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Infiniti QX56Model year report

2011 Infiniti QX56 Problems

Compared with other Infiniti QX56 years

Typical for this model

50/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
78filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
90,000miles, 62 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
16 mpgcombined, 5.6L 8-cyl RWD · 14 city / 20 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Infiniti QX56 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 QX56 most often describe two expensive patterns: a timing chain that starts to whine or rattle and can leave the vehicle without power, and repeated catalytic converter failures that set the check engine light and fail emissions testing. Complaints also cover rear suspension and subframe corrosion, fuel delivery problems such as hard starting or a fuel smell, and a fuel gauge that reads erratically. Most reports arrive past 75,000 miles, often well past 100,000.

  1. Engine

    Timing chain noise and loss of power

    Mentioned in 16 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe a whining, rattling or squealing noise from the engine area, most noticeable at start-up or at idle, sometimes followed by jerking, vibration and a sudden loss of power or limp mode. Several owners were told by a dealer or independent shop that the timing chain (some refer to it as the timing belt) needed replacement; some describe an extended-cranking or no-start condition linked to the same repair. Others report being denied assistance because the vehicle was out of warranty or had not been serviced at a dealer. Most reports fall between roughly 50,000 and 150,000 miles, with many around 80,000-100,000.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Listen for a whine or rattle at cold start and at idle, and ask for service records showing whether the timing chain and related parts were replaced. A pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with the VK56 engine is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Through my research and speaking with Infiniti mechanics there has been a known issue with timing chains and associate parts that are a hazard and a major expense to 2011-2012 infinity QX56 owners. This issue will leave you stranded somewhere!! It happens to my wife and I three times!!! I had to get it towed all three times!! The hazard is while driving on highway the engine just loses all power leaving the hazard of someone running in back of you. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10819153, filed 2016-01, 74,000 miles

    “The SUV was driving without issue; however, if the timing chain had broken we would have had an engine stall which could have caused an accident. We heard a noise in the car and decided to be safe and take it in for service. After getting to the Infiniti dealership of gwinnett the noise had subsided. We explained we heard a whining noise when the car was starting up that went away after a time. The noise wasn't even evident but they knew what it was before even hearing it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10821654, filed 2016-01, 79,900 miles
  2. Engine

    Catalytic converter failure and check engine light

    • 29 complaints (37%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (23 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $3,100 (median of 7 quotes)
    • filed 2016–2026

    Owners describe the service engine light coming on, sometimes with reduced power or poor fuel economy, and a shop reading codes P0420 or P0430 for catalyst efficiency. Many report that one converter was replaced and the second side failed months later, and several mention quotes in the low thousands of dollars per side. Some owners say a dealer or the manufacturer declined goodwill help after the emissions warranty period. Commonly reported from about 78,000 to 130,000 miles, with several cases just past 100,000.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Scan for stored or pending P0420/P0430 codes, ask whether either converter has been replaced and when, and confirm the vehicle currently passes an emissions or smog inspection before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Less than a year after I got the timing debacle fixed, I get a check engine light on 2011 QX56. According to my warranty approved mechanic both cats were gone and were not covered. This complaint is the beginning of my goal of getting assurant or Infiniti to own this problem since the combined ca and fed cat warranty is 150k miles. My warranty should cover.”

    NHTSA complaint #11252448, filed 2019-08, 102,000 miles

    “Today, I was told that I have to replace the catalytic converter, which going to cost me $2,000. I am the original car owner. I researched other sites and it appears there catalytic converter issues on Infiniti 2011 - 2013 QX56 vehicles. Please look into these websites. There should be some type of recall for these vehicles regarding the catalytic converter. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11091678, filed 2018-05, 100,000 miles
  3. Suspension

    Rear suspension and subframe corrosion or fracture

    • 7 complaints (9%)
    • median 70,902 mi at 4.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2011–2024

