NHTSA Complaint #11717171 — 2021 INFINITI QX50

On October 29, 2025, my Infiniti QX50 was repaired at Naples Infiniti after the engine under shield detached while driving, ripping off the passenger-side wheel well liner. The technician stated the failure was likely caused by missing bolts from a prior oil change approximately two weeks earlier. Based on that representation, I authorized the repair. That explanation later proved to be incorrect. On January 18, 2026, the entire under shield detached again while driving, once more tearing off the wheel well trim and additional underbody plastic components. This second incident also caused a visible gouge in a new tire. This was the second identical failure, creating a significant and ongoing safety hazard. Subsequent research shows a well-documented pattern affecting 2019–2021 Infiniti QX50 vehicles, where underbody components detach while driving. This strongly suggests a design or materials defect, not isolated maintenance error. On January 19, 2026, while driving to Naples Infiniti to drop the vehicle off following the second failure, additional plastic components detached from the vehicle, nearly causing an accident. Photographs are available documenting the damage and debris. I immediately reported this to Infiniti, and they deny any wrongdoing or vehicle design defects.