Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi Q5, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system74
- Unknown or other45
- Engine31
- Suspension25
- Service brakes22
- Structure21
- Forward collision avoidance19
- Vehicle speed control14
- Exterior lighting13
- Air bags13
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 22 2018 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 2018 Audi Q5 failed the safety check 1.16% of the time — 29% less often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 49,903 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2018
60,342 new Audi Q5 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were Germany (16,167), the United Kingdom (12,215), Italy (7,476).
- Average mass
- 1,839 kg
- Average CO₂
- 194 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 148 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 84% · Petrol 16%
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 2018 Audi Q5 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (185 kW, 248 hp), 2.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp) and 3.0 diesel (210 kW, 282 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 185 kW 248 hp | 975 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 144 |
| 3.0 diesel | 210 kW 282 hp | 93 |
| 2.0 diesel | 120 kW 161 hp | 24 |
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
1,259 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 72% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €84,861.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde517
- Band onvoldoende profiel183
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm173
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld142
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage85
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht52
- Band beschadigd49
- Drager/bevestigingsmiddel van remvoering raakt trommel/schij22
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
11,269 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 74 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, 13,365 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 89% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Suspension | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.9% | 4.0% |
| Brakes | 1.7% | 2.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Visibility | 0.8% | 3.6% |
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
359 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 142,000 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
431 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 24% arrived as used imports, 75% 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; 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Audi Q5 SUV AWD Early Release | ★★★★★ | 16.3 % |
| 2018 Audi Q5 SUV AWD Later Release | ★★★★★ | 16.4 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 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 1 variant: combined 9.6 L/100 km (about 25 mpg US), CO₂ 226 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q5 · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 10.4 | 8.6 | 9.6 |
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 2018 Audi Q5.
| 2021740 9 Dec 2021 | Electrical Issue: On certain vehicles, if you spill liquid on the rear seat, or drive through heavy rain or deep water, the gateway control module could be damaged. If t… |
| 2019520 16 Oct 2019 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the cover trim for the rear wheel arches may become loose. This could cause the trim to detach while driving. Safety Risk: Tri… |
| 2019265 5 Jun 2019 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the cover trim for the wheel arches may become loose. This could cause the trim to detach while driving. Safety Risk: Trim tha… |
| 2019173 8 Apr 2019 | Brakes Issue: Some vehicles were built with an incorrect brake master cylinder. The master cylinder may be too short, which could cause it to fail. This could cause … |
| 2018292 1 Jun 2018 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a problem with the brake system may cause gas bubbles to form in the brake fluid. This could cause a soft brake pedal feel and a reduction … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 reducing the brake performance.
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. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
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 2018 Audi Q5: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011305 | This bulletin provides information when the camera for the Driver Assist Systems is coded incorrectly. |
| 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. |
| 11011274 | This bulletin provides information when the restricted function icon for Audi Pre sense is displayed after engine starts. |
| 11011270 | This bulletin provides informatoin when Audi pre sense restricted message appears in the instrument cluster, no DTCs. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011256 | This bulletin provides information when the DTCs B200FF0 to B200FF5 are stored in the J775 suspension control unit. |
| 11011253 | This bulletin provides infomraion when there are rumbling/knocking noises from the front suspension. |
| 11011252 | This bulletin provides information for when there are noises after selecting a gear at idlijng speed when the vehicle is stationary; noises when driving in different gears. |
| 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. |
| 11009938 | This bulletin provides information when there are droning noises/vibrations in tight corners, vehicles with PR number GH4 (quattro with ultra technology). |
| 11009936 | This bulletin provides informatin when there is binding or vibrations in tight turns with quattro Ultra. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009380 | This bulletin provides information about the Audi pre sense warning, warning jolt and/or brake engagement. |
| 11009376 | This bulletin provides information when the instrument cluster is blank when the vheicle is started, LED bar graphs are lit. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009372 | This bulletin provides informaiton when the exterior black optic trim is discolored. |
| 11009366 | This bulletin provides information when the vehicle does not start using the key reader, and/or the key is not recognized during immobilizer servicing. |
| 11009365 | This bulletin provides information when there is visible corrosion at the joint between the roof and roof side member. |
| 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. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)