- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 6
- on record
- MPG
- 52
- combined
Open recalls on record
6 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Audi Q5
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- Owner complaints
- 24
- Complaints citing a crash
- 3
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
6 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
6 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 22V034000high
Tire/wheel issue
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 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Consequence
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
- 21V947000high
Electrical issue
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. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway control module, causing it to shutdown.
Consequence
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.
- 21V295000high
Suspension issue
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. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Consequence
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
- 20V505000high
Safety restraint issue
SEATS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Consequence
In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
- 19V737000high
Body/structure issue
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 trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.
Consequence
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 66K8.
- 23V842000high
Electrical issue
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. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
Consequence
An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Audi Q5.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 16.4%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2020 Audi Q5 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 16.4% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2020 Audi Q5, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
52
City
51
Hwy
52
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,800
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 165 g/mi
- Electric range
- 20 miles
- Charge time
- 2.4 hours (240V)
How this compares
At 52 MPG combined, the 2020 Audi Q5 ranks 1st of 5 small SUVs (4WD) EPA rated for 2020 — 29 MPG better than the 23 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,800, $500 less than the $3,300 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $14,000, a $2,500 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 165 grams per mile — about 2.5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
24 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 24
- Total
- 3
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER8
- ELECTRICAL5
- ENGINE5
- BRAKES2
- WHEELS/TIRES1
Notable Issues
24 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 3 reports involve injuries. 3 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Audi Q5, newest first.
- Recall
An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
- Recall
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- SUV
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
52
City
51
Hwy
52
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,800
- Fuel
- Premium Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.