Most common 2009 Audi Q5 problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi Q5 complaints by model year
Best Q5 years: 2020, 2017, 2019. Years to avoid: 2025, 2018, 2023, 2021, 2012. Compare all years →
2009 Audi Q5 recalls (6)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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…
Air bags
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 q5 passenger vehicles manufactured between November 25, 2008 and June 4, 2009. A left and/or right a-pillar trim cover clip May not have been manufactured correctly, allowing the a-pillar trim to become loose when the sideguard head protection airbags deploy during a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will inspect the clip in the middle of the left and right a-pillar covers and replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on January 22, 2010. Owners May contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834.
What 2009 Audi Q5 owners say
Air bags
I was in an accident where I hit a herd of elk. My car was totaled. The airbags did not deploy and they definitely should have. It was hit on the front, and both front sides. There is no way the airbags shouldn't have deployed.
Front left door pillar is becoming soaked from an apparent water leak possibly coming from the panoramic sunroof or windshield. Regardless it has to be running into the pillar airbag and has to be a safety concern.
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Audi Q5. While driving at any speed, there was a strong fuel odor emitting from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the plastic fuel pump in the fuel tank was fractured and released fuel beneath the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Strong gas smell coming from underneath rear passenger side of vehicle. No smell coming from gas cap area. No gas leak noticed under vehicle. Per research there is an issue with the plastic fuel pump located above the gas tank. Contacted Audi customer care and they stated there are no recalls for 2009 q5s. This is a very dangerous issue that Audi is not addressing.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2009 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the vehicle was smoking. There was antifreeze and oil leaking from the vehicle. While driving, the accelerator pedal and brake pedal became stuck, and the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal oil burning odor, fuel, and antifreeze. The vehicle was also consuming an excessive amount of fuel. The gear shifter button was also stuck. The gear box malfunctioned, and a message to restart vehicle was displayed. Additionally, the tailgate seized while going up and down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where additional oil was added several days. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer where the antifreeze was changed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
On 7/02/09 my Audi Q5 (VIN# [redacted]) was purchased from, and serviced by barrier Audi bellevue, washington; now doing business as Audi bellevue a dealership owned and operated by auto nation. Technical service bulletins [TSB] were sent to some Audi owners on 12/6/2013 concerning repair and cleaning of the secondary air control valve with a warranty extending through 07/02/2019. This problem was initially corrected on 12/27/2013 @44,445 miles, my last service with barrier was 09/13/2018 and at no time had I received notice that the problem could resurface. The TSB provides : "the secondary air system on these vehicles is used to heat up the catalytic converters quickly during cold-start conditions?. Over time, and depending on driving styles, carbon will build up in these small 10mm ports and cause faults in the engine control module for secondary air, bank1/bank2 insufficient flow? …
2009 Audi Q5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Audi Q5 a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Q5 rates better than average: 73% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Q5 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Audi Q5?
The air bags — 16 complaints, 52% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (6) and engine & cooling (3).
How many recalls does the 2009 Audi Q5 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2009 Audi Q5, the most recent from November 19, 2018 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Audi Q5?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2017 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2018, 2023, 2021 and 2012. See the full Audi Q5 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Audi Q5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.