AUDI Q5 E Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used AUDI Q5 E options? We analyzed 5 model years (2020–2025) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the AUDI Q5 E has 47 owner complaints and 0 safety recalls across model years 2020–2025. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2021 drew the most complaints; 2023 drew the fewest.
- Make
- AUDI
- Model
- Q5 E
- Model years analyzed
- 2020–2025 (5 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 47
- Safety recall campaigns
- 0
- Crash-related complaints
- 1
- Fire-related complaints
- 1
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2021 (28 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2023 (7 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Average
By model year
AUDI Q5 E: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
AverageThe AUDI Q5 E has 47 NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. 1 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 47 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 0 federal recall campaigns
- 1 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
0 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
No NHTSA recalls were found in our database for this model. Always verify open recalls using your specific VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2020–2025. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 47 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
47 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Car stops and does not allow for proper function to perform of gas or brake. Car has to be turned off and restarted. This is a safety and security concern on all roads. Car has stopped in intersection and would not drive. Therefore turning car off and restarting in live movement on street. Electrical issues as it is a hybrid but does not charge. Car will perform the opposite of requested tasks brake, suspension and electrical all have issues. Issues have been presented at service department of Audi problems still persist.
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5E. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V898000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Transmission malfunction while driving on a highway, car towed to dealer. They found codes P074700, P077700, P17F900 (TSB 2064312/6). Replaced mechatronic unit.
* Electrical Harness. Yes - it should be available for inspection upon request * Driving 70-75 mph on [XXX] , when the car came to an abrupt de-acceleration. Alerts flashed on the dash "electrical system malfunction" and "drive system malfunction". Lost all power to the vehicle. Managed to drift across the highway to an exit ramp. Two 18 wheel transport trucks narrowly missed colliding with my vehicle. *Problem has been confirmed by the dealer. Part has to be manufactured for replacement. Not readily available. *No - the part has not been inspected other than at the dealership in N.C. *No - there were absolutely NO warning lights, alarms, messages or symptoms prior to this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On 1/24/24, I was pulling into my garage. I pressed the “p” button to park. The vehicle suddenly lurched forward and accelerated through my garage, knocking down my fence which damaged my neighbor’s garage. No one was physically hurt. Audi engineer inspected the car and looked at the “black box” data. He concluded there was no malfunction of the brakes and referred this as an insurance matter. There was no warning light or signal. I heard the engine rev up and it felt like the car took a life of its own and I had no control over it.
Audi pre-sense occasionally alerts you to a problem (potential accident) when there is nothing wrong. But last Friday I was in the left turn lane, with my signal on and foot on brake waiting for the traffic to clear. When the traffic cleared I removed my foot from the brake, and tried to go forward, but the pre-sense immediately went into crash warning mode, turned bright solid red, made a loud noise and immediately locked my brakes. The car was frozen in place for at least 2-3 seconds before the brakes released and I could drive forward. If this happened on the highway - or even with someone behind me on a city street - I could get rear-ended and seriously injured. It turns out: 1. Numerous Audi Q5 owners have had this kind of pre-sense malfunction. (Just go online and look at the comments when you Google this. 2. Audi claims you can adjust the “sensitivity” of the pre-sense, but acquaintances who have tried this say it didn’t help. 3. You can turn off the pre-sense but have to do it each time you start the car up. 4. A friend who has a 2023 Q5 had not only similar problems with unnecessary warnings, and brake locks while trying to turn, but also had the pre-sense indicator go off and the brakes lock when a truck passed him at 45 mph. 5. This also happens on the 2023 Audi Q7. My nephew has one, two weeks ago was in the middle of an intersection, was waiting for traffic to clear to make a left turn, and then tried to. The crash warning went off, his car locked up and he was stuck in the middle of the intersection. Dangerous!
Read 14 more owner reports
Shortly after taking delivery of our new car, the camera system for the rear backup camera and all other surround view cameras malfunctioned. Upon shifting into reverse the screen that would normally show the rear of the car and the car's surroundings was all white. Changing the camera view did not fix the problem. The system functioned normally the next time we started the car, but then failed again later the next day. The failure in the camera system makes backing out of the garage and a public parking space less safe. It is also extremely annoying for this to happen on a new car when the cameras would be especially helpful while getting used to the new nightlines. There were no alerts in the car either time the failure occurred. The dealer was unable to replicate the failure, but states the manufacturer is aware of it. At this time, they do not have a fix and we are left with a car without a reliably operable backup camera.
