2020 Audi Q5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
23 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
23 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 3.83
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Traffic stopped very quickly. The automatic breaking did not engage, resulting in a crash and a total loss of the vehicle. I bought the Audi due to quality safety features so this incident was very disappointing and costly for our family.
Purchased a 2020 Audi Q5 sold as-is. Within 30 days, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle lost power. A dealer estimated repairs would cost around $27,000. This sudden loss of drive ability poses a safety risk.
The seatbelt comes loose and Nuna sent me a pad and screwdriver and refused to replace the seat. The harness won’t stay tight and I do not trust the seat to be safe for my child
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V947000 | Electrical System:Body Control Module/Bc | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liqu… |
| 23V842000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Char | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 A… |
| 19V737000 | Structure:Body | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover … |
| 22V034000 | Tires | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021… |
| 21V295000 | Suspension:Rear:Axle:Non-Powered Axle As | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Aud… |
| 20V505000 | Seats | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi… |
EPA combined 27 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $2,800 · EPA range 20 mi
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 (7 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 23 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Audi Q5, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/12/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
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.