    Complaints describe the rear of the vehicle swaying or stepping sideways, especially over bridge joints, patches or uneven pavement, and some report a rear lower control arm or subframe that cracked or split. Owners in several cases mention rust on the rear suspension and underbody, and reports note that dealers or the manufacturer did not cover the repair as a warranty item. Reports span roughly 20,000 to 100,000 miles, though several describe failure in the 80,000-100,000 mile range; corrosion-related cases often involve road-salt climates.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the rear suspension and subframe inspected on a lift for rust, cracks and play, and check rear tire wear for uneven camber. Ask whether the axle clicking bulletin work or any suspension repairs were done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I purchased my 2011 Infiniti qx56in january of 2015 with 36,6036 miles on it. I take excellent care of my vehicle mechanically and cleanliness. On august 17th, 2019 my back a frame and other rear suspension broke due to corrosion and the metal split apart. My under carriage also looks like and old car. My car is washed twice a week even in the winter to remove the salt. This is not covered under any of my warranties. It is going to cost me $5,200.00 to make this repair. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11245467, filed 2019-08, 82,000 miles

    “When driving 40-70 MPH and hitting any road irregularities (offsets in pavement at bridges, old to new pavement, man hole covers, road patches) the vehicle back end skips sideways with a loss of control. The vehicle will start to head into the next lane and needs to be steered in the opposite direction to correct it. We do not feel safe driving it. Others in the car have said they have never experienced anything like it. Dealership is telling us this is normal. Vehicle is under warranty and we can't get resolution to this.”

    NHTSA complaint #10543700, filed 2013-09, 21,000 miles
  4. Fuel system

    Fuel delivery faults, stalls and fuel smell

    • 8 complaints (10%)
    • median 121,089 mi at 9.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2015–2022

    Owners report loss of power, shaking, stalling and a check engine light, with codes P0087, P0090 and P0021 pointing to the high-pressure fuel pump or related fuel system parts. Some describe a strong gasoline smell and visible fuel leaking from a line fitting at the back of the engine, and others report that a dealer determined their VIN was not covered by a related campaign. Reported from as low as about 24,000 miles up to roughly 150,000 miles, with the leak reports clustering under 55,000 miles.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Smell for fuel around the engine bay after a cold start and look for wet or stained areas near fuel lines. Have the vehicle scanned for fuel-system codes and ask whether the fuel pump or line repairs have been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On june 1st 2020 I took my 2011 Infiniti QX56 to the shop for having the code p0087. The shop told me that I should take it to the dealership because the problems the vehicle is having are recalled under voluntary safety recall campaign. When I called my local Infiniti dealership they told me my VIN # doesn't doesn't show as recalled. They dealership provided me with the phone number of Infiniti consumer affairs. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11353447, filed 2020-09, 121,089 miles

    “While driving my 2011infiniti QX56 to work, the service engine light came on and the vehicle start losing power and shaking.after checking it I had codespoo21,poo87 and poo90. The codes are related to vvt solenoid and high pressure fuel pump.”

    NHTSA complaint #11388665, filed 2021-01, 147,032 miles
  5. Fuel system

    Erratic fuel gauge and hard refueling

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the fuel gauge jumping between readings, showing empty when the tank is not empty, or never reading full, and some owners mention the range estimate swinging by tens of miles within seconds. Others report the filling nozzle shutting off repeatedly before the tank is full, and owners say a dealer quoted a repair cost without coverage. Mostly reported between about 100,000 and 170,000 miles; the refueling complaint appears at a wide range of mileages.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Fill the tank during the test drive to see whether the gauge reads full and whether the nozzle clicks off early. Ask whether the fuel level sending unit or EVAP vent parts have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On a full tank of gas I am only able to get about 200 miles before empty. I recently filled up the gas tank and drove 25 miles and I have 3/4 of a tank of fuel left. I mainly drive in the city, but the recent 25 mile example was highway driving with cruise control on.”

    NHTSA complaint #11291203, filed 2019-12, 165,000 miles

    “Fuel leveling sensor is faulty in a large variety of Infiniti cars, but there is not recall for my VIN. The car's fuel gauge goes up and down all the time and tells me I'm on empty when I'm not and never registers full even when it was just filled up. It can jump from reading 330 miles left to empty down to 299 and back up to 330 in just a few seconds. The diagnostic confirmed a problem, but they want over $1,000 to fix a known problem in many of their makes and models. This doesn't even touch on the timing chain issue that is faulty as well. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10883600, filed 2016-07, 102,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection that scans for catalyst and fuel-system codes, checks timing chain noise at cold start, and looks closely at rear suspension rust will tell you most of what you need to know. Service records showing prior timing chain, converter or fuel system work matter more than mileage alone on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 78 consumer complaints for the 2011 Infiniti QX56. 62 of the complaints include a mileage, and 13% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 90,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 167 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Infiniti QX56 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 50 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (2), Equipment (1), Steering (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “Engine is making loud whining noise and jerks. Noise is heard when the truck starts and is on iddle. There was a service bulletin issued in 2016 itb16-015. We were never notified of this campaign. When calling infinity corporate they denied fixing the issue because they could not see the maintenance record for the truck since it was not taken to an infinity dealer. The truck gets maintenance from other places like jiffy lube etc. Our claim was denied they said the campagin expired in february 2018.”

NHTSA complaint #11318253, filed 2020-03, 100,000 miles

Fuel system: “A check engine light (cel) appeared on my 2011 Infiniti QX56 at 89k miles. Error is a bad catalytic converter on bank 1. The exact message on odb2 reader is: p0420 catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 1. This issue just happened after I just replaced a bad o2 sensor after a cel.”

NHTSA complaint #11255738, filed 2019-09, 89,000 miles

Suspension: “I purchased this vehicle from a reputable infinity dealership on january 31,2013 with 41,669 miles,and I also purchased the extended elite protection program warranty for 5 years for $4,978.00.on may 5th, 2015, I brought this vehicle in for a state inspection sticker, which was rejected because my rear tires were worn out badly with only 15,725 miles on them.these were top-of -the-line michelin ltx with a warranty of 70,000 miles.I brought this SUV into the infinity dealership where it was purchased and they stated that the rear cambers were corroded and rear tows were frozen, and I had to…”

NHTSA complaint #10764090, filed 2015-09, 70,902 miles

Other or unknown: “In june 2017, I had the vehicle into the dealership for the power train recall. In july 2017 (87k miles), I had a 420 bank 1 cat code, and replaced one catalytic converter. In december 2017 (94k miles), the 'check engine soon' light illuminated again, and the 430 code shows the other catalytic converter (bank 2) needs to be replaced. It seems the cats on these vehicles are terrible, and once one goes out, the other fails too. This is very expensive...about $2,000 each in my case. This seems too common based on the reviews I've read online now. …”

NHTSA complaint #11053551, filed 2017-12, 90,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

13% of the 62 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 70,902 and 112,000 miles.

5%0–105%10–253%25–5016%50–7526%75–10035%100–15010%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (62 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 90,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’13’15’1716’19’21’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Infiniti QX56 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
QX56 2WD5.6L 8-cyl7-speed automatic142016$5,150
QX56 4WD5.6L 8-cyl7-speed automatic142016$5,150

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Infiniti QX56 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 167 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 167 bulletins →

Other model years of the Infiniti QX56

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201332102,5003—1629 · FewerFalling
20125784,2783—1651 · TypicalFalling
20117890,0002—1650 · TypicalFalling
20102660,1222—1441 · TypicalFalling
20097133,0962—14—Not enough data
20085392,0003—1450 · TypicalRising
20072194,5001—14—Stable
20068093,3213—14Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20058092,0003—14Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200410686,3811—14Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Infiniti QX56 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Infiniti QX56?

Owners of the 2011 QX56 most often describe two expensive patterns: a timing chain that starts to whine or rattle and can leave the vehicle without power, and repeated catalytic converter failures that set the check engine light and fail emissions testing. The issues reported most often: Timing chain noise and loss of power; Catalytic converter failure and check engine light; Rear suspension and subframe corrosion or fracture.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Infiniti QX56 have?

NHTSA recorded 78 consumer complaints for the 2011 Infiniti QX56 as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Infiniti QX56 is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 37 complaints (47% of the total), followed by fuel system with 20.

Has the 2011 Infiniti QX56 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Infiniti QX56 get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Infiniti QX56 (QX56 2WD, 5.6L 8-cyl) at 16 mpg combined, 14 city and 20 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,150 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Infiniti QX56 reported?

Among the 62 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 90,000 miles and the middle half falls between 70,902 and 112,000 miles; 13% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.