Infiniti QX50
Compact luxury crossover · 2008–2025. 10,722 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Nissan Motor Co. created it for its Infiniti luxury brand. The original EX35 was introduced in the U.S. by Mark Igo, vice president and general manager of Nissan North America's Infiniti Division; later Ben Poore, Infiniti vice president, championed it. The second generation was presented by Christian Meunier (Infiniti global division vice president), Randy Parker (vice president, Infiniti Americas) and François Bancon (vice president, product and programs). Its VC-Turbo engine was developed in Yokohama by the team of Shinichi Kiga, Nissan's chief powertrain engineer for gasoline engines. The releases reviewed do not identify an individual designer for each generation.
Original documents identify EX35 assembly at Nissan’s Tochigi plant in Japan. The model used the FM (front mid-ship) platform it shared with the Infiniti G, M and FX. The second generation was built from November 2017 at a new plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, built by Nissan together with Daimler (known as COMPAS), which was its only factory for the U.S. and Canada; the 2017 factory-launch report said the engine was shipped from Japan. Later Infiniti information identifies Decherd, Tennessee, so the Japanese origin is limited here to that launch account.
The EX35 made its world production debut on August 18, 2007 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, and went on sale at U.S. Infiniti retailers on December 21, 2007 as a 2008 model. For the 2014 model year it was renamed QX50. The second generation was revealed on November 24, 2017 as a 2019 model.
The releases reviewed do not explain the meaning of the letters EX; the number 35 or 37 marked the engine size (3.5 or 3.7 liters). In December 2012 Infiniti announced that, from the 2014 model year, its sedans and coupes would carry the letter Q and its crossovers and SUVs the letters QX, followed by two digits that show their rank in the lineup. The Q is a tribute to the Q45, Infiniti's first flagship in 1989.
Infiniti said its own customers had created the need for a "personal luxury crossover": a vehicle with coupe style and SUV utility. The second generation answered a market that had grown a lot: according to Infiniti, in 2017 midsize SUVs were 20% of premium sales worldwide and 30% in the U.S. So the new QX50 gained more interior room and an engine designed to deliver both power and fuel savings.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12008–2013 · J50 (EX35 / EX37)
EX35 and EX37: the coupe with an SUV's soul
Photo: Stradablog · CC BY 2.0 What changed. It was an all-new model: a compact luxury crossover with rear- or all-wheel drive, a 3.5-liter V6 with 297 hp and 253 lb-ft, and a 5-speed automatic. In 2008 it ran from $31,300 (EX35 RWD) to $36,250 (EX35 AWD Journey). For 2013 it became the EX37: it gained a 3.7-liter V6 with 325 hp and 267 lb-ft, a 7-speed automatic, and a starting MSRP of $36,350 in the September 2012 announcement, before additional charges.
The innovation. Around View Monitor, announced by Nissan as a world first: four 180-degree cameras on the front, sides and rear build a real-time bird's-eye view of the car so you can park without guessing. It reached the U.S. on the EX35, along with self-healing Scratch Shield paint for fine scratches and Lane Departure Prevention.
If you buy one usedFor certain 2008 EX35s, NHTSA lists 08V066 (airbag-control software and a deeply discharged battery), 08V521 (a defective component in the Continental passenger-occupant-classification unit), and 15V054 (power tilt/telescope steering: an out-of-round column tube can stress and fracture the bearing retainer, causing play or loss of steering; affected builds June 29, 2007–April 25, 2008). Campaign 09E050 concerns an aftermarket CURT hitch for certain 2008–2010 EX35s. Exact EX35 model-year 2009/2010 queries retained November 2, 2026 returned only that accessory campaign; EX35 2011/2012 and EX37 2013 queries returned zero rows. These observations do not clear an individual VIN. Check the VIN and service records with NHTSA and an INFINITI retailer. - Gen. 22014–2017 · J50 (QX50)
QX50: a new name and more rear room
Photo: Zytonits · CC BY-SA 2.0 What changed. Under Infiniti's new naming strategy, the EX37 was renamed QX50 for 2014, with the same 3.7-liter, 325-hp V6. For 2016 it got its big update: the wheelbase grew 3.2 inches (from 110.2 to 113.4) and rear legroom grew 4.3 inches. Its price went down at the same time: from $34,450 (RWD) and $35,850 (AWD) in September 2015.
The innovation. Infiniti lengthened the 2016 QX50's body to give the back seat 4.3 more inches of legroom without changing the engine or platform.
If you buy one usedExact NHTSA QX50 model-year 2014–2017 queries retained November 2, 2026 returned zero campaign rows. That observation does not replace an exact VIN/dealer check. This first-generation QX50 uses a seven-speed automatic. The 2016–2017 U.S. model has the longer body and more rear-seat room. - Gen. 32019–2025 · J55
The engine that changes its size
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 What changed. It was an all-new SUV on a front-wheel-drive-based platform, with high-strength steel that improved torsional rigidity 23% over the previous QX50. The V6 gave way to a 2.0-liter turbo four with 268 hp and 280 lb-ft, paired with a CVT. It gained a sliding rear bench, up to 60 cubic feet of cargo space and ProPILOT Assist, which helps with acceleration, braking and steering in a single highway lane. For 2025 it was trimmed to three grades, all with all-wheel drive.
The innovation. VC-Turbo, billed by Infiniti as the world’s first production-ready variable-compression engine. An electric-motor-actuated multilink mechanism varies compression from 8:1 to 14:1. The manufacturer specifies a stroke of 90.1 to 88.9 mm, a 1.2 mm difference; actual displacement varies from 1,997 to 1,970 cc and is marketed as 2.0 liters.
If you buy one usedCampaign 25V437 concerns certain 2019–2022 QX50 VC-Turbo engines with bearing manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure. Ask an INFINITI retailer for the current VIN-specific inspection and repair procedure. Other campaigns include 18V593 (2019 passenger knee-airbag cover in very cold crash conditions), 19V654 (2019 backup-camera settings), 21V025 (2020 illegible tire/loading placard), 21V402 (2021 steering knuckles or rear axle housings with improper heat treatment), 23V187 (2022 front-right passenger-door automatic locking), and 24V154 (2023–2024 driver-airbag inflators that may absorb moisture). IIHS rated the 2019 QX50 Good in the original moderate-overlap-front and original-side tests; headlight ratings range from Acceptable to Poor by configuration. Confirm eligibility and completed repairs by VIN.
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