Our vehicle started jerking when it transitioned from EV mode to Hybrid (gas engine). I found TSB 2079556, which describes exactly the diagnostic codes our car has for all eight battery packs. This is clearly a known problem, and as the car is out of its original warranty I would have to pay for this myself. Audi should replace the battery packs free of charge as they were clearly defective.
I understand that there have been recalls for the brake booster in some 2020 Audi Q5s. I have had my brake booster light come on, but my VIN is not in the recall. My car has less than 50,000 miles on it and I should not be having this issue. I think my car should be recalled and this issue should be fixed by Audi. The cost to repair this issue is around $3000.
An Electrical Malfunction has caused several safety issues causing the car engine to idle and have "drive system malfunction" The warning system being displays on the dashboard has show not only cooling issues but issues relating to the brakes and overall engine making the car unsafe to drive. The Audi Pre-sense system engages the brakes while driving a varies fast speeds usually while on the highway.
Ecu Malfunction leading to Cooling system malfunction The car after idling more than 30 min with the A/C off has a "drive system malfunction". The warning displays on the dash and the engine runs violently rough until the car shuts itself off. The Audi has done this several times, though not while driving. This problem creates a lot of heat in the engine bay and has led to a problem in my cooling system pipes, causing multiple points of piping to burst. The coolant expansion tank also warped and leaks, as well as the upper radiator hose. The problem with safety is the car will spray coolant onto the wheel well making the brakes less effective. This problem, which seemed to arise from the car ecu overheating during idle, could cause an undesirable effect while driving, potentially leading to an accident. The other issue is that the car is overheating due to a compromised cooling system that leaks coolant fluid. This may damage the engine and other engine bay components. The warning sign and first instance i can recall the "drive system malfunction" happening was in February of last year, a month after purchase. The cooling system started leaking profusely 4 months after the first "drive system malfunction".
Jul 9 2024. Plug-in hybrid battery fire. Car plugged in at 11:10am with an empty battery. At 1:45pm we noticed white smoke emitting from the battery, (rear left near charge port). Immediately unplugged. Fire Department on scene, car pushed to street. Disconnected battery, observed heat and some black residue in the battery compartment, FD deemed it no longer an immediate threat, so they departed. At 3:02pm the battery ignited and quickly developed into fully involved car fire. FD returned at 3:08pm and extinguished the fire by 3:09. Filed an insurance claim. Total loss. AudiUSA has not answered phone calls, emails, messages. They assigned a rep to the incident but he has never made any contact, despite my attempts to reach him.
Brake Booster Brake Serví Unit faulty Making noise, took t mechanic and I was told there is a technical service bulletin on this. I called Audi of Danbury and I was told there is no recall. I was told by my mechanic it can cause car t run bad and die.
My Transmission failed to go in forward and was racing in drive. I put it reverse and that worked but put back into drive it races then makes a bang and instantly goes into drive. I had car towed to Audi of Allentown. They initially went over vehicle couldn't find issue then it did it to them. They said it had a code for solenoid. They changed valve body and it had codes so they were in contact with Audi Hotline they had them change Mechatronic unit also and the issue was solved, They sent me video, I picked up car and gave them loaner back, I used car local after a few times then it did it again. Had car towed to Audi of Allentown again, they couldn't find issue and sent me video of car. I went to pickup vehicle and they were getting vehicle ready and it did it to them and they said they would let service know. They gave me a loaner. I've called and they haven't had vehicle do it again until today. They videoed it and sent it to Audi Hotline (engineers). There waiting on a reply from Audi. The vehicle is unsafe-- if it did it to me while entering a highway and cut out I could be hit in from rear and it would be a catastrophic accident. Or if it did this at a crosswalk that could be another issue but with pedestrians. If I get car back and it happens again then it cant be fixed and its unsafe I'll need to get a lawyer to rectify this situation.
