2013 Audi Q5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
92 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. 2013 specifically: a year the record favours — 92 complaints, score 80/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Audi Q5 and Q7: the years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 92 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 7.08
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
There is considerable rust to the point that the subframe has been structurally compromised. I also contacted Audi USA regarding this issue, but they advised that they could not provide any assistance and closed my case. I was instructed to have the vehicle inspected and see what the dealer could do. I have videos and photos documenting the compromised subframe which many Audi Q5 owners have been complaining about...…
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…
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 reso…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V002000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles. |
| 17V001000 | Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. |
| 17V298000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Audi Q5 and 2013-2017 Audi Q7 vehicles. |
| 17V622000 | Electrical System:Wiring | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A5 Coupe, A5 Cabriolet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad and Q5 vehicles. |
| 18V229000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad 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 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,300
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.
- Engine34 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Steering19 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System11 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other8 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Structure8 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Service Brakes7 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Audi Q5 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Audi Q5?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (34 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Audi Q5 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 80/100, computed from 92 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Audi Q5's most common problem?
34 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Audi Q5 sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2013 Audi Q5 cost to run per year?
About $5,784 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,920 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 2013 Audi Q5 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Audi Q5, 2 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 2013 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 — 92 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 92 NHTSA complaints on record (7.1/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (7.7/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems