Infiniti M56 Reliability

Owners filed 16 complaints about the M56: 1.23 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars. The year to avoid is 2011; the cleanest year old enough to judge is 2012.

NHTSA owner complaints · 16 complaints · 2011–2013 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age, so 81.2% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 7 complaints, typically at 7.7 years.

Infiniti M56 years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Infiniti M56 — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
2012133yes
20111.22119yes
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 2 Infiniti M56 years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2011, 2012; the three worth hunting are 2012, 2011.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Infiniti M56 — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
2 years212.5%covered
3 years118.8%covered
4 years125%you pay
6 years237.5%you pay
7 years250%you pay
8 years475%you pay
10 years393.8%you pay
12 years1100%you pay
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 18.8% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 81.2% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (6 years / 70,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 75% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Infiniti M56, the early trouble is Seat Belts — reported at around 2 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 7.7 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Infiniti M56 — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Power Train77.7 yrs——
Engine56.8 yrs——
Electrical System35 yrs——
Fuel/propulsion System38.7 yrs——
Air Bags27 yrs——
Steering26.5 yrs——
Unknown Or Other25 yrs——
Seat Belts12 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the M56's vehicle class.

FIG.05·Infiniti M56 — rivals in the same class
Same class as the M56Complaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Toyota Camry20,0391611983–2026
Honda Accord24,3694151981–2026
Dodge Challenger1,696771981–2026
Toyota Prius12,8731092001–2026
Hyundai Elantra9,0901171992–2026
Nissan Altima15,6571481993–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Infiniti M56 reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.23 against 3.73 for the average car.

When do M56 problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 7.7 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover M56 problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 18.8% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 75% of the complaints here.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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