 3.5L V6 Catastrophic Engine Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: excessive oil consumption, knocking/ticking from lower engine, metal shavings in oil, sudden loss of power, check engine light with misfire codes
Fix: Rod bearing failure leads to complete engine destruction. Requires engine replacement or full rebuild with new pistons, rings, bearings, crankshaft machining—20-30 labor hours. This is a known defect in the VQ35HR hybrid engine.
Estimated cost: $8,000-15,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: transmission fluid leaking from radiator area, pink/red fluid pooling under vehicle, transmission slipping or harsh shifts, overheating transmission
Fix: The integrated transmission cooler lines corrode and leak, sometimes allowing coolant into transmission fluid. Requires cooler line replacement and often transmission fluid flush. 2-3 labor hours if caught early, transmission replacement if cross-contamination occurred.
Electric Power Steering (EPS) Control Unit Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: intermittent loss of power steering, steering warning light, abnormally heavy steering effort, steering pulls to one side, complete steering assist failure
Fix: The steer-by-wire and EPS systems have module failures requiring complete control unit replacement. Subject to recalls but failures continue post-recall. Requires scan tool calibration, 2-4 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $1,500-3,000
Transmission Mount Collapse
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: clunking when shifting from park to drive, vibration at idle, excessive engine movement during acceleration, grinding sensation during shifts
Fix: The rear transmission mount deteriorates prematurely, especially on 7-speed automatic models. Requires mount replacement, 1.5-2.5 labor hours depending on access.
Estimated cost: $350-650
Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) Software Glitches
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: steering feels disconnected or vague, steering response delay, overcorrection at highway speeds, steering warning messages, inconsistent steering weight
Fix: The steer-by-wire system has persistent software calibration issues even after recalls. Requires dealer-level programming updates and sensor recalibration, 1-2 labor hours. Some cases never fully resolve.
Estimated cost: $200-400
Fuel System / High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (3.7L V6)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: hard starting when engine is hot, hesitation under acceleration, rough idle, fuel pressure codes, stalling
Fix: High-pressure fuel pump fails, requiring pump and filter replacement. Access requires removing rear seat or fuel tank depending on approach. 3-5 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400
Radiator Support Bracket Corrosion
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 80,000+ mi
Symptoms: radiator sagging or misaligned, coolant leaks from radiator mounting points, visible rust on radiator brackets, radiator fan noise from misalignment
Fix: The radiator support brackets rust through, especially in salt-belt states. Requires radiator removal and bracket replacement or welding repair. 2-4 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $400-900
Owner tips
Avoid 2014 Q50 Hybrid models entirely—the VQ35HR engine has catastrophic bearing failures that are essentially unrepairable economically
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually on 3.7L models; replace proactively at 70k miles to prevent cross-contamination
Test drive with focus on steering feel—any vagueness or disconnected sensation indicates DAS issues that may be unresolvable
Demand full service records showing transmission fluid has never been contaminated with coolant
Budget for transmission mount replacement as routine maintenance around 60k miles
Skip the 2014 Hybrid entirely; the 3.7L V6 is acceptable if transmission cooler lines have been replaced and steering system feels solid, but depreciation reflects these endemic issues for good reason.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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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.
Consequence: 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.
STEERING:AUTOMATED/ADAPTIVE STEERING · 16V430000
2016-06-13
Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Infiniti Q50 vehicles manufactured December 26, 2012, to December 11, 2015, and Infiniti Q50 Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to December 17, 2015. The Direct Adaptive Steering system may experience an error at vehicle start up altering the vehicle's steering responsiveness and turning radius.
Consequence: If the vehicle does not steer as the driver anticipates, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Direct Adaptive Steering ECU software, free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · 16V244000
2016-04-26 · EA15004
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · 14V138000
2014-03-25
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM · 13V588000
2013-11-20
Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 vehicles equipped with Direct Adaptive Steering. The affected vehicles received a power steering software version that, should the engine compartment reach freezing temperatures, the power steering software may disable the electric steering system and also may delay the engagement of the mechanical steering backup system.
Consequence: The disablement of the steering systems could result in a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan notified owners and arranged to have vehicles towed to the nearest Infiniti retailer. Customers were instructed not to drive their vehicles until they were repaired. Infiniti retailers provided affected customers with loaner vehicles, while the software update remedy was applied. These services were provided at no cost to the customer. Owners may contact Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
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