Reliable Auto DB

2016 Audi Q5 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Audi Q5 holds 77 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Q5 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Cooling system, Wiring, and Fuel pump.

2012 Audi Q5
Photo by Clément Bucco-Lechat, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

77

Per year

6

Recalls

5

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (26 of 77), then Electrical system (10) and Steering (10). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Q5 has 99 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2017 has 42 complaints, 6 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Audi Q5. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall engine and cooling, cooling system 2018-04-11 · NHTSA campaign 18V229000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2017-10-05 · NHTSA campaign 17V622000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall Fuel pump 2017-05-03 · NHTSA campaign 17V298000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall visibility, sunroof 2017-01-03 · NHTSA campaign 17V001000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall engine and cooling, cooling system 2017-01-03 · NHTSA campaign 17V002000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (77 total)

Engine
26
Electrical system
10
Steering
10
Fuel and propulsion system
9
Engine and engine cooling
8
Air bags
5
Service brakes
4
Speed control
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Lane departure
3
Powertrain
3
Structure
2
Suspension
2
Equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Seat belts
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

9

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12015520161201711201872019620203202182022152023620247202572026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Driving on May 20, 2026 near my home in Florida, power steering assist failed suddenly making it very difficult to steer. Red light on dashboard lit up indicating steering failure. According to a search of the NHTSA…"
    Steering · filed 2026-07-17
  • "1) Rear subframe supports differential, axels, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires 2) If rear suspension fails , above noted assemblies will fall out of the car 3) Yes, dealer and independent garage have inspected and…"
    Suspension, Powertrain, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-01
  • "My Q5 failed inspection due to a rusted subframe, so badly there is a huge hole in it. The dealership sent photos and notes to Audi but the dealership claims Audi denied my warranty claim (12 Year Corrosion Warranty)…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-05-19
  • "Mechanic was checking the car and noticed subframe is rusted through underneath the plastic cladding. Audi dealers should cover this under warranty as it’s a safety issue. This happened due to poor designing."
    Structure · filed 2026-05-03
  • "I am reporting a safety issue involving my 2016 Audi Q5. The vehicle previously underwent recall 20Z8/20W9, which addresses fuel pump flange cracking that can cause fuel leaks and fuel vapor odors. Despite this recall…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-05-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Audi Q5 HEV SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Audi Q5 SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Q5 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3800
Q5 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 23 30 26 MPG $3650
Q5 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 27 22 MPG $3650
Q5 hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 24 30 26 MPG $3050

Specs and fitment

8R Q5, 2012–2017
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 full synthetic (common 2.0T fills; other engines may differ) , 5.3 qt capacity
Tire size 235/60R18 to 255/45R20 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 17V-298 covers certain 2013-2017 Audi Q5 gasoline vehicles (with Q7 in the same campaign): the fuel-pump flange may crack and leak fuel; dealers replace cracked flanges or apply protective film. Campaign 17V-001 covers certain 2011-2017 Q5 vehicles where sunroof drain water can soak foam around the side head-air-bag inflator and corrode the canister so it can rupture; dealers inspect and coat or replace the inflator after removing foam. Campaign 17V-002 covers certain 2013-2017 Q5 vehicles with 2.0L Turbo FSI engines where an electric coolant pump can overheat if blocked; dealers update software to cut pump power if blocked.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Audi Q5 Next year 2017 Audi Q5 See every Audi Q5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Audi Q5 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Audi Q5 holds 77 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Q5 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Cooling system, Wiring, and Fuel pump.

What are common problems with a 2016 Audi Q5?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (26 of 77), then Electrical system (10) and Steering (10). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Audi Q5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Q5 has 99 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2017 has 42 complaints, 6 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Audi Q5 been recalled?

The 2016 Audi Q5 has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Audi Q5?

Owners have filed 77 complaints about the 2016 Audi Q5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Audi Q5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Audi Q5 is 23.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2019 Audi Q5?

FY Q5 generation (2018-on).

What oil does a recent Audi Q5 take?

FY US notes commonly list 0W-20 full synthetic; earlier 8R 2.0T fills often list 5W-30—confirm the VW/Audi oil standard in the manual.

What tire sizes does an Audi Q5 use?

Common US fits span about 235/60R18 to 255/45R20 depending on trim.