Audi Q5 Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2009–2026, owners filed 1,285 complaints about the Audi Q5 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Q5 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2011, 2018 and 2021 as years to avoid and rates 2009 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1,285
NHTSA owner complaints (2009–2026)
65
Complaints citing a crash
33
Recall campaigns
3
Years to avoid
Most-reported Audi Q5 problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2009–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2009–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 304 | 24% | 3 | 10 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 251 | 20% | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Air bags | 174 | 14% | 19 | 0 | 13 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 128 | 10% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 104 | 8% | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| Steering | 101 | 8% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 98 | 8% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 97 | 8% | 16 | 0 | 9 |
Of all 1,285 complaints, 65 (5%) report a crash, 14 (1%) a fire and 44 (3%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (327 complaints), the most-reported areas are the electrical system (110), automatic emergency braking (80), the engine (60), the transmission (41).
Audi Q5 complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each Q5 model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 31 | 6 | Air bags | Better year |
| 2010 | 100 | 4 | Air bags | — |
| 2011 | 143 | 5 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2012 | 4 | 6 | Body structure | — |
| 2013 | 92 | 5 | Engine | — |
| 2014 | 106 | 5 | Engine | — |
| 2015 | 100 | 6 | Engine | — |
| 2016 | 78 | 5 | Engine | — |
| 2017 | 42 | 5 | Engine | — |
| 2018 | 209 | 6 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2019 | 53 | 5 | Electrical system | — |
| 2020 | 37 | 6 | Electrical system | — |
| 2021 | 104 | 8 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2022 | 46 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
| 2023 | 52 | 5 | Electrical system | — |
| 2024(new) | 35 | 4 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2025(new) | 49 | 1 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2026(new) | 4 | 0 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Audi Q5 recalls
NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns across Audi Q5 model years 2009–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V369000Jun 1, 2018 | 2018 | Service brakes — foundation components / disc / caliper | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 17V001000Jan 3, 2017 | 2011–2017 | Visibility / wipers — sun/moon roof assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. The sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side head air bag inflator canister resulting in the… |
| 23V842000Dec 13, 2023 | 2020–2024 | Electrical system — propulsion system / charging / cable/cord / onboard | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7… |
| 18V229000Apr 11, 2018 | 2013–2017 | Engine & cooling — cooling system | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with… |
| 17V298000May 3, 2017 | 2013–2017 | Fuel system — delivery / fuel pump | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Audi Q5 and 2013-2017 Audi Q7 vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel pump flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak. |
Best and worst Q5 years
- Years to avoid: 2011, 2018 and 2021.
- Better years: 2009.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
What to inspect on a used Audi Q5
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Audi Q5 can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Audi Q5 reliability FAQ
Is the Audi Q5 reliable?
Across model years 2009–2026, owners filed 1,285 complaints about the Audi Q5 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Q5 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2011, 2018 and 2021 as years to avoid and rates 2009 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Audi Q5 problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2009–2026, the most-reported areas are the engine (304), the electrical system (251), air bags (174) and the fuel system (128). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the electrical system, automatic emergency braking and the engine. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Audi Q5 should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2011, 2018 and 2021 as years to avoid and rates 2009 as a better year. Each model year is compared only with other Q5 years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Audi Q5 last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 0.3% of 12,689 used Q5 listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 2.4% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 1.3% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Audi Q5 have?
NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns covering Audi Q5 model years 2009–2026. The one covering the most model years is 18V369000 (service brakes, 2018). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Audi Q5?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Q5 reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Audi Q5, model years 2009–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Q5 model year only with other Q5 years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Q5 compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.