2020 Audi Q5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2020 Audi Q5 has 25 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 3 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 6 recalls on file, including Onboard charging cable, Tires, and Body control module.

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 (8 of 25), then Engine (4) and Forward collision avoidance (3). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Q5 has 52 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2021 has 73 complaints, 13 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Audi Q5. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall Onboard charging cable 2023-12-13 · NHTSA campaign 23V842000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.

Remedy Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.

Recall Tires 2022-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

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 Rear non-powered axle assembly 2021-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 21V295000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Remedy Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Recall Seats 2020-08-26 · NHTSA campaign 20V505000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.

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.

Complaints by component (25 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Forward collision avoidance

Seat belts

Steering

Powertrain

Service brakes

Speed control

Back-over prevention

Chest clip, buckle, and harness

Seats

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Show 6 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"On September 2, 2026, I purchased a used 2020 Audi Q5 with disclosed Lemon Law Buyback title branding. Approximately two hours after taking delivery, the vehicle began exhibiting a pronounced vibration/judder in the…"
Steering, Powertrain · filed 2026-09-04
"Electrical system failure due to water in the spare tire & battery well, purchased key fob, 2 auto batteries unable to program fob due to non compatible 1st battery, info display contact dealer, had the water extracted,…"
Electrical system, Seat belts, Seats · filed 2026-08-21
"Engine Start Malfunction Warning Light. Apparently, this has been a problem with the 2020 Q5 (and others) from water backing up from clogged moonroof drainage system allowing water into the L rear compartment housing…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-08-06
"Traffic stopped very quickly. The automatic breaking did not engage, resulting in a crash and a total loss of the vehicle. I bought the Audi due to quality safety features so this incident was very disappointing and…"
Unknown or other, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-12-09
"Purchased a 2020 Audi Q5 sold as-is. Within 30 days, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle lost power. A dealer estimated repairs would cost around $27,000. This sudden loss of drive ability poses a safety risk."
Powertrain · filed 2025-11-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2020 Audi Q5 PHEV SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2020 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 (AM-S7)	All-wheel drive	25	29	27 MPG / 390 mi range	$2950
Q5	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (7-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	28	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 2019 Audi Q5 Next year 2021 Audi Q5 See every Audi Q5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Audi Q5 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2020 Audi Q5?

Is the 2020 Audi Q5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Q5 has 52 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2021 has 73 complaints, 13 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Audi Q5 been recalled?

The 2020 Audi Q5 has 6 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 2020 Audi Q5?

Owners have filed 25 complaints about the 2020 Audi Q5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Audi Q5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Audi Q5 is 25.5 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.