2012 Audi Q5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated May 12, 2026 · 168 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Q5 years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 19 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Audi Q5. That ranks 2nd out of 19 Q5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (85 complaints, 51%), typically at around 50,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.

Audi Q5
Audi Q5 GU 2.0 TDI in Filderstadt. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Audi Q5 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags85 · ~50,000 mi
Engine47 · ~80,400 mi
Fuel/propulsion System20 · ~56,975 mi
Unknown or Other10 · ~80,000 mi
Structure9 · ~77,000 mi
Electrical System5 · ~63,000 mi
Power Train5 · ~104,468 mi
Suspension4 · ~82,100 mi
Visibility/wiper4 · ~36,528 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline3 · ~117,350 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags problems8551%50,000“takata air bags” (25%)—
Engine4728%80,400——
Fuel/propulsion System2012%56,975——
Unknown or Other106%80,000——
Structure95%77,000——
Electrical System53%63,000——
Power Train53%104,468——
Suspension42%82,100——
Visibility/wiper42%36,528——
Fuel System, Gasoline32%117,350——
Service Brakes32%39,125——
Vehicle Speed Control32%811——
Visibility32%1,000——
Exterior Lighting11%11,500——
Steering11%116,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 38 complaints
2012: 4201242013: 112014: 3201432015: 112016: 382016382017: 34342018: 232018232019: 21212020: 8202082021: 10102022: 6202262023: 442024: 5202452025: 992026: 120261

n = 168 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 Audi Q5 recalls (6)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pumpNov 19, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V818000 · 5,987 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2012 Audi Q7 and 2009-2012 Audi Q5 vehicles, previously repaired under NHTSA recall 16V-660. These vehicles were previously repaired with an interim repair of installing butyl tape to the fuel pump flange, until replacement remedy parts became available.

Risk: The butyl tape may not prevent fuel from leaking. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump flange and install butyl tape, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BJ.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleJan 30, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V082000 · 162,782 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Air bags:side/window; visibility:sun/moon roof assemblyJan 3, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V001000 · 234,057 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Audi Q5 vehicles. The sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side head air bag inflator canister resulting in the corrosion of the canister. If this happens, the corrosion can weaken the canister and the inflator could fracture without air bag deployment, propelling fragments into the passenger compartment, striking and causing serious injury to vehicle occupants.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator and either coat it or replace it, as necessary, after removing the surrounding foam, free of charge. The recall is expected to began March 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69P1.

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pumpSep 13, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V660000 · 143,214 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Audi Q5, and 2007-2012 Audi Q7 vehicles equipped with gasoline engines. The fuel pump flange on the affected vehicles may crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flange, replacing any flanges that are cracked. If the flange is not cracked, dealers will clean the pump flange and install a butyl rubber band to protect the pump. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20W9.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleFeb 10, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V078000 · 659,493 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Visibility:sun/moon roof assemblyJun 28, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V299000 · 13,172 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2012 audi q5 vehicles, manufactured from june 21, 2011, through december 9, 2011. Some vehicles may be equipped with a front sunroof glass panel that is susceptible to breakage in extremely cold weather/temperature conditions.

Risk: Should the sunroofâ’s glass break while the vehicle is in use, the falling glass could cut and injure the driver or passengers. It could also distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front sunroof glass panel, free of charge. The safety recall began on august 7, 2012. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-253-2834.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Unknown

Structure · received May 12, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11737442

The vehicle sunroof exploded. On March 10th at approximately 12:15pm, while driving down the road from my residence in my 2012 Audi Q5, the sunroof blew up, without warning, causing shattered glass to fall inside the cab of the vehicle onto myself, and my then nine year old son, causing minor cuts…

Structure · received Oct 2, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11691013

The oil has been leaking for some years. I have taken it in several times, to be fixed and it is still leaking

Fuel/propulsion System · received Sep 4, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11685033

The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q5. The contact purchased the vehicle at an auction, and while leaving the auction site and driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact jumped-started the vehicle, and after…

Engine · received Aug 11, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11679877

ON [XXX] AT [XXX], AT MY HOME, I PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY IN MY 2012 AUDI 2012 Q5, I DROVE THREE HOUSES DOWN, AND THE SUNROOF EXPLODED SENDING SHATTERED GLASS ON MYSELF, MY THEN [XXX] SON, AND INTO THE CABIN OF THE CAR. I CALLED AUDI FOR REPAIR, BUT WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A 3 TO 4 MONTH WAIT, ORDERED…

Engine · received Apr 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11655139

Other Audi Q5 years

← 2011 Q5 · 2013 Q5 →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2026 Q530
2025 Q5421
2024 Q5204
2023 Q5445
2022 Q5224
2021 Q5748
2020 Q5256
2019 Q5525
2018 Q52076
2017 Q5425
2016 Q5775
2015 Q5996
2014 Q51055
2013 Q5895
20121686
2011 Q51435
2010 Q51004
2009 Q5316
2008 Q501

See all Audi Q5 problems by year, every Audi model, or the Audi VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Audi Q5?

Owners most often report air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 85 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Audi Q5?

Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 Audi Q5 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Q5 model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.