2018 Audi Q5 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
323 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Audi Q5, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 39,950 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2018 Audi Q5 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2009, 2020.
Avoid
Where 2018 sits among all Q5 years
What owners report
“Sunroof drain lines leaked and filled the rear compartment with water which is also where the body control module is. The water damaged the body control module which affected vehicle lighting and abs system. Upon further investigation, this is a very common issue with Audi.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Q5
“My 2018 Q5 has experienced water intrusion due to the defective design of the sunroof/drainage system, causing water to leak into the trunk and rear left cavity where the ECM and battery are located. After several hours of rain, approx. 2 inches was collected in the location of the battery and was…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Q5
“The mil light is on, previous owner returned the car in 8 months, when i bought the car they told me the engine was replaced with another new engine and it's all set, yet after one months of buying the 10k miles car the mil light came on???”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Q5
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 84 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 15,492 miles. Half of those reports fall between 6,000 and 58,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
1,067 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2018 Audi Q5. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2018 Audi Q5 reliable?
The 2018 Audi Q5 drew 323 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2018 Audi Q5 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Audi Q5 are electrical (83 complaints), other (46), and engine (32).
At what mileage do 2018 Audi Q5 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Audi Q5 problems around 15,492 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 6,000 and 58,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Audi Q5 have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Audi Q5. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.