What breaks most · 2009 to 2018 model years
Audi Q5 problems by year
Owners have filed 503 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Audi Q5 across model years 2009 to 2018. Two years stand out: 2012 for air bags complaints and 2011 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 5032009 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2012114 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 196 fires · 15 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 45kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 53Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | 6 | Air bags (12) | |
| 76 | 2 | 4 | Air bags (49) | |
| 109 | 3 | 5 | Air bags (62) | |
| 114 | 2 | 6 | Air bags (81) | |
| 47 | 0 | 5 | Steering (15) | |
| 41 | 2 | 5 | Engine (12) | |
| 31 | 2 | 6 | Engine (8) | |
| 23 | 4 | 5 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 16 | 1 | 5 | Engine (7) | |
| 26 | 2 | 6 | Unknown or other (8) |
What fails on the 2012 Audi Q5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 71% |
81 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 12% |
14 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
13 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
4 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 3% |
3 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
3 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
3 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2012 Audi Q5 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I ran my VIN # and the only recall i see listed is the: 69n1 recall. However i know these vehicles have 2 more: 20w9 & 69p1
-
I was driving on a busy street and the car suddenly started bucking and felt like it was going to stall. Fortunately, i was able to pull over. The car would not start and had to be towed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Audi Q5 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2012, 2011 carry the most filings on the Audi Q5. The 2012 alone has 114 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Audi Q5 problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 81 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Audi Q5 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Audi Q5 complaints that include mileage is about 45,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.