Audi Q5 problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 575 owner complaints and 19 safety recalls for the Audi Q5. That averages 12.8 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.32 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Luxury SUVs segment it ranks #5 of 9 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 14.2.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 18% of the 2018 and 2019 models (25 early complaints per model year versus 23).
The 2025 model year has the highest rate (24.1 complaints per year) and the 2020 model year the lowest (5.4). Model years 2018 and 2025 run at least 50% above this model's average of 12.8 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2019 and 2020 run at least 40% below this model's average of 12.8 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Electrical (28.5% of complaints), followed by Engine (17.9%) and Driver-assist systems (9.6%). Electrical complaints are 1.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 38 complaints (6.6%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 33 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 157 complaints versus 90 in the previous 12 months — up 74%. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (41). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 35 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2019 (4), 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 1 NHTSA investigation has covered this model; the latest is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Lexus NX, Audi Q7, Lexus RX and Mercedes-Benz GLE, but fewer than Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3, BMW X5 and Acura MDX.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ▲50%+ | 207 | 23.6 | 0.58 | 27 | 6 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2019 | 52 | 6.7 | 0.17 | 15 | 5 | Electrical | View › |
| 2020 Fewest complaints | 37 | 5.4 | 0.13 | 7 | 6 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 | 103 | 17.8 | 0.44 | 25 | 8 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 46 | 9.6 | 0.24 | 9 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2023 | 50 | 13.2 | 0.33 | 14 | 5 | Electrical | View › |
| 2024 | 34 | 12.2 | 0.3 | 16 | 4 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2025 ▲50%+ | 43 | 24.1 | 0.6 | 41 | 1 | Electrical | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 3 | 3.0 | 0.07 | 3 | 0 | Engine | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 157 · Previous 12 months: 90 Rising
Problem areas
Electrical ›
164 · 28.5% · 1.81 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Engine ›
103 · 17.9% · 0.8 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
55 · 9.6% · 1.67 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Unspecified or other ›
47 · 8.2% · 0.91 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
46 · 8.0% · 3.19 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Transmission / powertrain
36 · 6.3% · 0.54 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes
35 · 6.1% · 1.01 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Airbags & seat belts
26 · 4.5% · 1.19 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Body & structure
23 · 4.0% · 0.44 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering
13 · 2.3% · 0.35 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
11 · 1.9% · 1.04 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
10 · 1.7% · 0.4 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
6 · 1.0% · 0.67 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 35 months
What owners report
Mileage at time of incident: Approximately 4,000 miles Date of incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Incident description: My vehicle was in neutral while going through an automatic car wash, as instructed.
I purchased the car in October, 2023. The problem first happened in October, 2025 and not happened just once. The vehicle breaks unnecessarily and violently without any warning.
While vehicle is in motion or parked driver side seat belt sign comes up followed by air bags on and off message. Seatbelt was fastened. Attached pictures are when vehicle is parked.
After one year of use, the car seat developed a sudden defect. An internal rod slid out of place, protruding from the side of the car seat by about an inch.
Driving through the expressway a metal noice from the bottom of my car. One of the coil spring was out of the base and the other was broken. As the Audi dealer, the extended warranty doesn’t want to paid due to a corrosion on the bottom of the car.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Luxury SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus NX | 237 | 6.7 | 0.17 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 9 | Electrical |
| 2 | Audi Q7 | 364 | 6.8 | 0.17 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 20 | Engine |
| 3 | Lexus RX | 441 | 11.7 | 0.29 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 12 | Airbags & seat belts |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz GLE | 498 | 12.4 | 0.31 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 2 | Engine |
| 5 | Audi Q5 | 575 | 12.8 | 0.32 | Stable | Rising | 19 | Electrical |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | 529 | 13.3 | 0.33 | Worsening | Rising | 8 | Engine |
| 7 | BMW X3 | 665 | 15.9 | 0.39 | Improving | Rising | 40 | Electrical |
| 8 | BMW X5 | 825 | 22.8 | 0.56 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 44 | Electrical |
| 9 | Acura MDX | 981 | 26.6 | 0.66 | Stable | Rising | 16 | Engine |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 19
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 1
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (6) · 2019 (5) · 2020 (6) · 2021 (8) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (5) · 2024 (4) · 2025 (1) · 2026 (0)
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…