Most common 2020 Audi Q5 problems
Share of the 25 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 →
2020 Audi Q5 recalls (6)
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Charging › Cable/cord › Onboard
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations.
Tires
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022.
Structure › Body
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway control module, causing it to shutdown.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022.
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Seats
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020.
Structure › Body
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019.
What 2020 Audi Q5 owners say
Electrical system
Engine Start Malfunction Warning Light. Apparently, this has been a problem with the 2020 Q5 (and others) from water backing up from clogged moonroof drainage system allowing water into the L rear compartment housing the Comfort Control Module, wiring, fuses, etc. (or other roof drainage problems also saturating the CCM) Dealership has determined that damage to the CCM and corroded wiring will cost about $5500 to replace and program. Audi, I believe. sustained a class action lawsuit and agreed to cover that problem with the moonroof drainage system up to 90000 miles. However, my vehicle is at 114000, but I never received any type of notice of there being a problem or that the drainage system should be evaluated from Audi. And this had to have been occurring for years for system corrosion and failure. …
Gateway control modular failure. At dealer currently. We took pictures. Multiple reports of the exact same thing on Audi forums online. Audi confirmed same issue. While driving car it suddenly stopped and the emergency brake was automatically applied. No warning, no way to Live the car to safety, all the warning lights began to flash, windows started to rolling up and down. Then the car just turned off. Unable to start it, turn it on, move it, nothing. Needed a special tow truck to have it towed to dealer. A serious safety issue. I am 8 m pregnant, had my brother and 4 year old nephew in car. I am concerned for my safety but equally concerned for every Q5 has this gateway module in this location. Every person driving a Q5 and other drivers can be affected by the design flaw of the location/ lack of protection of this gateway module. We were lucky we were not on the highway. …
Engine & cooling
On July 14, 2020, my daughter and I drove my leased Audi Q5 to Cari's sister's home. As I pulled in the driveway, and before I turned off the vehicle and exited the car, smoke began to billow from the engine compartment and enter the interior. My daughter and I were suddenly engulfed by white smoke, and evacuated the vehicle immediately. With the use of a garden hose and fire extinguishers, my sister, brother-in-law, and I were able to subdue the fire until the fire department arrived and extinguished it fully. My Audi Q5 was totaled due to this fire that, suddenly and without warning, engulfed the engine compartment. After the incident, Audi inspected the vehicle. Ultimately, Audi stated that the cause/origin of the engine compartment fire was due to the turbocharger electronic waste gate malfunction. …
On 12-18-2024, I brought a Audi Q5 2020 from Lynbrook Audi dealership in New york, approximately weeks after the vehicle engine oil light came on to replenish engine oil. I notified the sales representative of the issue, he stated that the vehicle was serviced on 09-2023. After our conversation the vehicle engine oil light continue to light up for oil replenish every 2 to 3 weeks for the past 7 months, I contacted the manufacturer and dealership and both of them is pointing fingers at each other instead of fixing the vehicle. Every time the engine oil light came on i have to take the vehicle to the dealership to replenish. The problem was never resolved.
Driver assistance
Incident occurred as I was waiting third in line to add fuel to my Audi. Usually when I am in a long wait I put my vehicle in neutral and to move forward then I have to put my foot on brake to change gears. In this incident I did just that when car in front moved up, but the car suddenly accelerated forward quickly and hit with force the car in front. I put car in reverse to back off with intent to shut down car to exit in order to assess damage and provide insurance information. Instead when I went into reverse the car shot uncontrollably backward 20-30 feet at high speed striking another car entering the fueling area. In either the forward motion and or the backward motion of car did the sensors or brake assistance system deploy. The car will be inspected by both Audi America and also by a third party appointed by my insurance provider.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was intermittently blank or distorted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and to a second dealer, Santa Monica Audi (1020 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401), on several occasions; however, the dealers were unable to duplicate the failure. The dealers replaced the rearview camera twice; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the second dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
2020 Audi Q5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo plug-in hybrid | 7-speed dual-clutch | AWD | 25 / 29 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 7-speed automatic | AWD | 22 / 28 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Audi Q5 a good car?
Based on 25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Q5 rates better than average: 52% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Q5 at the same age. It is one of the best Q5 years by this measure. 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 2020 Audi Q5?
The electrical system — 8 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (4) and driver assistance (4).
How many recalls does the 2020 Audi Q5 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2020 Audi Q5, the most recent from December 13, 2023 (onboard). 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 2020 Audi Q5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 2,000 miles; 100% 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.