YearToAvoid

2009 Audi Q5 Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 16 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2009 Audi Q5, 52% of all 31 complaints for this model year. That is #4 highest airbag complaint count among 18 Q5 model years. These complaints report 2 crashes and 2 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 54,000 miles.

Airbags complaints
16
52% of 31
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
54,000 mi
Related recalls
4

When 2009 Audi Q5 airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Sep 18, 2015, latest Feb 17, 2023.

2009 Audi Q5 airbags complaints: complaints filed per month3Sep 2015Jan 2017Apr 2017Mar 2018May 2018Jul 2020Feb 2023
16 complaints filed with NHTSA from Sep 2015 to Feb 2023; peak Nov 2016 (3).

Airbags recalls for the 2009 Audi Q5

  1. NHTSA 18V082000Jan 30, 2018Airbags162,782 vehicles

    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. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.

  2. NHTSA 16V376000May 27, 2016Airbags8,381 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.

    Risk: If the air bag control unit fails, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69O1.

  3. NHTSA 16V078000Feb 10, 2016Airbags659,493 vehicles

    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. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

  4. NHTSA 09V484000Dec 18, 2009Airbags6,054 vehicles

    Air bags

    Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 q5 passenger vehicles manufactured between november 25, 2008 and june 4, 2009. A left and/or right a-pillar trim cover clip may not have been manufactured correctly, allowing the a-pillar trim to become loose when the sideguard head protection airbags deploy during a crash.

    Risk: If this happens, a loose trim piece could injure the front seat occupants of the vehicle.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will inspect the clip in the middle of the left and right a-pillar covers and replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on january 22, 2010. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-253-2834.

Airbags complaints by Q5 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20080 (0%)
  2. 200916 (52%)
  3. 201050 (50%)
  4. 201167 (47%)
  5. 201285 (51%)
  6. 20131 (1%)
  7. 20143 (3%)
  8. 20152 (2%)
  9. 20165 (6%)
  10. 20173 (7%)
  11. 201813 (6%)
  12. 20193 (6%)
  13. 20200 (0%)
  14. 20211 (1%)
  15. 20220 (0%)
  16. 20233 (7%)
  17. 20240 (0%)
  18. 20254 (10%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Audi Q5 have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 16 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2009 Audi Q5, 52% of all complaints for this model year, including 2 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 54,000 miles.
Which Audi Q5 year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2012 Audi Q5 has the most airbag complaints (85), compared with 16 for the 2009.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2009 Audi Q5?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns for the 2009 Audi Q5 concern the airbag: 18V082000, 16V376000, 16V078000, and 09V484000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.