2016 Audi Q5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
77 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. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 77 complaints, score 78/100. 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 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 77 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 7.7
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Driving on May 20, 2026 near my home in Florida, power steering assist failed suddenly making it very difficult to steer. Red light on dashboard lit up indicating steering failure. According to a search of the NHTSA records, this is a known issue with these cars. (NHTSA Campaign 15V452000, Audi Action Code 48M1. If I had been on a highway or busy street, the sudden failure would have likely caused an accident. The…
1) Rear subframe supports differential, axels, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires 2) If rear suspension fails , above noted assemblies will fall out of the car 3) Yes, dealer and independent garage have inspected and condemned 4) Manufacturer is aware of the problem, 5) No warnings or messages appeared, 6/29/26 at garage for oil change, garage was installing a subframe for another q5 so he was familiar with the…
Mechanic was checking the car and noticed subframe is rusted through underneath the plastic cladding. Audi dealers should cover this under warranty as it’s a safety issue. This happened due to poor designing.
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 26 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.
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.
- Engine26 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other11 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Steering10 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System10 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System9 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine And Engine Cooling8 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
Other Audi Q5 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Audi Q5?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (26 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Audi Q5 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 78/100, computed from 77 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Audi Q5's most common problem?
26 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 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 2016 Audi Q5 cost to run per year?
About $5,266 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,330 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 2016 Audi Q5 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 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 2016 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 — 77 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 77 NHTSA complaints on record (7.7/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (7.7/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems