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Audi · NHTSA safety record

2018 Audi Q5

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

Owners have filed 207 safety complaints about the 2018 Audi Q5 with the US government. Of those, 10 describe a crash, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 74 complaints, 36% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 15,142 miles, the median across the 64 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

207 complaints on file

207

Complaints

10

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

5

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.

Complaints fell 29% year on year: 24 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 34 in the twelve before.

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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 74 · 36%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 44 · 21%
ENGINE 31 · 15%
SUSPENSION 25 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 22 · 11%
STRUCTURE 21 · 10%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 19 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 14 · 7%
AIR BAGS 13 · 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 13 · 6%
STEERING 11 · 5%
POWER TRAIN 10 · 5%
0 31 62

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 207.

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 2023 at 45.

48 36 24 12
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 2018 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 2018 Audi Q5, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD Early Release SUV AWD Later Release
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 16.3% 16.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

6 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM

21V947000 · December 8, 2021

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway control module, causing it to shutdown.
The risk
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 288,991 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY

19V737000 · October 16, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.
The risk
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 174,278 vehicles across all model years covered

WHEELS:HUB

19V416000 · June 5, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach.
The risk
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 126,161 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

19V277000 · April 8, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake master cylinder casting may be too short.
The risk
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.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 12,645 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V369000 · June 1, 2018

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
The risk
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 10,225 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

16V955000 · December 29, 2016

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
The risk
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.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 5,947 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.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 45,000 miles

CAR STATIONARY ON HIGHWAY AFTER TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP DUE TO A TRAFFIC INCIDENT AHEAD. REAR ENDED BY VEHICLE GOING IN EXCESS OF 40MPH. CAR PUSHED INTO CAR IN FRONT (CAR 3), SPUN AROUND AND HIT THE SAME CAR (CAR 3) IN THE FRONT. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint 11388901. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · crash · towed · 3,300 miles

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 4/21/2017, I WAS SOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP ON THE ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURE CALLED THE AUDI PRE SENSE. AUDI PRE SENSE DETECTS COLLISION HAZARDS ALL AROUND THE CAR AND INITIATES SPECIFIC PREVENTIVE MEASURES. ON 1/20/2018 AT 9AM I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING ABOUT 10-15 MPH, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS DRIVING OFF FROM THE INTERSECTION DUE TO THE GLARE IN MY EYES I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE A CEMENT PILLAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR COLLIDED AND THERE THE ENTIRE FRONT WAS SMASHED IN, THE ENGINE BELT WAS CLIPPED.I CONTACTED AUDI HEAD QUARTERS AND DESCRIBED TO THEM THE INCIDENT, PROVIDED PICTURES, AND POLICE REPORT. AUDI CUSTOMER

NHTSA complaint 11076352, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1 injured · crash · towed

This was unintentional acceleration case: When I got into the parking space, the car was almost stopped and I was about to press the park button (gear) and the car suddenly accelerated and in a fraction of a second, climbed the curb, crashed into the fence, broke the fence and crushed on a tree. I was still applying brake to stop it and I could not do anything else. The following facts show that the acceleration was totally out of my control. 1.vehicle climbed the curb 2. and climbed the dirt part, shrubs 3. to hit the fence and broke it; It looked like something mall functioned. As a matter of fact, no safety feature worked and no sound signals went on ! Even vehicle's collision system did

NHTSA complaint 11572844, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · 60,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with her son was in the car seat, the rear driver’s side seat lap band was twisted and was stuck around his waist. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to retract, and the contact had to cut the seat belt with a pair of scissors. The contact stated that the child had a bruise on his lower stomach near his hip however, medical attention was not needed. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was determined that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA complaint 11694488. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Carry Handle, Shell, Base
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. I reported the issue to Graco, and they confirmed this car seat defect is a child safety risk, and in fact the car seat is no longer safe for use. According to the Graco Consumer Care representative: "I do apologize, but the rod protruding from the car seat is not normal and presents a safety hazard. Unfortunately, this is not a replaceable part, and the issue cannot be repaired without replacing the entire car seat." I have a friend who experienced the same issue, and worry that the Graco Turn2Me is prone to sudden safety defects. We

NHTSA complaint 11767998, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
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. I’m live and drive close to the beach. They gave me thousands excuses to not fix it. My car has 60,000 miles and is from 2018. I was reading that those car may not be coated with special wax for corrosion.

NHTSA complaint 11768130. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The sunroof drainage system on my 2018 Audi Q5 failed to properly channel water away from the vehicle, resulting in significant water intrusion and approximately $6,000 in damage. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Audi dealership after the vehicle was brought in for inspection in August 2026. I am concerned that this represents a design or engineering defect in the sunroof drainage system rather than ordinary wear. A drainage system intended to remove water should not allow water to enter areas of the vehicle where it can damage electrical components or other systems. Water intrusion into these areas could potentially create electrical failures or other safety-related problems. The

NHTSA complaint 11767491, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have a 2018 Audi Q5, VIN [XXX]. I am reporting a water intrusion/electrical defect involving the rear trunk area and the Comfort Control Module. My vehicle is within the model range affected by the water-intrusion recall 90S9. I want Audi to investigate whether the water intrusion that damaged my vehicle is related to the recall or a known manufacturing defect, and I am requesting that Audi cover the inspection, repair, and related expenses.It is unsafe driving the car as it is, and I can't afford the repairs. Audi dealer-hip in Alentown Pa diagnosis the car and found the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11766482. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Multiple electrical failures that control numerous safety systems, such as airbags, Collision avoidance, speed control, etc. Airbags will not activate in a collision. Vehicle will shut off at highway speeds, resulting in loss of steering control. The vehicle has been inspected by an Audi dealer. Multiple warnings on dash came on when the issue occurred.

NHTSA complaint 11766103. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Incident Description: While accelerating from a red light during rush hour, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of steering control. The steering wheel locked completely and could not be turned. Simultaneous loud, long beeping and dashboard warnings appeared, stating: "Steering malfunction stop the vehicle immediately." The vehicle was immobilized in the middle of a highly congested, complex 5x5 intersection. Local police had to shut down traffic until the vehicle could be cleared. Safety Risk: Stalling abruptly in a major intersection during rush hour created an immediate risk of a multi-car rear-end pile-up. This jeopardized the safety of the driver and multiple children who

NHTSA complaint 11763521, 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 —
2017 42 5 —
2016 77 5 —
2015 99 6 —
2014 105 5 —
2013 89 5 —
2012 168 6 —
2011 143 5 —
2010 100 4 —

Other 2018 Audi models

Q7 143 A4 44 A5 38 A3 33 Q3 26 S5 26 SQ5 24 RS 3 13

Complaints on file, same model year.

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