2018 AUDI Q5 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 198 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (24 complaints · 12.1%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 10
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2017 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ELECTRICAL SYSTEM appears in 24 of 198 owner complaints (12.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 24 complaints, 12.1% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24 · 12.1% SUSPENSION: 23 complaints, 11.6% of reports SUSPENSION 23 · 11.6% ENGINE: 17 complaints, 8.6% of reports ENGINE 17 · 8.6% FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: 17 complaints, 8.6% of reports FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 17 · 8.6% · 2 crash reports STRUCTURE: 12 complaints, 6.1% of reports STRUCTURE 12 · 6.1% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 11 complaints, 5.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 11 · 5.6% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 9 complaints, 4.6% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 · 4.6% · 3 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 7 complaints, 3.5% of reports POWER TRAIN 7 · 3.5% · 1 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 6 complaints, 3.0% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 · 3.0% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 73 complaints, 36.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 73 · 36.9% · 4 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24 12.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 23 11.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 17 8.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 17 8.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 12 6.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 11 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 4.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 7 3.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 3.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 73 36.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2018; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2016. 2018-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2023-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2023-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2024-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2024-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2024-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2024-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 Owner reports Dec 2016 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 16V955000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V955000 Recall campaign 18V369000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V369000 Recall campaign 19V277000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V277000 Recall campaign 19V416000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V416000 Recall campaign 19V737000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V737000 Recall campaign 21V947000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V947000
  • Campaign 19V277000 was reported 297 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V416000 was reported 249 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V737000 was reported 590 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V947000 was reported 1,166 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2018-Q1 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 4
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 6
2019-Q2 Owner reports 8
2019-Q3 Owner reports 5
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 3
2022-Q2 Owner reports 3
2022-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q4 Owner reports 6
2023-Q1 Owner reports 4
2023-Q2 Owner reports 7
2023-Q3 Owner reports 23
2023-Q4 Owner reports 11
2024-Q1 Owner reports 12
2024-Q2 Owner reports 9
2024-Q3 Owner reports 12
2024-Q4 Owner reports 7
2025-Q1 Owner reports 8
2025-Q2 Owner reports 7
2025-Q3 Owner reports 7
2025-Q4 Owner reports 7
2026-Q1 Owner reports 5
2026-Q2 Owner reports 5
2026-Q3 Owner reports 4
Recall campaign 1 16V955000
Recall campaign 1 18V369000
Recall campaign 1 19V277000
Recall campaign 1 19V416000
Recall campaign 1 19V737000
Recall campaign 1 21V947000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V955000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V369000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V277000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    A short casting can cause a sudden loss of brakes, increasing the risk of crash. The electronic parking brake and its emergency brake function are not affected and will still function.
    Remedy:
    Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 47O9.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V416000

    Report date
    Component:
    WHEELS
    Consequence:
    The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the wheel arch trim with an additional screw and nut, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66K6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V737000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
    Remedy:
    Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 66K8.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V947000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 198 complaints · page 1 of 8

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources