2015 Audi Q5 problems & reliability
97 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Audi Q5, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2015 Audi Q5 vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 37 | 38% |
| Steering | 14 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 13 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 8% |
| Suspension | 8 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 4% |
| Power Train | 4 | 4% |
| Structure | 4 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 54,024 miles (middle 50% between 35,397 and 76,441 miles), based on 38 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle failed inspection due to premature rust perforation damage of rear subframe caused by a plastic cover trapping water against the metal. Vehicle otherwise passed inspection.”
Structure · filed May 22, 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the rear subframe was extremely rusted and could not pass a safety inspection. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,351.”
Structure · filed Jan 27, 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q5 equipped with Firestone Tires, Tire Line: Firehawk A/S, Tire Size: P235/55/R19, DOT Number: 1RBE793E9. The tires were purchased in 2022. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the rear driver’s side tire had…”
Tires · filed Jan 15, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,089 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Audi Q5. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
TSB_2082846_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2026
This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing.
TSB_2073747_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 01-2026 · Other · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is increased oil consumption; >0.5ltr/1000 km.
TSB_2074640_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the area around the instrument cluster.
TSB_2059335_7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the transmission warning message appears in the cluster; P074100 stored in the TCM.
TSB_2028902_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.
TSB_2074729_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the engine is not running smoothly, misfiring.
TSB_2082323_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2026
This Reporting Obligation requires technicains to contact the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) in cases where the airbag/seatbelt is deployed/not deployed; general accident information; and fire and overheat damage.
TSB_2052680_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2015 Audi Q5 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2015 Audi Q5?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 54,024 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.