Audi Q5: common problems, best years and what to check
Premium mid-size SUV; strong diesels and quattro. Covers 2009–2024 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.
Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide
Is the Audi Q5 a good used buy?
Best buy
2017+ FY 40 TDI
Avoid
8R 2.0 TFSI oil burners
Who it suits: Families wanting a refined premium SUV with all-wheel drive.
What's good
- Quality interior
- Refined
- quattro grip
- Strong resale
What's not
- Expensive options
- Early TFSI oil use
- Firm S line ride
- Pricey servicing
By the numbers
- #67 most common model on UK roads, with about 128k licensed (DfT).
- The biggest surviving year is 2019: 11.9k cars still licensed.
- 2009 cars survive 32% better than comparable cars of that year.
- 2.0 TDI uses a belt (130k / 10 yrs): budget £550–£800 if there's no invoice.
- The most expensive common fault: Piston rings → oil burning (up to £4,000).
Audi Q5 common problems by generation and engine
Audi Q5 8R (2008–2016) · SUV
How to spot it: 08 plate to 16 plate. Single-frame grille with LED daytime eyebrows.
2.0 TDI (CAHA / CGLC, diesel, 2008–2016)
Strong
- EGR / DPF faults£400–£1,50070k+
2.0 TFSI (EA888 Gen2, petrol, 2008–2012)
Oil consumption issue
- Piston rings → oil burning£1,500–£4,00060k+
Audi Q5 FY (2017–2024) · SUV; Sportback; TFSI e
How to spot it: 17 plate onwards. Wider octagonal grille and sharper lights.
40 TDI (EA288 evo, diesel, 2017–2024)
Frugal
55 TFSI e (EA888 + e, petrol plug-in hybrid, 2019–2024)
Quick; complex
Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.
Best and worst Audi Q5 years
How many Audi Q5s from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.
Years that outlast similar cars: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.
Audi Q5 MOT pass rate and common failures
First-time pass rate (2025)
Average UK car of the same age
MOT tests analysed (2009+ cars)
Audi Q5s pass their MOT first time 7 points more often than the average UK car of the same age (84% vs 77%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.
| First registered | Pass rate | Average UK car that age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 66% | 58% | 134k miles |
| 2010 | 69% | 59% | 126k miles |
| 2011 | 71% | 61% | 120k miles |
| 2012 | 75% | 63% | 112k miles |
| 2013 | 77% | 66% | 106k miles |
| 2014 | 80% | 69% | 96k miles |
| 2015 | 82% | 72% | 88k miles |
| 2016 | 83% | 75% | 79k miles |
| 2017 | 82% | 78% | 68k miles |
| 2018 | 87% | 81% | 59k miles |
| 2019 | 89% | 84% | 52k miles |
| 2020 | 91% | 86% | 44k miles |
| 2021 | 91% | 87% | 36k miles |
| 2022 | 93% | 89% | 28k miles |
Pass rate by fuel
Diesel
Petrol
Hybrid
Fuels differ in age and mileage mix, so treat this as a pattern rather than a like-for-like comparison.
Most common MOT failures
- Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.82 per 100
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2.7 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.31 per 100
- Tyres: has a cut1.81 per 100
- Coil spring: fractured or broken1.81 per 100
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1.78 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1.45 per 100
- Headlamp aim: too low1.37 per 100
Most common advisories
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm24.5 per 100
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn18.19 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick12.53 per 100
- Tyres: has a tear6.3 per 100
- Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened6.07 per 100
- Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn4.41 per 100
- Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4.31 per 100
- Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm3.46 per 100
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Does the Audi Q5 have a timing belt or chain?
| Engine | Type | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 TDI | belt | 130k / 10 yrs | £550–£800 |
| 2.0 TFSI | chain | check from 70k | £900–£1,600 |
Audi Q5 running costs
Road tax (from April 2017)
Road tax (before April 2017)
Insurance groups
Real-world economy
Servicing (independent)
Tyres
Warranty when new
Is the Audi Q5 ULEZ compliant?
- Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
- Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
- Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.
Safety and practicality
Euro NCAP
Boot
Seats
Audi Q5 vs rivals
| Model | On UK roads | Insurance | Boot | Best buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi Q5 | 128k | 26–42 | 550 l | 2017+ FY 40 TDI |
| BMW X3 | 109k | 28–44 | 550 l | 2018+ G01 xDrive20d |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | 90k | 31–44 | 550 l | 2019+ GLC 220d (OM654) |
| Volvo XC60 | 139k | 25–40 | 505 l | 2017+ Mk2 B4/D4 or T8 if you can charge |
| Land Rover Discovery Sport | — | — | — | Guide coming soon |
| Porsche Macan | 45k | 42–50 | 488 l | 2019+ Macan S |
What to check when buying a used Audi Q5
- S tronic and quattro service records
Audi Q5 FAQ
›Is the Audi Q5 reliable?
Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 2017+ FY 40 TDI. Avoid: 8R 2.0 TFSI oil burners.
›What is the Audi Q5 MOT pass rate?
84% of Audi Q5s passed their MOT first time in 2025 (105,138 tests), better than the 77% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt.
›What are the most common Audi Q5 problems?
The costliest known faults are Piston rings → oil burning; EGR / DPF faults. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.
›Does the Audi Q5 have a timing belt or chain?
2.0 TDI: belt; 2.0 TFSI: chain.
›What is the best year Audi Q5 to buy?
By DfT survival data, 2009, 2010, 2011 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.
›How much does a Audi Q5 cost to run?
Real-world economy: 2.0 TDI 42–50 mpg; 55 TFSI e 35–75 depending on charging. Insurance groups 26–42. A minor service is about £240–£340 at an independent garage.
›How much is road tax on a Audi Q5?
Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.
›Is the Audi Q5 ULEZ compliant?
Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001. Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
How we build this guide
We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.
- How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
- MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
- Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
- Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
- Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.
This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.
Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.