Your vehicle report
2012 Audi Q5
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 168
- Received Jan 2012 to May 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine burns excessive oil between changes29 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Timing chain fails and destroys engine7 complaints · 4.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Glass shatters or cracks without impact6 complaints · 3.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #18V818000Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2012 Audi Q7 and 2009-2012 Audi Q5 vehicles, previously repaired under NHTSA recall 16V-660. These vehicles were previously repaired with an interim repair of installing butyl tape to the fuel pump flange, until replacement remedy parts became available.
- Recall #18V082000Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 38 |
| 2017 | 34 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 168 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 29 | 17% | 24.6× | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 3.6% | – | NHTSA recall #12V299000 |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 5 | 3.0% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 1.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #18V818000November 19, 20185,987 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2012 Audi Q7 and 2009-2012 Audi Q5 vehicles, previously repaired under NHTSA recall 16V-660. These vehicles were previously repaired with an interim repair of installing butyl tape to the fuel pump flange, until replacement remedy parts became available.
The butyl tape may not prevent fuel from leaking. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump flange and install butyl tape, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BJ.
NHTSA recall #18V082000January 30, 2018162,782 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
NHTSA recall #17V001000January 3, 2017234,057 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window; visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. The sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side head air bag inflator canister resulting in the corrosion of the canister. If this happens, the corrosion can weaken the canister and the inflator could fracture without air bag deployment, propelling fragments into the passenger compartment, striking and causing serious injury to vehicle occupants.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator and either coat it or replace it, as necessary, after removing the surrounding foam, free of charge. The recall is expected to began March 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69P1.
NHTSA recall #16V660000September 13, 2016143,214 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Audi Q5, and 2007-2012 Audi Q7 vehicles equipped with gasoline engines. The fuel pump flange on the affected vehicles may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flange, replacing any flanges that are cracked. If the flange is not cracked, dealers will clean the pump flange and install a butyl rubber band to protect the pump. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20W9.
NHTSA recall #16V078000February 10, 2016659,493 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
NHTSA recall #12V299000June 28, 201213,172 vehicles affected
visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2012 Audi Q5 vehicles, manufactured from june 21, 2011, through december 9, 2011. Some vehicles may be equipped with a front sunroof glass panel that is susceptible to breakage in extremely cold weather/temperature conditions.
Should the sunroof’s glass break while the vehicle is in use, the falling glass could cut and injure the driver or passengers. It could also distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front sunroof glass panel, free of charge. The safety recall began on august 7, 2012. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Audi Q5.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN