Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Audi Q5, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine26
- Unknown or other11
- Electrical system10
- Steering10
- Fuel/propulsion system9
- Engine and engine cooling8
- Air bags6
- Visibility/wiper4
- Vehicle speed control4
- Service brakes4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 8 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 2016 Q5 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2016 Audi Q5 failed the safety check 1.10% of the time — 44% less often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 76,331 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
54,248 new Audi Q5 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were Germany (18,792), the United Kingdom (10,353), Spain (5,365).
- Average mass
- 1,908 kg
- Average power
- 141 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 92% · Petrol 7.7%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2016 Audi Q5 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (169 kW, 227 hp), 2.0 petrol (132 kW, 177 hp) and 2.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp), out of 8 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 169 kW 227 hp | 229 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 131 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 101 |
| 2.0 petrol | 165 kW 221 hp | 52 |
| 3.0 diesel | 190 kW 255 hp | 39 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 36 |
| 2.0 petrol | 185 kW 248 hp | 23 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 21 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
656 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 57% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €72,327.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde422
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af187
- Band onvoldoende profiel163
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld113
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm102
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage46
- Band beschadigd34
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht27
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
9,631 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 81 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 11,377 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 86% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.4% | 6.1% |
| Brakes | 2.2% | 4.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Visibility | 1.6% | 3.5% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
8 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 129,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
193 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 39% arrived as used imports, 60% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 0 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Audi Q5 HEV SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | 15.1 % |
| 2016 Audi Q5 SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | 15.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 9.0–11.4 L/100 km (about 21–26 mpg US), CO₂ 244–267 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q5 quattro TDI (modified) · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Diesel | 10.2 | 7.8 | 9.0 |
| Q5 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 12.0 | 8.5 | 10.4 |
| Q5 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 13.2 | 9.2 | 11.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2016 Audi Q5.
| 2018174 11 Apr 2018 | Electrical On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TFSI engine, the electric coolant pump could experience a short circuit and/or overheat. A short circuit or overheatin… |
| 2017483 6 Oct 2017 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the contacts within the electrical connector of the auxiliary heater could corrode. This could cause the auxiliary heater to fail and/or ca… |
| 2017243 4 May 2017 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel pump flange may develop fine cracks or fissures, which could result in a fuel leak. Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition s… |
| 2017003 4 Jan 2017 | Airbag On certain vehicles, if the water drainage system of the panoramic sunroof becomes damaged or impaired (such as during a repair), water could enter the side hea… |
| 2017002 4 Jan 2017 | Engine On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TFSI engine, the coolant pump could become blocked by debris from the cooling system. This could lead to the pump over… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2016 Audi Q5: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011296 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009362 | This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection. |
| 11009361 | This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009354 | This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis. |
| 11009351 | This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing. |
| 11009348 | This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor. |
| 11009347 | This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11009332 | This bulletin provides information when there are noises and/or vibration in tight turns in vehicles with quattro drive. |
| 11009327 | This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles. |
| 11009313 | This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC). |
| 11009312 | This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender. |
| 11007354 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11007345 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
| 11007315 | This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11007305 | This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)