Complete failure of the car to start or turn on. This occurred once in 2021 and a second time in 2023. Taken to dealership. Diagnosed with a computer problem. Fixed by dealership.
The vehicle is a 2020 Audi Q5 Premium Plus model with 15,525 miles on it. I was driving at 55 mph on a two lane country road and approaching an intersection at 11:55 AM ET. Road and weather conditions were perfect. Clear, sunny weather and 65 degrees. Recently paved roadway which was clear and dry. There were no vehicles in front, behind or at the intersection. No pedestrians or animals. Cruise control was off. My foot was on the accelerator pedal. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the Audi Pre-Sense system engaged. The brakes were automatically applied which instantly reduced speed to about 40 mph. Steering wheel shook briefly, there was a brief audible alert, and then a Audi PreSense triangle warning symbol appeared on the instrument gauge cluster. I was thrown into my seat belt when the car quickly decelerated. The entire incident was probably 5 seconds although it seemed longer in the moment. I startled but maintained control of the vehicle. Luckily, I have a previously scheduled dealer maintenance appointment this coming week. This item will be at the top of the list.
Recall Number: 22V034 Audi has a current recall impacting the alignment of the rear axle. It is causing uneven and unsafe wear on the rear tires. Our tires are experiencing this greatly. We took the car into our Audi dealership. Audi, the manufacturer, rejected the request for tire replacement claiming alignment is within specification. However, if you take even a small glance at our tires, it is clear there is something wrong due to the vehicle, matching the description of the recall to a T. This is a serious safety issue that Audi is not properly addressing.
RECEIVED LETTER FROM AUDI REGARDING NHTSA:22V034. LETTER INDICATED THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE REAR AXLE SUSPENSION ALIGNMENT WHICH COULD LEAD TO PREMATURE AND EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND, POTENTIAL TIRE FAILURE. AFTER INSPECTION, DEALER (FLETCHER JONE AUDI, COSTA MESA, CA) SAID THERE WERE NO ISSUES DESPITE PRESENCE OF EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR. TIRES ONLY HAD 18,000 MILES ON THEM AND HAD BEEN ROTATED AT 10,000 BY FLETCHER JONES AUDI. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT DO ANY WORK, REPAIRS OR REPLACE TIRES.
I went to dealership to fix recall and the dealership didn't finish work on recall because they wanted me to pay for an alignment when it says it should off been fixed on your website because the recall damaged my tires unevenly.
On August 11th, 2026 right before noon, the sunroof on my Audi Q5 (hybrid, 2021 model) exploded without warning. Luckily noone was hurt but the explosion alone was enough to distract someone to run off the road. Luckily there were no pedestrians around otherwise they could have been hit by flying glass. And luckily the sunroof cover was protecting me otherwise the glass would have been all over the cabin. I had never heard of exploding sunroofs but have since learned that it’s a known problem. I realize there was an investigation which was eventually called off with no results, but I want you to know that the problem is still there. There was nothing wrong with our sunroof. I wasn’t hit by any debris, it just exploded out of nowhere. I seriously thought I was shot at. I am emailing to bring this back to your attention in the hopes that you don’t shrug this off. The explosion was loud and freaked me out. People could have gotten hurt.
Showing 20 of 47 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact AUDI Q5 E
These pages show model-year patterns across 5 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used AUDI Q5 E, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The AUDI Q5 E has 47 complaints on record across 5 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The AUDI Q5 E has 0 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 1 of the AUDI Q5 E's 47 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all AUDI Q5 E vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two AUDI Q5 E vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The AUDI Q5 E has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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AUDI Q5 E reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the AUDI Q5 E reliable?
Average. The AUDI Q5 E has 47 NHTSA owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which AUDI Q5 E years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2021 (28 complaints), 2020 (12 complaints), 2023 (7 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common AUDI Q5 E problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (15 complaints); ENGINE (9 complaints); POWER TRAIN (8 complaints).
Does the AUDI Q5 E have recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are currently on record for the AUDI Q5 E. Always verify with a VIN check as recalls can be added at any time.