2021 Audi Q5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
141 NHTSA owner complaints · 8 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. 2021 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 141 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Audi Q5 and Q7: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 141 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 28.2
What owners say
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.
Recalls: 8 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V606000 | Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Retractor | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6… |
| 22V742000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback,… |
| 22V753000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. |
| 21V947000 | Electrical System:Body Control Module/Bcm | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. |
| 25V080000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Audi Q5, and 2022 A7 E Hybrid Electric PHEV vehicles. |
| 23V842000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Charging:Cable/Cord:Onboard | 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 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. |
| 22V034000 | Tires | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8… |
| 21V295000 | Suspension:Rear:Axle:Non-Powered Axle Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback 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 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.
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.
- Electrical System52 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine34 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train23 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance20 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Unknown Or Other16 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion 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 2021 Audi Q5?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (52 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Audi Q5 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 33/100, computed from 141 NHTSA complaints and 8 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Audi Q5's most common problem?
52 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Audi Q5 sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2021 Audi Q5 cost to run per year?
About $4,955 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,778 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 2021 Audi Q5 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Audi Q5, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/08/2021. 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 2021 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 — 141 complaints, 8 recalls on record
- 141 NHTSA complaints on record (28.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.7/yr)
- 8 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems