MODELYEARINDEX

Which Infiniti QX56 years to avoid

No Infiniti QX56 model year in 2011–2012 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2012 and 2011, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Infiniti QX56 Full report
C
Grade 2011–2012
2012 vs model median 1.4×
Model median3× median
Engine 6
Brakes 3
Airbags & Restraints 2
Weakest

2011 · 2012

Best

2011 · 2012

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.63× 10 B
2012
1.38× 16 C

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2011 B 10 reports · median 21,000 mi

  1. Lights & Visibility 3

    The contact owns a 2011 infiniti QX56. The contact stated that there was a six inch fracture in the front windshield under the wiper. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Suspension 2

    Our 2011 infiniti QX56 cannot be properly controlled at speed when any rough pavement, pot hole, bridge connection joints, or similar is ran over. The vehicle shakes violently with little if any control by the driver. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 2

    Problems with the timing belt chain on newer model infiniti QX56. Problem of car making whistling noise appeared early after purchase and intermittently thereafter but became prominent in july 2011. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
2012 C 16 reports · median 42,000 mi

  1. Engine 6

    The contact owns a 2012 infiniti QX56. While driving 60 MPH, the contact noticed that the vehicle had suddenly stalled without warning. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 3

    The contact owns a 2012 infiniti QX56. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH and slightly applying the brakes, the brakes seized, causing the vehicle to stop instantly. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 2

    Air bags do not engage when my wife sits in front seat. She weighs 100 pounds but I would think air bag system should work for an adult of this size. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the QX56

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2011 is the best-scoring QX56 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 79.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2011 0.63× 10 B
2012 1.38× 16 C

Recalls

3 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
20V188000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011, 2012 216,678
26V455000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2011, 2012 168,149
14V683000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2012 133,592

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2012 were reported at a median of 42,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Infiniti QX56 years should you avoid?
No Infiniti QX56 model year in 2011–2012 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2012 and 2011.
What is the best year for the Infiniti QX56?
2011 is the best-scoring Infiniti QX56 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 79.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Infiniti QX56 have?
3 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Infiniti QX56 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2012 QX56
Complaints in window
16
Severity-weighted
22
Model median (weighted)
16
vs model median
1.38×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 58.1 C