Is Audi as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Audi 2.19 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Audi owners filed 2.3× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota 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 Toyota at a glance
| Audi | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 2.19 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.11 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #9 | #2 |
| Models covered | 7 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 1,471,435 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 3,228 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 90% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Electrical system 26.7% · Engine 21.9% · Air bags 12.2% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 159 (5.6 million) | 198 (15.8 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).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Audi vs Toyota 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 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Audi and Toyota 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
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
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 Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q5 1.64 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Q5's most-cited area is engine (26.9%); the RAV4's is electrical system (21.5%).
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%
1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,483 complaints / 3,155,248 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 21.5% · Engine 17.8% · Fuel / propulsion 13.6%
Midsize cars: Audi A6 vs Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi A6 2.88 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The A6's most-cited area is electrical system (45.5%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
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%
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Audi A4 vs Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi A4 2.07 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The A4's most-cited area is electrical system (40.9%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
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%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Three-row SUVs: Audi Q7 vs Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q7 3.14 vs Toyota Highlander 1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Q7's most-cited area is engine (23.5%); the Highlander's is powertrain / transmission (31.1%).
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%
1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,749,226 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2017–2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 31.1% · Brakes 11.8% · Electrical system 10.5%
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 as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Audi 2.19 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Audi owners filed 2.3× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Audi or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Audi logs 0.11 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10, within 10% of each other. Those are 5% of Audi's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Audi and Toyota rank overall?
Audi ranks #9 and Toyota #2 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 Toyota owners complain about most?
Audi: electrical system (26.7%), engine (21.9%), air bags (12.2%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (13.9%). 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 Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 159 Audi recall campaigns covering 5,571,343 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. 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 Toyota RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi Q5 1.64 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 464,476 and 3,155,248 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Q5: 2011, 2018, 2021. Years to avoid on the RAV4: 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Audi A6 more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Audi A6 2.88 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 112,292 and 2,788,813 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the A6: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019. Years to avoid on the Camry: 2008–2012, 2018–2020.