The successor to the well-regarded VQ35, found in the G37 — a genuinely improved design that addressed the earlier engine's timing chain guide concern while keeping its strong fundamentals.
This engine carries forward the VQ family's strong reputation while addressing the earlier VQ35's documented timing chain guide concern through a revised design. The addition of variable valve event and lift control (VVEL) adds a degree of mechanical complexity over the simpler VQ35, but this hasn't translated into a meaningfully worse reliability track record — if anything, the overall consensus among independent specialists is that this is one of the stronger engines in Infiniti's history.
Not a guarantee, but a pattern seen consistently across owner forums and independent-garage reporting.
Minor oil consumption, where reported, typically becomes noticeable within this range on a smaller subset of examples.
Core engine internals are routinely still original and sound on documented, well-maintained examples.
Ask for documented oil change history, since this high-revving engine is less forgiving of extended intervals than a more relaxed design.
Check oil level yourself if possible, given the minor consumption reports on a subset of examples.
Beyond general maintenance history, there's relatively little else specific to flag on this well-regarded engine.
Model-specific pages, with notes on how it behaves in that particular car.