The Verdict
Worst problem area
Electrical
Electrical leads by volume: 74 of 209 complaints (35%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (3) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed rose from 42 in 2017 to 209 in 2018.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 209
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $3,100
- Combined MPG
- 25
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | vs. 2018 Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 3,000–3,700 | 3,500–3,700 | 3,100 | 3,200 | 2,850–3,200 | |
| Combined MPG | 21–26 | 21–22 | 25 | 24 | 24–27 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 18–24 / 26–30 | 18–20 / 26–27 | 23 / 27 | 22 / 27 | 22–25 / 28–29 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 337–429 | 395–429 | 363 | 372 | 364 | |
| Complaints filed | 78 | 42 | 209 | 53 | 37 | |
| Recalls issued | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 10 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 3 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Injuries reported | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2018 Audi Q5 have?
6 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2018 Audi Q5?
Electrical: 74 of 209 NHTSA complaints (35%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2018 Audi Q5 get?
EPA rates it 25 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 Audi Q5?
EPA estimates $3,100 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (1)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S7) | 4 | 2.0L | All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 23 mpg | 27 mpg | 25 mpg | $3,100 | 363 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 18 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 33 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 27 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 46 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (6)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM; STRUCTURE:BODY
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
STRUCTURE:BODY
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
- 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.
WHEELS:HUB
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
- 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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A short casting can cause a sudden loss of brakes, increasing the risk of crash. The electronic parking brake and its emergency brake function are not affected and will still function.
- 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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE; AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE; SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.