What are the most common problems on the 2010 Audi Q5?

NHTSA has 99 owner complaint(s) on record for the 2010 Audi Q5. Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2010 Audi Q5, cited in 50 of 99 filed complaints (51%).

Problems › Audi › 2010 Q5

2010 Audi Q5 Problems & Owner Complaints

99 NHTSA owner complaints

2 crash 2 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~5.8 complaints per year on the road — ranking 11 of 13 Audi Q5 years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2010 Audi Q5, cited in 50 of 99 filed complaints (51%).

Fuel/Propulsion System is next (28 complaints, 28%), followed by Power Train (8), Electrical System (7), Engine (5).

Across all complaints, 2 report a crash, 2 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Fuel System: 1 crash, 2 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2010 Audi Q5, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 99.

Air Bags 50 1 crash

“TAKATA RECALL WITH NO FIX, ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP WHICH THE CAR CAN LIGHT ON FIRE THERE IS ALSO NO CURRENT REPAIR. THE DEALER SAID WE ARE SCREWED THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO.MY WIFE GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE LOANER CAR IF IT WAS OUR CAR THAT IS PLAGUED BY THE RECALL THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN WORST”
NHTSA complaint #10926189, 2016 · crash

“NOTICED PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD IS SOAKED AFTER IT RAINS. THIS HAPPENS IF IT IS PARKED OR IF YOUR DRIVING. ALL DRAINS ARE CLEAR AND WHEN DROPPING HEADLINER, NOTICED A "WATER" WAY RUNNING DOWN TOWARDS PASSENGER PILLAR, ON PILLAR AIRBAG AND DOWN TO FLOOR BOARD. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MANY OTHER 2010 AUDI Q5'S HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND IMPLIED THIS IS PROBABLY WHY MY SUNROOF MOTOR IS NOT FUNCTIONING ANYMORE DUE TO WATER GETTING IN AND THEY QUOTED ME $2500 TO FIX THIS MANUFACTURE FLAW. IF MY VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN IN A WRECK AND THE SUNROOF FRAME IS BAD, WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL FOR THIS?”
NHTSA complaint #11377566, 2020

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI SOUTH HAMPTON (51 MONTAUK HWY, WATER MILL, NY 11976, (631) 283-0888) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
NHTSA complaint #11170619, 2018

Fuel/Propulsion System 28 1 crash

“IN TANK FUEL PUMP CRACKED ON TOP ,LEAKING FUEL TO FLANGE AND ELECTRICAL CONECTION ON TOP OF TANK AND DOWN TO UNDER VEHICLE .NO RECALL ON AUDI SITE FOR THIS YEAR -2010 VEHICLE HAS 138000 MILES ONLY . i WAS NOT EXPECTING MATERIAL PROBLEM -PLASTIC NOT SUITABLE FOR FUEL ...”
NHTSA complaint #11580078, 2024

“Fuel pump developed cracks and is leaking terribly. Looks like someone put a temporary seal when recalled (likely due to unavailability of parts at time).”
NHTSA complaint #11531508, 2023

Power Train 8

“ENGINE MAKE NOISES AND DON'T MAKE SHIFT NORMAL IS LIKE A LACK POWER.”
NHTSA complaint #11157202, 2018

“THE SUNROOF HAS A LEAKAGE WHICH AS CAUSES DAMAGE TO SUNSCREEN. THE WATER FROM THE SUNROOF HAS LEAKED INTO VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND HAS CAUSED BACK UP CAMERA, PARKING, THE STEREO SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. WATER FROM THE ROOF HAS ALSO AFFECTED THE ENGINE'S BLOWER IT HAS SHORT-CIRCUITED SO THAT THE AC AND HEATER NO LONGER PUT OUT AIR.”
NHTSA complaint #11144435, 2018

“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V660000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 16V078000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
NHTSA complaint #10990967, 2016

Electrical System 7

“Water leaked into the rear battery compartment and into the trunk passenger side fuse bay. No apparent reason for leak. All windows, doors, sunroof and truck lid were closed. Flooding shorted control modules (parking aid controller, CAN buss and etc) flooding also took out the battery causing car to stall on highway. Water gets in after rainy days. Suspected malfunction of sunroof drain, but not certain. Shorting of electrical components verified by mechanic. Multiple parts needed replacement. No warning lamps prior to events. Available for inspection upon request.”
NHTSA complaint #11506165, 2022

“The Audi Q5 Premium Plus 2010 has a huge problem with the dashboard where it shows multiple dysfunctions! The worse is the back rear light and the steering wheels who makes awful noises, and so much more. I do not know why there is no recall for this model as they all have the same issues. Please advise.”
NHTSA complaint #11476179, 2022

Engine 5

“The contact owns a 2010 Audi Q5. The contacted stated while sitting in the vehicle, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. There was a leak coming from the front of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and was diagnosed with a secondary air injection system bank 1 and 2, insufficient flow, and a possible clogged left and right cylinder head. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,396.”
NHTSA complaint #11570747, 2023

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MISFIRED WHILE DRIVING AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI NYACK (127 NY-59, NYACK, NY 10960, (845) 353-7300) WHERE THE INTAKE COIL AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11287072, 2019

“CAR IS MISFIRING MOST OF THE TIME , AFTER TUNE AND CHANGING THE INTAKE AND THE COILS AT THE DEALER. IT ALMOST STOPS”
NHTSA complaint #11286450, 2019

