Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Audi Q5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Audi q5 shows no recalls on my vehicle. My car stops randomly while driving even while being on highways and interstates. As well as the passenger side leaking due to sunroof drainage coming to the inside (which may affect the air bags). This Car has not had any repairs on recalls that I know of personally.
Audi offered a warranty extension for intake manifold & fuel injectors in certain 2008-2011 Model Year Audi Vehicles with 2.0 TFSI Engine. Audi rejected our claim for a faulty fuel injector in our 2011 car citing that "vehicle does not have the extended warranty for fuel injectors and the information that was submitted was only for 2.0 TFSI Engine's with the Engine code of CBFA & CCTA. The engine in your vehicle is a 3.2 FSI with the Engine code CALB. So this warranty extension would not be applicable to your vehicle." Our Audi dealership diagnosed our car with the same fuel injector issue listed by Audi in this warranty extension as well as stating that this is a very common issue with our make, model and year. Our Audi is a 2011 model, less than 120,000 miles, and less than 10 years when the malfunction indicator lamp appeared. …
The car has always had proper maintenance and care. This can be documented with Audi of huntsville al. No warnings or indicator lights were present. The car was parked and about 15 minutes later a passerby came into the restaurant in which we were dining saying a gray Audi was on fire. Owner of restaurant tried to use handheld fire extinguisher to the front grill. No luck as it immediately melted the hood and engulfed the whole car in flames. Took firemen 30 minutes to put it out. They had no idea of cause but speculated electrical as the source.
I purchased a certified preowned Audi Q5 last March 2013. The vehicle was running fine. No problems or concerns. I took the vehicle to an Audi dealer in February 2014 for an annual service and also in March 2014 for my yearly inspection/emissions testing. On April 2014, I had loss the vehicle due to an unknown fire that had started in the car. Yes, my car was engulfed in fire! Prior to this fire, I had no problems or messages on my dashboard or smelled smoke while I had drove the car. The car was running fine up until that day. I have no idea what happened to my vehicle. The insurance company had investigated this vehicle, and they stated that arson was not the blame for the fire. They r/o an electrical issue that might of been the cause of the fire. The insurance company had also researched recalls and manufacturer defects, and they claimed there were no issues. …
My Audi Q5 2011 check engine and epc light continue to light up my dash, vehicle has been diagnosed by the dealership not once not twice but more than three times. Continues to have the same and similar misfires and actually seems to be getting hotter than usual, the engine. I've seen several complaints about recalls on the coolant pump,timing chain, fuel pump flange, fuel pump, wiring sensors, epc light ball joints, and the list goes on. What has me mostly concern is the recalls for all the fuel system components. For example emission control devices like the EGR fuel cap fuel gauge sender, feel injection system fuel leaks stalling and hesitation , have you been seeing one or actually a couple where a fire was initiated while people were in the car . …
At about 63,000 miles my check engine light went on and I checked code and p0018 showed up. It failed emissions test subsequently for license renewal. I took in to dealership and first time they said a sensor was slightly loose and a little corrosion on. Said it was fixed and meets manuf. Specifications. Light came back on 2 days later. Just took in and they said it was the left side timing belt and $6,100 to fix. What troubles me is that there was a recall for the same year Audi but only for the 2.0. My car is apparently the only 3.2 liter having this issue. No recall? It occurred at the same moment in time, around 65,000 miles. While I was appeased slightly by them offering to fix it for parts cost..... …
I was driving my car around some blind curves when I heard a clank kind of sound and clicking and then lost power fortunately I was close enough I coasted home. I was very lucky. I could not get the engine to start and had it towed to the Audi dealer he said, engine no start no power: found engine cranks without compression. Found timing chain stretched and jumped timing. Removed and inspected valves and found all valves to be bent. At this time we need to replace the cylinder head and timing chain and related parts. Parts: $4800 labor: $4835 total: $9635.00 regards, I believe this is a problem that actually is so common that several mechanics have websites on how to protect your chain from doing this. I of course had no idea about any of this before...because no one told me it was an issue!!!! Or I would have done the preventative care. …
After my car had been sitting for 8 days I went in garage to crank it. The car cranked but shook violently. I immediately shut it off. I tried to re crank it but it would not crank. I called Audi and had it towed in. They told me the "lifetime" timing chain was stretched. That the repair would cost between $4,000 and $7,000 to fix. I did some quick searching and saw other folks with similar issues. The car has 98,000 miles , always serviced by Audi. I called Audi and told them this appears to be a re occurring issue and I though they should handle the fix. They called me back and said they would split the cost. I told them to proceed with the repair. This is the second major problem with the engine, the first was "oil consumption" which they repaired for free. Another $7,000 fix. …
After running errands I started my Audi Q5. The engine immediately began to idle hard. No warning lights ect., but enough for concern. Drove it immediately to an independent mechanic just blocks away. It has been determined that the tensioner on the timing chain broke causing catastrophic engine failure. I have maintained the car meticulously, and am beside myself over this. I have since learned that this has been a problem for multiple people and there is currently a class action lawsuit filed filed last spring in new jersey for this specific issue. My engine was rebuilt as a result of the recall two years ago on an oil consumption issue. I am being told it will cost me $13,000 for a new engine, but is seems that this was an existing problem that Audi kept from its customers.
Audi Q5 94,000. I will never never buy Audi vehicle again. First started with oil leak, replaced valve cover gasket, then hood latch sensor (german genius). How in the world this bad sensor measures oil level. Rack and pinion leak, then timing cover gasket leak. Then my mechanic replaced driver side upper control arm. Now rear shock is bad. Already spent over $3000 fine, the worst issue I have is traction control light. The dealer (stealer) gave me estimate of $1700 to fix this. The last serious one on 12/23/20 while driving with 2 more passengers on busy are in houston near med.center, car engine lost power, shaking violently, then I drove very slowly at around 30 MPH. This is Audi Q5 is nightmare. NHTSA please do something, make Audi settle these issues. Thank you.
Engine complaints in other Q5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Audi Q5?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Audi Q5, 30% of the model year's 143 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Audi Q5 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 Audi Q5, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Audi Q5 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.