2018 Audi Q5: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 197 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 6 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
197
Complaints
6
Recalls
9
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
5
Injuries
38.6
Severity index
Severity index 38.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Audi Q5 ranks 73 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 40% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 68 | 34.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 43 | 21.8% |
| ENGINE | 30 | 15.2% |
| SUSPENSION | 24 | 12.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 21 | 10.7% |
| STRUCTURE | 20 | 10.2% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 18 | 9.1% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 12 | 6.1% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 68 of 197 complaints (34.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 45 |
| 2024 | 40 |
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 12 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 3.3x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V369000 | 01/06/2018 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 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 reduc |
| 19V416000 | 05/06/2019 | WHEELS:HUB | 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. |
| 19V737000 | 16/10/2019 | STRUCTURE:BODY | 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. |
| 19V277000 | 08/04/2019 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 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. |
| 16V955000 | 29/12/2016 | SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | 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. Add |
| 21V947000 | 08/12/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM | 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.