2019 Audi Q5 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2019 Audi Q5 holds 52 complaints after 8 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Q5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 6. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Body control module, Structure, body, and Inflator.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 52), then Engine (9) and Service brakes (7). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Q5 has 204 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2020 has 25 complaints, 3 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

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 2019 Audi Q5. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall electrical system, body control module 2021-12-08 · NHTSA campaign 21V947000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall structure, body 2019-10-16 · NHTSA campaign 19V737000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-06-19 · NHTSA campaign 19V473000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. In the event of a crash deploying the passenger's frontal air bag, the instrument panel carrier may break due to incorrect welding. If the carrier breaks, there may be damage to the passenger frontal air bag.

Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel and the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began August 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90N1.

Recall wheels, hub 2019-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 19V416000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall Brake master cylinder 2019-04-08 · NHTSA campaign 19V277000

Summary 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.

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.

Complaints by component (52 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Service brakes

Steering

Powertrain

Forward collision avoidance

Seat belts

Speed control

Exterior lighting

Structure

Air bags

Fuel and propulsion system

Seats

Back-over prevention

Equipment

Suspension

Tires

Visibility and wipers

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The vehicle is experiencing an issue withe the All-Wheel Drive system where its function is affected by an issue Audi calls Shutter or Shudder. The degradation in this system's performance is characterized by drive…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-16
"Received a malfunction drive train alert on a 2019 Audi with approximately 66,000 miles at the time. Took it in to have it addressed and was advised it needed a new Turbo. The turbo has since been replaced. However, a…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-16
"Severe consequential safety defect involving total anti-lock braking system (ABS) failure stemming from a manufacturer recall defect and volatile CAN-bus network conditions during repair. This vehicle has less than…"
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-02
"2019 Audi Q5 had the hardware fail which controls the rear view camera (controls other functions too) It's known as the MMI and the replaced part says "MIB2 Main-Unit" on the housing. I have the old part that the dealer…"
Visibility and wipers, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-26
"Went to Mavis on Weber Rd in Bolingbrook, IL for front brake replacement on June 6, 2026. It took 6.5 hours when I was originally told when I called to schedule the appointment it would only take 1.5 hours, so it was…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-07-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 Audi Q5 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 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	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (7-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	27	24 MPG	$3300

Specs and fitment

FY Q5, 2018–present

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (common US fills) , 5.7 qt capacity

Tire size 235/60R18 to 255/45R20 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 18V-369 covers certain 2018 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles (with several Volkswagen models): brake-caliper pistons may have insufficient coating and reduce brake performance. Campaign 19V-416 covers certain 2018-2019 Q5 and SQ5 vehicles where wheel-arch cover trim may loosen and detach while driving. Confirm open campaigns by VIN; multi-model unit counts are shared.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Audi Q5 Next year 2020 Audi Q5 See every Audi Q5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Audi Q5 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Audi Q5?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 52), then Engine (9) and Service brakes (7). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2019 Audi Q5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Q5 has 204 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2020 has 25 complaints, 3 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Audi Q5 been recalled?

The 2019 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 2019 Audi Q5?

Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2019 Audi Q5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Audi Q5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Audi Q5 is 24 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.