Is Audi more reliable than BMW?
BMW comes out ahead: Audi 2.19 vs BMW 1.79 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). BMW owners filed 18% fewer complaints per vehicle sold than Audi owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Audi vs BMW at a glance
| Audi | BMW | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 2.19 | 1.79 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.11 | 0.16 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #9 | #8 |
| Models covered | 7 | 10 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 1,471,435 | 1,960,279 |
| Owner complaints | 3,228 | 3,514 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 90% | 77.3% |
| Top complaint areas | Electrical system 26.7% · Engine 21.9% · Air bags 12.2% | Engine 29.5% · Electrical system 25.2% · Powertrain / transmission 12.4% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 159 (5.6 million) | 275 (8.7 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Audi's count is driven most by 2017 Q7 complaints about lighting and engine (323, 10% of Audi's complaints). Other models with rates above Audi's overall 2.19: A3 (4.00), A6 (2.88).
- BMW's count is driven most by 2019 X5 complaints about electrical system and engine (195, 5.5% of BMW's complaints). Other models with rates above BMW's overall 1.79: X1 (3.25), X3 (1.86).
Audi vs BMW complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | 2.69 | 1.84 | 2.70 | 2.85 | 1.63 | 2.85 | 1.64 | 0.99 |
| BMW | 2.88 | 2.24 | 1.96 | 1.72 | 1.94 | 1.86 | 1.35 | 0.90 |
What Audi and BMW owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Audi
- Electrical system26.7% · 863
- Engine21.9% · 706
- Air bags12.2% · 395
- Fuel / propulsion9.2% · 297
- Lighting7.1% · 229
- Powertrain / transmission6.7% · 215
BMW
- Engine29.5% · 1,035
- Electrical system25.2% · 887
- Powertrain / transmission12.4% · 434
- Fuel / propulsion8.5% · 297
- Air bags7.8% · 273
- Brakes6.5% · 228
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact SUVs: Audi Q5 vs BMW X3
The Audi Q5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q5 1.64 vs BMW X3 1.86 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (26.9% and 28.4% of complaints).
1.64 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 763 complaints / 464,476 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2018, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 26.9% · Electrical system 24% · Brakes 8.7%
1.86 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 838 complaints / 449,707 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2022
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 28.4% · Electrical system 27.7% · Body structure 9.8%
Three-row SUV vs midsize suv: Audi Q7 vs BMW X5
The BMW X5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q7 3.14 vs BMW X5 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (23.5% and 30.6% of complaints).
Audi Q7
3.14 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 718 complaints / 228,592 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2017–2019, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 23.5% · Lighting 23% · Electrical system 20.2%
1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 875 complaints / 446,671 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2011, 2019, 2021, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 30.6% · Electrical system 26.9% · Powertrain / transmission 16.5%
Compact cars: Audi A4 vs BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi A4 2.07 vs BMW 3 Series 1.43 complaints per 1,000 sold. The A4's most-cited area is electrical system (40.9%); the 3 Series's is engine (42.6%).
2.07 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 433 complaints / 208,724 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2009, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 40.9% · Engine 17.6% · Backup camera 15.9%
BMW 3 Series
1.43 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 491 complaints / 343,292 sold, MY 2016–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 42.6% · Electrical system 22.4% · Fuel / propulsion 10.2%
Midsize cars: Audi A6 vs BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi A6 2.88 vs BMW 5 Series 1.71 complaints per 1,000 sold. The A6's most-cited area is electrical system (45.5%); the 5 Series's is engine (34.1%).
Audi A6
2.88 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 323 complaints / 112,292 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009–2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 45.5% · Engine 31.9% · Powertrain / transmission 9.9%
BMW 5 Series
1.71 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 464 complaints / 270,769 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 34.1% · Electrical system 28.2% · Air bags 18.1%
Subcompact SUVs: Audi Q3 vs BMW X1
The Audi Q3 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q3 1.25 vs BMW X1 3.25 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Q3's most-cited area is electrical system (25.8%); the X1's is powertrain / transmission (19.5%).
Audi Q3
1.25 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 213 complaints / 170,321 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 25.8% · Engine 24.9% · Fuel / propulsion 16.9%
BMW X1
3.25 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 519 complaints / 159,657 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 19.5% · Electrical system 17.1% · Engine 16%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Audi more reliable than BMW?
BMW comes out ahead: Audi 2.19 vs BMW 1.79 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). BMW owners filed 18% fewer complaints per vehicle sold than Audi owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Audi or BMW?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Audi logs 0.11 per 1,000 sold and BMW 0.16. Those are 5% of Audi's complaints and 9% of BMW's.
Where do Audi and BMW rank overall?
Audi ranks #9 and BMW #8 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Audi and BMW owners complain about most?
Audi: electrical system (26.7%), engine (21.9%), air bags (12.2%). BMW: engine (29.5%), electrical system (25.2%), powertrain / transmission (12.4%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Audi or BMW?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 159 Audi recall campaigns covering 5,571,343 vehicles and 275 BMW campaigns covering 8,732,802. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Audi Q5 more reliable than the BMW X3?
The Audi Q5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q5 1.64 vs BMW X3 1.86 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 464,476 and 449,707 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Q5: 2011, 2018, 2021. Years to avoid on the X3: 2008, 2019–2022.
Is the Audi Q7 more reliable than the BMW X5?
The BMW X5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q7 3.14 vs BMW X5 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 228,592 and 446,671 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Q7: 2017–2019, 2021. Years to avoid on the X5: 2008, 2011, 2019, 2021, 2024.