2021 Audi Q5 Sportback: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
69 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
69 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 13.8
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I was driving at highway speeds when a "Transmission Malfunction" warning appeared, and the vehicle lost the ability to accelerate. Once I was able to pull over and put the vehicle in Park, it completely lost the ability to engage Drive or Reverse, leaving me stranded. Important to note pulling over was difficult as I was on a highway driving ar 70mph speed and trying to locate safe space to stop avoid collusion. M…
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated before the vehicle stalled. During the failure, the check engine, oil, and coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the engine bearings had failed, causing catastrophic damage t…
Control module located under rear seat became slightly wet from spilled liquid, and failed. Engine and electrical failure as a result of control module failure. Audi refuses to cover damages as warranty period is over. Vehicle design is defective.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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EPA combined 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (25 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 78/100, computed from 69 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.