Problems · NHTSA complaints

2013 Audi Q5 problems

Owners filed 92 complaints about the 2013 Audi Q5 with NHTSA between Jan 2013 and May 2026. The most-cited component is engine (34).

Complaints
92
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine34
  2. Steering19
  3. Electrical system11
  4. Structure8
  5. Fuel/propulsion system6
  6. Service brakes6
  7. Power train6
  8. Suspension2
  9. Vehicle speed control2
  10. Exterior lighting2
  11. Visibility2
  12. Air bags1
  13. Seats1
  14. Wheels1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201313
20143
20155
20167
20179
201810
201912
20209
20213
20229
20232
20246
20252
20262

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

34 reports4 fires
“My audi uses 1 quart of oil every 300 miles. The dealership wants to charge to find the problem. Audi should fix the problem at no charge. I bought the vehicle in February 2023. Was told there were no issues with the car.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 19, 2024EngineODI 11589507

Steering

19 reports1 crash
“When at highway speed, the vehicle veered hard to the left without any driver input, causing the car to cross several lanes of traffic and hit a concrete divider at ~65mph. The driver fractured her back, and one of three children in the car experienced injury. The vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance. The driver (my wife) indicated that a similar incident happened at low speed in a parking lot, but it resolved after shut down and restart of the engine. It is my understanding that the vehicle is currently either at or on the way to a Copart lot.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 7, 2025SteeringCrash reportedODI 11641442

Electrical system

11 reports3 fires1 related recall
“COOLANT PUMP BECAME BLOCKED IN MY 3.0 ENGINE VEHICLE, CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT. THIS MAY BE A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO THE 2.0 VEHICLE, FOR WHICH THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN 2 RECALLS. MY AIR CONDITIONER STARTED BLOWING FUSES REPEATEDLY (DAILY TO WEEKLY) LAST YEAR AND THE MECHANIC THINKS IT MAY BE A RELATED ISSUE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2022Electrical system, EngineODI 11456846

Structure

8 reports
“Took vehicle in for state safety inspection. Found heavy rust on subframe nearly all the way through. Was told if it gets any worse it will not pass inspection next time. Apparently there are plastic rock shields on subframe that trap water causing it to rust. Took it to dealer and they want to charge close to $4000 to replace. This seems like an engineering defect. The vehicle is kept in a garage and doesn’t have any other rust on it.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 30, 2025StructureODI 11677300

Fuel/propulsion system

6 reports
“INCIDENT DATE: 5/9/20 MILEAGE: 70,290 MILES SUMMARY: I REVERSED OUT OF PARKING SPACE, SHIFTED MY CAR INTO DRIVE, AND MY CAR ABRUPTLY HESITATED, DECELERATED, RESISTED, AND JERKED UPON ENGAGING THE GAS PEDAL; A SERIES OF MULTIPLE WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY FLASHED ON THE OBD SCREEN WHILE MY CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE, JERK & HESITATE.MESSAGES REFERENCED HYBRID, MALFUNCTION, ELECTRONIC, INOPERABLE, LOSS OF ABILITY TO CONTROL STEERING, STEERING POWER, DANGER, HAZARD, ENGINE, STABILIZATION, DRIVING, POWER. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP SIGN TO CROSS A 4 LANE INTERSECTION OF MOVING TRAFFIC. UPON PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO CROSS THE TRAFFIC INTERSECTION, MY CAR WOULD HESITATED TO ACCELERATE, AND MORE ABRUPTLY JERKED AND HESITATED - LIKE I WAS DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT WAS STALLING OUT/STUCK IN THE WRONG GEAR.THE MORE I TRIED TO ACCELERATE ACROSS THE 4 LANES OF MOVING TRAFFIC, THE MORE SEVERELY THE CAR RESISTED, JERKED, HESITATED, AND FLUCTUATED IN POWER. I COULD'VE BEEN T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND SERIOUSLY INJURED, AS THE SPEED LIMIT ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS TRAFFIC INTERSECTION IS 45MPH. I WAS INFORMED BY THE AUDI…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2020Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11325394

Service brakes

6 reports
“CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO BRAKE THROTTLE OVERRIDE ON VARIOUS VEHICLES. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN REMOVING THE LEFT FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THERE WAS A DELAY WHEN THE RIGHT FOOT WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR. THE DELAY CAUSES THE INABILITY TO MERGE QUICKLY INTO TRAFFIC.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 8, 2022Service brakesODI 11468312
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.