2011 Audi Q5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
143 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2018 Q5, which has 200 owner complaints and a score of 35, and the 2021 car, with 140 complaints and a score of 33. Buy a 2013 to 2017 car: complaints run 92, 106, 98, 77 and 42, scores 80, 75, 72, 78 and 87. Read the full note on the model page. 2011 specifically: 143 complaints on record, score 69/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Audi Q5 and Q7: the years to avoid, including 2011 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 143 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.53
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Rear subframe rust causing car to fail state inspection. This vehicle has been maintained well and always parked in garage. The rear subframe rusted most, then front subframe. This is a common compliant among Audi forum users.
Rear driver side door will not unlock when keypad, nor inside unlock button is pressed. Once inside, door will not unlock in sequence with other doors when vehicle is shut off and it is time to exit the vehicle.
Audi q5 shows no recalls on my vehicle. My car stops randomly while driving even while being on highways and interstates. As well as the passenger side leaking due to sunroof drainage coming to the inside (which may affect the air bags). This Car has not had any repairs on recalls that I know of personally.
Recalls: 5 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V001000 | Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. |
| 16V078000 | 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. |
| 16V660000 | 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. |
| 18V818000 | 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. |
| 18V082000 | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,800
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags67 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Engine42 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Fuel/Propulsion System25 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Power Train12 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel System8 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Audi Q5 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Audi Q5?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (67 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Audi Q5 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 69/100, computed from 143 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Audi Q5's most common problem?
67 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Audi Q5 sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Audi Q5 cost to run per year?
About $6,470 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $32,352 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Audi Q5 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Audi Q5, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/01/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Audi Q5 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 143 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 143 NHTSA complaints on record (9.5/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.7/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems