AUDI Q5 · model year

2009 AUDI Q5

35 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009AUDIQ5 carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 Q5 is air bags with 16 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (5) and engine (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2009 Q5. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

35
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

35 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
ENGINE2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
STEERING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING1
SUSPENSION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR1
Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle)1

Recalls (6)

18V08200030/01/2018

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. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure m

16V37600027/05/2016

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.

18V81800019/11/2018

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 re

09V48400018/12/2009

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

16V66000013/09/2016

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.

16V07800010/02/2016

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. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal

Recent Complaints

20230917Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle)

Cybex Sirona S is marketed as a 360 car seat that rotates and swivels, but when in forward-facing mode for functionality it does not tether. The guidance is to use the load leg to keep the swivel and rotation but then not use the tether. The tether strap is critical for safety and part of CPST guidance. People purchasing this seat are being made to compromise safety for functionality.

20230217CrashAIR 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.

20221117ENGINE AND 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.

Mileage: 140,000

20221117VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

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.

Mileage: 140,000

20221117SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

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.

Mileage: 140,000

20220529UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I got in my car at about 6pm on Saturday May 28, 2022. Started it up and proceeded to start opening the sunroof when I noticed it was cracked. I was thinking some kids had hit it with a ball until I traced the spiderwebbing right back to to the center of the panoramic sunroof. You could wind noise really bad when driving.

20210714AIR BAGS

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.

20201120FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL PUMP UNDER PASSENGER 'S SEAT AFRAID TO DRIVER IT BECAUSE AS LONG AS THE ENGINE IS RUNNING THE FUEL CONTINUE TOO LEAK WHETHER THE CAR IS MOVING OR STATIONARY!!

20201116FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL LEAKING ON RIGHT SIDE JUST UNDER THE PASSENGER'S SEAT ON GROUND WHEN CAR IS RUNNING

20200704AIR BAGS

RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER TRIM FOR AIRBAG IS LOOSE AND HAS BEEN DETECTED IN OTHER CASES TO HAVE POSSIBILITY OF BEING INEFFECTIVE IN DEPLOYING.

20191227ENGINE

ON 7/02/09 MY AUDI Q5 (VIN# [XXX]) 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? SOME MODELS DO HAVE A WARRANTY EXTENSION, WHICH COVERS THE SECONDARY AIR PORT CLEANING UP TO 1

Mileage: 106,000

20190531AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI ROCHESTER (3955 W HENRIETTA RD, ROCHESTER, NY 14623, (585) 334-1600) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20181213FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE CAR GAS A STRONG GAS SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR, EVERYDAY, ALL DAY. TOOK IT TO AUDI AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE "PROBLEM". THE CAR CAN'T BE DRIVEN. ITS CAUSING NAUSEA AND HEADACHES WHEN DRIVING MORE THAN 5 MINS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING A CAR THAT IS PRODUCING A GAS SMELL. I BELIEVE THAT GAS FLANGE RECALL CREATED MORE ISSUES TO MY CAR THAT AUDI MADE ME PAY FOR AND NEVER FIXED THE GAS SMELL.

20181213UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE CAR GAS A STRONG GAS SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR, EVERYDAY, ALL DAY. TOOK IT TO AUDI AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE "PROBLEM". THE CAR CAN'T BE DRIVEN. ITS CAUSING NAUSEA AND HEADACHES WHEN DRIVING MORE THAN 5 MINS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING A CAR THAT IS PRODUCING A GAS SMELL. I BELIEVE THAT GAS FLANGE RECALL CREATED MORE ISSUES TO MY CAR THAT AUDI MADE ME PAY FOR AND NEVER FIXED THE GAS SMELL.

20180503AIR BAGS

THE DRIVER AIRBAG MAY EXPLODE IN A CRASH WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. SHARP METAL FRAGMENTS CAN HIT PEOPLE AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE DRIVER AIRBAG MAY EXPLODE IN A CRASH WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. SHARP METAL FRAGMENTS CAN HIT PEOPLE AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. OWNERS SHOULD SCHEDULE THIS RECALL REPAIR IMMEDIATELY, EVEN IF AN INTERIM REPAIR WAS RECENTLY DONE. I HAVE RECEIVED MANY LETTERS ABOUT BRINGING MY CAR IN FOR THE REPAIRS BUT WHENEVER I CALL AUDI AND TRY SCHEDULE SOMETHING THEY KEEP SAYING THAT THE PARTS HAVE NOT ARRIVED. THE ISSUE HAS GONE MORE THAN A YEAR. MY AUDI DEALER IS ROYAL AUTOMOTIVE GROUP OF SAN FRANCISCO. I HAVE CALLED MANY TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME TO KEEP WAITING.

20180416AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE LOCAL DEALER (BOB MOORE AUDI IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20180308AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI SEATTLE IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND AUDI BELLEVUE IN BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON WERE MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

20170509AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V078000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20170420AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE I FIRST REQUESTED THAT AUDI OF BELLEVUE HANDLE MY AIRBAG RECALL. I CALLED IN MARCH 2016 AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE THE PARTS "BY THE END OF THE YEAR." I REQUESTED A LOANER CAR UNTIL IT WAS FIXED AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO A SALES MANAGER WHO DID NOT TAKE MY CALL. I LEFT A MESSAGE EXPLAINING THAT MY CAR SPENT 3 YEARS IN TEXAS AND I HAVE A SMALL CHILD AND WAS NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY CAR WITH THE RECALL. HE NEVER RETURNED MY CALL. I RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE. WHEN I MADE MY APPOINTMENT, I AGAIN REQUESTED THE AIRBAG BE REPLACED AND WAS TOLD THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE PARTS AND, IN FACT NOBODY IN THE AREA HAD THEM. OUR HONDA WAS FIXED LAST JUNE. I RECEIVED ANOTHER "URGENT" RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL THIS WEEK, URGING ME TO CONTACT MY DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED AUDI USA TO EXPLAIN THE EXPERIENCE I JUST HAD AND INQUIRE FURTHER. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE HOPING TO GET PARTS TO MY AREA BY SEPTEMBER (IT IS APRIL) AND THA

20170414SUSPENSION

FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL MAKES A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND OVER ANY SMALL BUMPS ON THE ROAD.

Mileage: 64,000

Compare 2009AUDIQ5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 AUDI Q5 have?
The 2009 AUDI Q5 has 35 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 AUDI Q5?
Yes, the 2009 AUDI Q5 has 6 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 AUDI Q5?
The most-complained component for the 2009 AUDI Q5 is AIR BAGS with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2009 AUDI Q5 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.