Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Audi Q5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after refueling. Additionally, a fuel odor was detected while driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the fuel pump; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Fuel vapor in cabin. Research indicated need to inspect fuel pump. Removed inspection cover and found fuel puddled all around pump and noted fuel would re-plenish through apparent micro-fractures in the plastic pump housing when wiped away. Crack not visible but fuel obviously coming through housing after being wiped. I am 4rth owner. NTSB site and Audi site shows no open recalls. CarFax received on purchase of the car shows no open recalls but at the same time shows no evidence of Audi or VW service since the recall was issued in 2016 (very strange). Very similar description in incident #11353734. Image and video taken of the pump housing and fuel surrounding it.
- Fuel pump assembly leaking under rear passenger seat. Fuel odor in rear of car spreads to entire car quickly when engine is on. - Strong gasoline odor spreads quickly inside car cabin. Gasoline leaks from bottom of undercarriage near exhaust pipe causing a fire hazard. - The issue was confirmed by mechanic. A crack in fuel pump causes fuel to leak from pump when engine is on. - Vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic. Mechanic verified fuel leak from top of fuel pump. - No warning lamps or messages displayed prior or during the problem. Problem occurred 1 week ago.
Our Audi Q5 just last night fri. 1.27.17 at 10 pm lost power and within 30 seconds complete stop and stall. I was traveling with my wife and 4 yr. Old son on our way home on 210 fwy and 57 interchange within seconds we are stuck right in the middle of a 4 lane highway with cars and big rigs zoom by us and swerving around us. We could do nothing except sit in the car as we see a car heading right for us and brace for the collision. Thank god we walked away with our lives and only whiplash and not killed leaving my 8yr old daughter all alone. The car as towed away and taken to a body shop for now. Car maybe totaled unsure as of yet. Also man at the body shop read the car codes which one was the fuel pressure regulator error code. This was an extremely traumatic experience for my myself, wife and child. We are going to Audi and report this to them on Monday. …
Takata recall with no fix, also a problem with the fuel pump which the car can light on fire there is also no current repair. The dealer said we are screwed there's nothing they can do.my wife got into an accident with the loaner car if it was our car that is plagued by the recall things could have been worst
My wife called me while I was away on business and said that there was a smell of fuel in the house. I asked her to make sure to check the oven and she said it was not that type of gas and that it smelled like auto fuel. I came home and we had appointments to check out new homes and we noticed that the inside of the car smelled like fuel and I had to drive with the windows down and no A/C because we have two small children as well and the odor was stronger when we had the A/C on. We park our 2010 Audi Q5 in our garage and when we got home from our appointments I could smell a very strong smell of fuel coming from the rear passenger wheel well. We have not overfilled the car and there must be some kind of leak. …
I have a 2010 Audi Q5 that is leaking gas on the ground while engine is running while sitting still or driving down the road.. I removed the passenger rear seat which is directly on top of where the leak is coming from. I then removed the access panel for the fuel pump . Gas was sitting on top of the fuel pump in puddles. I decided to start the car with the access panel removed to see where exactly the leak was coming from and how big of leak it was. Upon starting the engine gas sprayed directly out of the top of the fuel pump's white plastic dome top, not the fuel pump flange. Perimeter. It is a large leak, it sprays like a geyser unhindered hitting the top of the access panel and running onto the ground. You can see visible cracks in the top of the fuel pump. …
I noticed a fuel smell emanating from the rear seat area on the passenger side of the vehicle, a 2010 Audi q% with 104,500 miles. This was noticeable both while driving and stationary while parked in the garage. After further investigation I visually saw fuel drops around the rear passenger seat on the bottom of the vehicle. I visited the national highway safety website and found a recall that matched the symtoms I described above. I contacted my Audi dealer and they indicated a fix for that recall was completed in 2016 on my vehicle. I am not sure what was accomplished but it seems it didn't work. I have been told by the Audi service department that the fuel flange and various other items will need to be replaced. As this is a safety item and the car can't be driven until repaired I authorized the repair at substantial expense. …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Audi Q5. The contact stated that there had been strong fumes of fuel emitting into the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure progressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a premature crack in the headliner for the fuel injector causing the fuel to leak internally. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. In addition, the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V078000 (air bags) but the part was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 10/19/16
My vehicle was recalled for a fuel pump issue which was repaired with tape in 2018. The fuel pump is now leaking fuel causing a fuel smell in the vehicle as well as in my garage and house while the car is parked in the garage. When I took my vehicle to be inspected and repaired I was told the original repair was not substantial enough to fix the original defect. Audi reports no new recalls on the vehicle and that there was a recall on a small selection of vehicles in the original recall. This is a hazard and could cause a fire. All vehicles in the original recall should be recalled again and repaired properly, with more than tape.
Related recalls
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.
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.
Fuel System complaints in other Q5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2010 Audi Q5?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2010 Audi Q5, 32% of the model year's 100 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Audi Q5 fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-818 (fuel pump, Nov 19, 2018); NHTSA recall 16V-660 (fuel pump, Sep 13, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Audi Q5 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.