Audi Q5
Every model year 2016–2026: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
Every Audi Q5 model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year| Year | Powertrains | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | Best efficiency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Gas | A | 0 | 4 | — | 24 mpg | |
| 2025 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | A | 1 | 47 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2024 | Hybrid | D | 4 | 34 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2023 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid | F | 6 | 57 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2022 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid | F | 8 | 46 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2021 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid | F | 8 | 103 | ★★★★★ | 27 mpg | |
| 2020 | Plug-in hybrid Gas | D | 6 | 37 | ★★★★★ | 27 mpg | |
| 2019 | Gas | C | 5 | 52 | ★★★★★ | 24 mpg | |
| 2018 | Gas | D | 6 | 208 | ★★★★★ | 25 mpg | |
| 2017 | Gas | F | 5 | 42 | ★★★★☆ | 22 mpg | |
| 2016 | Hybrid Gas Diesel | F | 5 | 78 | ★★★★☆ | 26 mpg |
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2019 is the cleanest Q5 year we hold, and the 2018 the one to check hardest. The 2018 carries a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other number on this page.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
What owners filed about the Audi Q5, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2026: dropped plug-in hybrid, hybrid; best combined mpg 26 → 24; 6 → 2 EPA configurations
- 2025: added plug-in hybrid, gas; 3 → 6 EPA configurations
- 2024: dropped plug-in hybrid; 4 → 3 EPA configurations
- 2022: best combined mpg 27 → 26; 3 → 4 EPA configurations
- 2021: added hybrid; dropped gas; 2 → 3 EPA configurations
- 2020: added plug-in hybrid; best combined mpg 24 → 27; 1 → 2 EPA configurations
- 2019: best combined mpg 25 → 24
- 2018: best combined mpg 22 → 25; 2 → 1 EPA configurations
- 2017: dropped hybrid, diesel; best combined mpg 26 → 22; 4 → 2 EPA configurations
Common questions about the Audi Q5
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Audi Q5 year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2019 Q5 comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade C (70/100), 5 recalls and 52 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Audi Q5 years should I avoid?
2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 have the weakest recall records in this range — one carries an active park-outside or do-not-drive advisory. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every Q5 model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Audi Q5 have?
Across model years 2016–2026, NHTSA has posted 54 recall campaigns for the Audi Q5. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.