Engine And Engine Cooling 5

“MY AUDI Q5 HAS BARELY 5000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAS BEEN THROUGH ITS FIRST SERVICE A WEEK BACK. THIS MORNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. WAS LATER INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WILL NEED TO WAIT FOR THREE DAYS WHILE THE SERVICE CENTRE PROCURES ONE. GIVEN THE INCREASING OCCURRENCE OF WATER PUMP FAILURE WITH THE Q5, I FEEL AUDI NEEDS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE THEREBY AVOIDING INCONVENIENCE TO ITS CUSTOMER BASE. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10371909, 2010

“WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER VEHICLE BECAME DISABLED. PULLED OVER AND FOUND COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #10371227, 2010

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Structure 5

“Have water leaking on the driver side roof and upon Dealer servicing - it was due to faulty or worn out seals on the front windscreen- and even though the windscreen is not damaged - Audi recons it has to be replaced at customer cost including the windshield that is in good condition since to cover their inability to take the glass out w/o breaking it. In public forums I see quite a few such fixes enough to warrant this should be investigated and tagged under recalls”
NHTSA complaint #11533900, 2023

Fuel System 3 1 crash 2 injury

“OUR AUDI Q5 JUST LAST NIGHT FRI. 1.27.17 AT 10PM LOST POWER AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS COMPLETE STOP AND STALL. I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY WIFE AND 4 YR. OLD SON ON OUR WAY HOME ON 210 FWY AND 57 INTERCHANGE WITHIN SECONDS WE ARE STUCK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY WITH CARS AND BIG RIGS ZOOM BY US AND SWERVING AROUND US. WE COULD DO NOTHING EXCEPT SIT IN THE CAR AS WE SEE A CAR HEADING RIGHT FOR US AND BRACE FOR THE COLLISION. THANK GOD WE WALKED AWAY WITH OUR LIVES AND ONLY WHIPLASH AND NOT KILLED LEAVING MY 8YR OLD DAUGHTER ALL ALONE. THE CAR AS TOWED AWAY AND TAKEN TO A BODY SHOP FOR NOW…”
NHTSA complaint #10948173, 2017 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2010 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after refueling. Additionally, a fuel odor was detected while driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the fuel pump; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11511775, 2023

“TAKATA RECALL. STILL NO REPLACEMENT AIRBAG FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE RECALL PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *JS”
NHTSA complaint #10934695, 2015

Exterior Lighting 2

“LH DIPPED LIGHTING FLICKERS OFF AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN. IT WILL NOT COME BACK UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS RESTARTED. PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR AS PER ABOVE. IT SOUNDS LIKE A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER.”
NHTSA complaint #10787474, 2015

Steering 2

“THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED NOT LETTING ME START THE ENGINE OR MOVE THE CAR AGAIN AFTER TWO MINUTES. IT WAS SOMETHING VERY DANGEROUS BUT I WAS LUCKY THAT NO OTHER CAR WAS BEHIND US AT THAT MOMENT. WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO SWITCH THE CAR ON AGAIN, THERE WAS AN ALERT SYMBOL SHOWN TELLING US TO DRIVE CAREFULLY AT VERY SLOW SPEED AND PREFERABLY TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR FEW WEEKS WHERE THEY CHANGED SOMETHING IN THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SYSTEM AND ITS SOFTWARE. THIS CAR HAD PREVIOUSLY AN ENGINE CHANGE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO FOR PROBLEMS IN THE OIL CONSUMPTION. ALL THIS HAPP…”
NHTSA complaint #10483936, 2012

Suspension 2

“Severe Frame rusting of sub frame and crossmember. Rear of car affecting steering , tire aligment and wear. Swaying of rear end of car bouncy ride , wear or cracking of control arm and shocks.”
NHTSA complaint #11678406, 2025

“Rear Subframe has severe rust through caused by plastic covers that trap moisture. This is a danger as the rust is so severe it will impact suspension, lower control arm in the rear. It was not inspected by anyone other than myself. No warning lamps. I noticed one of the plastic pieces hanging down from the vehicle that led me to inspect the cause of this part coming loose.”
NHTSA complaint #11610368, 2024

Unknown Or Other 2

“CAR IS MISFIRING MOST OF THE TIME , AFTER TUNE AND CHANGING THE INTAKE AND THE COILS AT THE DEALER. IT ALMOST STOPS”
NHTSA complaint #11286450, 2019

Service Brakes 1

“MY BRAKES FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED, THE PEDAL SANK ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. LUCKILY, ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE CAR WAS MOVING AT LESS THAN 25 MPH. MY ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. ULTIMATELY LEARNED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.”
NHTSA complaint #10924401, 2016

Visibility 1

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALMOST FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A CAR WASH AND THE WIPERS COMPLETELY FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RECOMMENDED HAND WASHING THE VEHICLE SINCE THE CAR WASH BRUSHES WOULD PULL THE WIPERS FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO CONCLUDED THAT THE AUTOMATIC RAIN SENSOR WAS TURNED ON WHICH CAUSED THE WIPERS TO ACTIVATE. THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE T…”
NHTSA complaint #10400557, 2011

Visibility/Wiper 1

“2010 AUDI Q5 PREMIUM PLUS. ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD IS LEAKING. UPPER RIGHT CORNER IS NOT SEALED PROPERLY SO THE WATER IS LEAKING ON THE A PILLAR. SERVICE ADVISER FROM LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP TOLD US AFTER CHECKING AND TESTING THEY SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD IS LEAKING.”
NHTSA complaint #11154764, 2018

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2010 Audi Q5 draws about 5.8 complaints per year on the road, ranking 11 of 13 among the Audi Q5 model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.