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Audi · NHTSA safety record

2013 Audi Q5

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 89 safety complaints about the 2013 Audi Q5 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 4 mention a fire, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 33 complaints, 37% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 56,250 miles, the median across the 62 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2013 to May 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

89 complaints on file

89

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

4

Mention fire

2

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 33 · 37%
STEERING 18 · 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 · 10%
STRUCTURE 8 · 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 · 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 · 7%
POWER TRAIN 6 · 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 2%
SUSPENSION 2 · 2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 2%
VISIBILITY 2 · 2%
0 15 31

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 89.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2013 at 13.

16 12 8 4
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2013 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2013 Audi Q5, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD
Overall Not rated
Frontal crash Not rated
Frontal, driver Not rated
Frontal, passenger Not rated
Side crash Not rated
Side barrier Not rated
Side pole Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

18V229000 · April 11, 2018

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can either become blocked with debris from the cooling system causing it to overheat or can short-circuit from moisture within the pump.
The risk
A blocked pump or a short-circuited pump can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pumps, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number's for this recall is 19N3/19N4. Note: This recall is in additional to the coolant pump software update applied as a remedy under recall 17V002.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 342,867 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

17V622000 · October 5, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A5 Coupe, A5 Cabriolet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad and Q5 vehicles. Contact corrosion within the electrical connector for the auxiliary heater may cause the heater wires to overheat or melt.
The risk
The melted wires can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the auxiliary heater and, as necessary, update the software, free of charge. The Recall began November 27, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 80C5 and 80C6.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 216,913 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

17V298000 · May 3, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Audi Q5 and 2013-2017 Audi Q7 vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel pump flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump flange if cracks are present. Flanges that do not have cracks will have a protective film applied. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20Z8. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 16V-660.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 240,487 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

17V002000 · January 3, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can be blocked with debris from the cooling system, resulting in the pump overheating.
The risk
If the coolant pump overheats, it can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked with debris, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19M1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 342,867 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

17V001000 · January 3, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. The sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side head air bag inflator canister resulting in the corrosion of the canister. If this happens, the corrosion can weaken the canister and the inflator could fracture without air bag deployment, propelling fragments into the passenger compartment, striking and causing serious injury to vehicle occupants.
The risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator and either coat it or replace it, as necessary, after removing the surrounding foam, free of charge. The recall is expected to began March 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69P1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 234,057 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STEERING

2 injured · crash · towed

When at highway speed, the vehicle veered hard to the left without any driver input, causing the car to cross several lanes of traffic and hit a concrete divider at ~65mph. The driver fractured her back, and one of three children in the car experienced injury. The vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance. The driver (my wife) indicated that a similar incident happened at low speed in a parking lot, but it resolved after shut down and restart of the engine. It is my understanding that the vehicle is currently either at or on the way to a Copart lot.

NHTSA complaint 11641442. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · towed · 27,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 AUDI Q5. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SMOKE WAS SEEN UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURIES. THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES, WHICH WERE EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE LOT WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V622000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 18V229000

NHTSA complaint 11101630, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 80,000 miles

ARRIVED AT WORK. WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF ARRIVING A COWORKER ALERTED MY HUSBAND THAT HIS CAR WAS SMOKING. MY HUSBAND WENT OUT TO THE CAR AND THERE WAS SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE QUICKLY OPENED THE BACK DOOR, GRABBED HIS WORK ISSUED LAPTOP AND BY THEN IT HAD BURST INTO FLAMES. THIS HAPPENED IN MARCH 1, 2017. WE FOUND ONLINE AUDI WAS TO RELEASE NEWS TO OWNERS OF A RECALL INVOLVING THE COOLANT PUMP BECOMING BLOCKED WITH DEBRIS AND CAUSING SMOLDERING AND POSSIBLE FIRE. WELL, THERE WAS DEFINITELY FIRE. THE CAR IS TOTALED- BURNED TO A CRISP. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE RESPONDED. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AND NO ONE AND NO OTHER PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. PRAISE GOD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN OUR GARAGE!

NHTSA complaint 10958646. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 56,000 miles

AUXILIARY WATER PUMP CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAR WAS PARKED. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. OPENED HOOD AND FOUND FLAMES (VERY SMALL). WAS ABLE TO PUT IT OUT WITHOUT VEHICLE DAMAGE. TOWED TO DEALER AND AM AWAITING RESULTS FROM AUDI

NHTSA complaint 11036035. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is considerable rust to the point that the subframe has been structurally compromised. I also contacted Audi USA regarding this issue, but they advised that they could not provide any assistance and closed my case. I was instructed to have the vehicle inspected and see what the dealer could do. I have videos and photos documenting the compromised subframe which many Audi Q5 owners have been complaining about.... There are holes approximately the size of a tennis ball.

NHTSA complaint 11739161. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oil leak/ and tire suspension icon keeps coming on after i fixed it

NHTSA complaint 11719378. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
Took vehicle in for state safety inspection. Found heavy rust on subframe nearly all the way through. Was told if it gets any worse it will not pass inspection next time. Apparently there are plastic rock shields on subframe that trap water causing it to rust. Took it to dealer and they want to charge close to $4000 to replace. This seems like an engineering defect. The vehicle is kept in a garage and doesn’t have any other rust on it.

NHTSA complaint 11677300. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
I was doing maintenance on car. Had new tires and alignment done. The alignment tech found rotted out rear sub-frame underneath plastic covers. Said that it was unsafe to drive. Had it fixed there. Mechanic had another Q5 on rack, he said it had exact same problem. Tried to find used parts, ALL had rot through the frame. Found a part in Texas that was clean and bought it to replace. Asked Audi USA to reimburse me for the cost as they have a supposed 12 yr rust through warranty. They told me no because it only applies to body parts and that I didn't get it done at an audi dealer. The plastic cover is the issue as it keeps the moisture locked into the part. Audi A6s have the same frame but no

NHTSA complaint 11622403, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
The rear subframe has plastic "stone guards" to protect the frame from being damaged in off-road conditions. Where these stone guards are attached, the subframe has rotted/rusted large holes. Water and salt from winter seasons can get trapped behind these guards. A subframe on a vehicle at this age should NOT have complete holes rotted through. Let alone a vehicle brand such as Audi, known for quality. The rear subframe connects the rear suspension and AWD drivetrain to the unibody of the vehicle. This is a major safety concern. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer; my Audi dealer denied this could happen. I am part of a few Audi groups/forums with others facing the same issues,

NHTSA complaint 11619831, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi Q5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 42 1 —
2024 20 4 —
2023 43 5 —
2022 22 4 —
2021 74 8 —
2020 25 6 —
2019 52 5 —
2018 207 6 —
2017 42 5 —
2016 77 5 —
2015 99 6 —
2014 105 5 —
2012 168 6 —
2011 143 5 —
2010 100 4 —

Other 2013 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 155 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst