InfinitiQX502021Overview/infiniti/qx50/2021/base/

2021 Infiniti QX50

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 QX50.

Transmission Automatic (AV-S8)

The 2021 Infiniti QX50 is a model-year entry in the nameplate’s 2014–2025 run, specified with a 4.9-quart 5W-30 oil capacity, an AV-S8 automatic transmission, and EPA ratings of 23 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. Owner-reported reliability data show 39 complaints and two recalls, with engine issues standing out as the top complaint area. That places the 2021 model well below the 2019 peak of 131 complaints yet above the 2025 low of one, signaling a moderate, engine-focused reliability profile rather than a clean or troubled outlier.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920172016

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque83 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/29/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 1520865F1E. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Tire sizeP255/45RF20 101VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter1520865F1E
Engine air filter165465NA1C
Spark plug224015NA1C
Front wiper blades288905NA1A discontinued · alt 288905NA0A
Serpentine belt117205NA0B
Thermostat212505NA4A
Cabin air filterH72776CA1J alt H72775NA1J

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (AV-S8)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length185 in
Overall width75.2 in
Overall height66.1 in
Wheelbase110.2 in
Curb weight4173 lb
Track (front / rear)64.6 / 64.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)59/41

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 29 / 26 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the QX50 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.2–6.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.20 sec — 2020 Essential
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2020Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.20 sec14.80 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.30 sec14.80 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.40 sec15.00 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.40 sec14.90 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.10 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.60 sec15.10 sec268 hpAWD
2019Essential 2.0L Turbo I-46.70 sec15.20 sec268 hpAWD
2024Autograph 2.0L Turbo I-46.90 sec15.40 sec268 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, 75W-80 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 83 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to A new washer must be used: 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidNissan CVT NS-3 Fluid
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity9.2 qt
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil75W-80
Engine CoolantNissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
Engine Coolant Capacity8.1 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · Synthetic
Engine Oil Capacity4.9 qt

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts80.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain PlugA new washer must be used: 25.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill Plug26.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain PlugA new washer must be used: 26.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts83 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill PlugA new gasket must be used: 26.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain PlugA new gasket must be used: 26.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)Setting Speed: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)Setting Speed: 25 rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.21 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46YF
Oil Capacity3.70 oz

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)73.0 psi
RPM@ Idle rpm

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque25.0
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 107.0 ft-lbs; Rear: 56.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque6.6
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.260; Rear: .551
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0003
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0014; Rear: .0020

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Inspection Procedure (Upper) — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Inspect turning force and axial end play. The specifications given are for the turning force needed to rotate the ball stud.
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
117.0 inch lbs., Step 2: 17.0 inch lbs., Step 3: 52.0 inch lbs., Step 4: 84.0 inch lbs.17 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
144.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 132.044 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
122.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 54-66°22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
130.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 120°, Step 3: 120°30 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
118.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Bolt 1: 18.018 ft. lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
1All Bolts except Lowest Bolt18 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant at 105,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 105,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 11,250 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Keyless Entry Remote Battery (replace)
Every 15,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)
Every 20,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 105,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

From 2014 through 2017 the Infiniti QX50 recorded very few complaints (2‑13 per year) and no recalls, investigations, or notable complaint spikes. Complaints surged in 2019 to 131 with three recalls and one investigation, then fell sharply to 30 complaints and two recalls in 2020. The 2021 model year sits after that peak, with 39 complaints, two recalls, and one investigation—higher than the 2022‑2025 range but well below the 2019 high. Technical service bulletins also show a steady decline from 103 in 2014 to 126 in 2021 and further down to 2 by 2025. The top complaint areas for 2021 are Engine (11), Engine & Engine Cooling (7), Unknown Or Other (2), and Forward Collision Avoidance (2). Given its moderate complaint and recall levels—better than the 2019 peak but worse than the subsequent low‑complaint years—the 2021 QX50 presents a mixed risk profile that may be acceptable only if the purchase price reflects this intermediate reliability.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
126
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
39
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 39 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine11
Engine & Engine Cooling7
Unknown Or Other2
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Power Train,Electrical System,Engine1
Electrical System,Unknown Or Other1
Electrical System,Lane Departure,Forward Collision Avoidance1
Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V402000Suspension:Rear:Axle:SpindleReported 27/05/2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Nissan Murano, INFINITI QX60, 2021 Nissan GT-R, INFINITI QX50, and Q50 vehicles. The front steering knuckle or rear axle housing may have insufficient… Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckle and rear axle housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2021. Nissan…

25V437000Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/MechanicalReported 27/06/2025

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression… Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 126 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
ITB09-063C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
ITB21-021A2025-10-06StructureIF YOU CONFIRM The client states that either the rear hatch is inoperative, or the rear…
ITB23-023A2025-02-20Electrical SystemAEB WARNING LIGHT IS ON WITH WARNING MESSAGES DISPLAYED ON COMBINATION METER APPLIED…
ITB19-024D2024-09-19Air BagsDTC B00A0-00 STOREIF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored…
ITB22-020B2024-08-15Electrical SystemTELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT RESET AFTER AUTOMATIC COLLISION NOTIFICATION SERVICE INFORMATION…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific QX50. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2021 QX50 take?

4.9 qt of Nissan/Infiniti 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil, per the factory manual.

Does the 2021 QX50 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the QX50 get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 29 highway / 26 combined mpg.