YearToAvoid

2025 Audi Q5 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

93/100

#2 most-complained of 16 Q5 years

The 2025 Audi Q5 has a Complaint Index of 93, the second-worst among the 16 model years tracked, and is rated Avoid relative to other Q5 years. Owners logged 42 complaints, mostly involving collision avoidance/camera systems (55%) and electrical faults (45%), plus 1 recall for seat belts.

Complaints
42
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
2 / 0
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
25
23 city / 28.5 hwy

Top 2025 Audi Q5 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Collision Avoidance & Cameras23 (55%)
  2. Electrical System19 (45%)
  3. Brakes10 (24%)
  4. Engine9 (21%)
  5. Lane Departure6 (14%)
  6. Airbags4 (10%)
  7. Seat Belts4 (10%)
  8. Other3 (7%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain3 (7%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers3 (7%)

What owners report

  • Vehicles unexpectedly slam on the brakes at highway speed with no obstacle present, sometimes causing whiplash-type injury.
  • Forward collision and lane-departure systems misread intersections or trigger phantom braking events.
  • Dashboard emits an unexplained knocking sound that dealers could not diagnose or repair.
  • Driver assistance features fail randomly, and owners report long waits for a dealer repair appointment.
  • Engine loses power during hard acceleration or passing, described by a dealer as turbo lag.
  • Excess fuel buildup after idling causes misfires and violent vibration, sometimes leaving the car unable to restart.
2025 Audi Q5 complaints: complaints filed per month20Jul 2025Nov 2025Jan 2026Mar 2026May 2026Jul 2026Sep 2026
87 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2025 to Sep 2026; peak Mar 2026 (20).

2025 Audi Q5 recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V266000Apr 24, 2026Seat Belts7,425 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2025 Q5, Q5 Sportback, SQ5, and SQ5 Sportback vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belts may have been manufactured incorrectly, and fail to properly restrain occupants during a crash.

    Risk: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69GT.

2025 Audi Q5 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
23 MPG
Highway
28.5 MPG
Combined
25 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,200
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2025 compared with other Q5 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2023Avoid8743525
2024Best720424
2025Avoid9342125

All Audi Q5 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Audi Q5 reliable?
Compared with other Q5 model years, 2025 ranks poorly, with a Complaint Index of 93, the second-highest of the 16 years NHTSA has data for, driven mainly by collision-avoidance and electrical complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the 2025 Audi Q5?
Collision Avoidance & Cameras issues make up 55% of complaints, including phantom braking and misread intersections, followed by electrical system problems at 45%.
Does the 2025 Audi Q5 have any recalls?
Yes, one recall (26V266000) covers driver and front passenger seat belts that may have been manufactured incorrectly and fail to properly restrain occupants.
How many complaints does the 2025 Audi Q5 have?
NHTSA lists 42 complaints for the 2025 Q5, with 2 crashes and 2 injuries reported, and a median mileage at failure of 6,005 miles.
How does the 2025 Q5 compare to the best Q5 years?
The 2025 Q5's Complaint Index of 93 is far worse than the 2024 Q5's index of 7 and the 2020 and 2022 Q5's indexes of 13 and 20, which rank as Best years.

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.