The Lemon Index
Nissan's 3.0 L twin-turbo 60° V6, DOHC in the Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 and Z, model years 2016–2026. YouTube likes the 2023 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 51/100, #68 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 4 known issues listed below.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 9 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2016–2026, about any part of the car. Performance versions are mostly filed under their base model (a Shelby GT500 is filed as a Mustang), so we only count complaints whose model name or the owner's own words tie them to this engine, and lead with YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes.
Why the car page shows more: the Z page counts 5 complaints and 2 recall campaigns for 2023–2025, everything NHTSA files as "Z", other engines included. This page counts only the 9 complaints and 2 recalls we can tie to the Nissan VR30DDTT 3.0 twin-turbo V6 by model name or the owner's own words.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2023 (58) and least about the 2016 (43); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 0 | 43 (59 videos) | 0 |
| 2017 | Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 2 | 47 (60 videos) | 0 |
| 2018 | Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 2 | 54 (63 videos) | 0 |
| 2019 | Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 0 | 49 (59 videos) | 0 |
| 2020 | Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 0 | 49 (58 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 0 | 50 (60 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 0 | 44 (58 videos) | 0 |
| 2023 | Z, Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 2 | 58 (131 videos) | 2 |
| 2024 | Z, Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 | 2 | 53 (117 videos) | 2 |
| 2025 | Z | 1 | 54 (86 videos) | 0 |
| 2026 | Z | 0 | 57 (88 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 2
None of them is about the engine itself.
24V798000 Structure · Nissan Z 2023–24
The connectors for the right-side pedestrian detection sensors may be reversed in the front bumper harness, which can prevent the pop-up engine hood from activating as intended.
23V725000 Structure · Nissan Z 2023–24
The fasteners in the left-side front bumper reinforcement clip may loosen, which can prevent the pop-up engine hood from activating.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Nissan told dealers about
Nissan sent dealers 1 repair note about the engine on these cars.
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Known issues on record
- Turbo bearing oil leaks (Infiniti cars) (Maker bulletin). On 2016–2018 Infiniti Q50 and 2017–2018 Q60 with this engine, turbo bearings can wear early and leak oil inside, causing white smoke, a check-engine light and sometimes lost power. Owners of later Q50s report the same in NHTSA complaints. Fix: Infiniti extended turbo coverage on those cars to 10 years or 120,000 miles; the Z is not part of it.
- Second-gear grind, early manual cars (transmission) (Maker bulletin). In late 2022 Nissan held all manual 2023 Zs at dealers over second-gear shifting, then replaced the gearbox on 174 cars with a manufacturing fault. Fix: Fixed before sale; Nissan says the fault was corrected in production.
- Check-engine light, MAF codes P0101 / P010B (Maker bulletin). On the 2023 Z, a leaking or loose intake air duct can set airflow sensor codes and turn on the check-engine light. Fix: Dealer checks and reseats the intake ducts (Nissan bulletin NTB23-006).
- Stall after hard acceleration (Infiniti recall) (Recall). On 2021 Infiniti Q50 and Q60, engine software could cut fuel after rapid acceleration and stall the engine. Fix: Dealer reprograms the engine computer for free (NHTSA 21V-234); the Z is not included. 1 owner complaint to NHTSA mention it (RZ34 Z).
- No engine recall on the Z so far (NHTSA records). NHTSA lists two Z recalls, both for the pop-up hood, and no engine recall for 2023–2025 Zs. Few owner complaints are on file.
Sources: INFINITI campaign bulletin P4A05/P4A06: turbocharger emission warranty extension (Feb 2025), NHTSA owner complaints, 2019 Infiniti Q50 (turbo failures outside the extension), Nissan dealer announcement PC922: quality hold on 2023 Z manual cars (Oct 2022), Nissan dealer announcement P2A19: 6-speed manual replaced on 174 2023 Zs (Nov 2022), Nissan bulletin NTB23-006: MIL on with DTC P0101 / P010B, 2023 Z (Jan 2023), NHTSA recall 21V-234: 2021 Infiniti Q50 / Q60 engine stall after rapid acceleration, NHTSA recalls for the 2023–2024 Nissan Z (23V-725, 24V-798, pop-up hood). The same list as on the Z page.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400 Q50, Q50 AWD, Q50 Red Sport, Q50 Red Sport AWD, Q50S, Q50S AWD ... · Infiniti Q50, every year | 2016–24 |
| Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400 Q60, Q60 AWD, Q60 Red Sport, Q60 Red Sport AWD, Q60S Red Sport, Q60S Red Sport AWD | 2017–22 |
| Nissan Z Z | 2023–26 |
Engine code: VR30DDTT. Iwaki, Fukushima. Power: 300–420 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Nissan VR engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the Nissan VR30DDTT 3.0 twin-turbo V6 engine?
In the US: the Infiniti Q50 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Infiniti Q60 3.0t / Red Sport 400, Nissan Z, model years 2016–2026. See the version table for each one.
Is the Nissan VR30DDTT 3.0 twin-turbo V6 reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone 51/100, #68 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 4 known issues listed below. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: the government files most performance versions under their base model. Its cars had 2 recalls (0 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Nissan VR30DDTT 3.0 twin-turbo V6 make?
300–420 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.