There are 41 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Audi Q5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ON [XXX] AT [XXX], AT MY HOME, I PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY IN MY 2012 AUDI 2012 Q5, I DROVE THREE HOUSES DOWN, AND THE SUNROOF EXPLODED SENDING SHATTERED GLASS ON MYSELF, MY THEN [XXX] SON, AND INTO THE CABIN OF THE CAR. I CALLED AUDI FOR REPAIR, BUT WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A 3 TO 4 MONTH WAIT, ORDERED A ON REPAIRS. SO I ORDERED A REPLACEMENT AND INSTALLED MYSELF. ON [XXX] MY 2012 AUDI Q5, WOULD NOT START, DASH FAULT INDICATED CRANKCASE/ CAMSHAFT NOT ALINGED. PUT VEHICLE IN A AUDI REPAIR SHOP (NOT DEALERSHIP) FOR REPAIRS. DAMAGE WAS CRANKCASE, TIMING CHAIN, AND TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER RESEARCH DONE FOUND THAT THERE WAS SIX RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, ONE INVOLVING THE SUNROOF SHATTERING, AND THE OTHER INVOLVING THE CRANKCASE, TIMING CHAIN, AND TENSIONER. ON 04/15/2025 I CALLED AUDI AT 800-822-2834 ABOUT THE INCIDENTS, AND INQUIRING ABOUT THE SIX RECALLS, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE SURE THE REPAIRS HAD BEEN COMPLETED. THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE DATES THAT A CASE WAS CLOSED BASED ON THE VIN OF MY VEHICLE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS HAD BEEN DONE, SHE STATED A CLAIM BEING CLOSED "USUALLY MEANT A REPAIR WAS DONE. BUT ONLY THE DEALERSHIP THAT OPENED THE CASE WOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION. I REQUESTED THE DEALERSHIP INFORMATION, ADVISING THAT I WAS CONCERNED AS THUS FAR THE RECALL REPAIRS SEEM TO BE FAILING, AND THE RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS COULD CAUSE POTENTIAL DEATH IF DEPLOYED. I REQUESTED A SUPERVISOR CALL BACK. ON 04/16/2025 I RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM A SUPERVISOR NAME JUAN/ID 43248. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE ISSUE WITH THE PREVIOUS RECALLS FAILING AND MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE AIRBAGS, AND ASKED FOR THE DEALERSHIP NAME AND NUMBER THAT DID THE REPAIRS. HE REFUSED TO GIVE ME THE INFORMATION SIGHTING IT CONTAINED INFORMATION ON THE PREVIOUS OWNER. I SEEK TO CONFIRM THAT THESE REPAIRS WERE ACTUALLY DONE IN FEAR THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN, AND IF A AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED I AND PASSENGERS MAY END UP DEAD AS A RESULT. PLEASE ADVISE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
• Excessive oil consumption • Engine knocking • Illumination of the check engine light, possibly for cylinder misfire • Engine stalling- • the pistons unexpectedly fail, drivers may also experience a sudden loss of engine power while operating their vehicles. This can pose a safety risk as it may become difficult for drivers to brake, accelerate or control the steering wheel. Drivers are believed to have experienced problems with the pistons well before they should, with some seeing engine failure before the 75,000- mile mark. Audi Vehicles Burning Too Much Oil A number of Audi drivers have posted complaints online that their Q5 vehicles are burning more oil than they should, an issue attorneys suspect could be related to a defect in the pistons. A sample of these complaints can be found below [sic throughout, emphasis ours]: My Audi Q5 2012, like all suffers from excessive mass oil consumption. A Dealer did the oil consumption test and said the piston and rings need to be replaced. I ve Already spent over $1K on crankshaft repairs etc. Will AoA to pay for new piston and rings? Its a $6K repair that I am unwilling to pay because it should not be going through this crap for such an expensive car.” This "benefit" likely won't me customers due to the age of the vehicles and they don’t seem to care. Not to mention owners will still be stuck with paying a percentage for repairs. I bought a 2012 Audi Q5 in in 2015…For the first 20,000 miles of owning this car, it was my dream car and was all I had hoped for. Then, the check engine and oil light game started. At first, adding oil meant that it would it go another 1500-2000 miles without issue. Then, around 75k, it went to 500 to 750 miles. Once it hit 95k, it dropped to every 400 to 600 miles that it needed oil. I am at 118k and desperately want to dump this lemon. Unfortunately, I have payments on this garbage car. I've spoken with a local mechanic about it and he says the fix is replacing the engine.
The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q5. The contact purchased the vehicle at an auction, and while leaving the auction site and driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact jumped-started the vehicle, and after entering the freeway, the vehicle vibrated and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted until the contact arrived at the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle remained unrepaired for several days. The contact went to pick up the vehicle, and the independent mechanic stated that the vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that a week later, while diving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the spark plugs had failed and caused the engine to fail. The contact stated that the independent mechanic had replaced the spark plugs and that the vehicle had been repaired. The contact was unsure if the spark plugs had been replaced. The independent mechanic refused to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2012 Audi Q5 2.0 engine failure 72,000 miles The dealership performed a tear down of my engine and had an inspector from Audi care come to inspect the damaged engine. It was determined the tensioner /timing chain caused the engine failure. Prior to the inspection, I did research and informed the service manager at the dealership that there was a known issue regarding this exact problem. He said he would have to perform The tear down to determine the cause. He contacted me to confirm it was indeed the cause. Now after more research, I saw there was a class action lawsuit regarding this exact issue. It was settled in 20/& or 2019 , I believe I bought my car in 2020, from an Audi dealership. Who I now assume should have been aware of this known issue and class action settlement. I would like to report this past known issue to the NTSBA. I am being told I will have to pay a large amount of money after my extended warranty will only cover a portion of the repair. This was a known problem which could have put me in danger of the engine seizing will operating the vehicle.
Too many engine issues/misfire/oil leaks on coils, air intake issues- hard to find the issue, engine burns/consumes way too much oil. Had gasket cover, PCV valve replaced, all coils replaced on 2 occasions due to oil leakage, spark plugs replaced, fuel pump replaced, intake valve replaced, water pump replaced, mass airflow sensor replaced, electric throttle body module replaced and I’m still experiencing misfires etc.
I have maintained the car well returning to Audi dealerships for all servicing. I’m able to pull into any Audi dealership to top off my oil due to a known issue with excessive oil consumption for Q5s. At 108,000 miles, the consumption is progressively worsening requiring 1 quart of oil every 500 miles. There’s no oil drippings on my garage floor.
The vehicle Q5 takes about 2 Quarts of oil every 400-500 miles. There are no oil leaks . It’s at 117,000 miles. Don’t know what to do . Vehicle runs great but the oil sign comes on every 500 miles
I have a one family, mother-in-law former owner 2012 Audi Q5 2.0T and unfortunately like others have the issue of excessive oil consumption. This started at about 75,000 miles and now at 79,000 miles it is using about 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. Of course dealers have their talking points saying this is normal. No, excessive oil consumption is not normal! Too bad Audi is not doing anything about this known problem. NAA (Never Again Audi).
December 17, 2024 2012 Q5 Audi Complaint- Purchased at Steve White Greenville, S.C VIN# [XXX] Dear Audi leaders, (and Michele) Thanks for replying to my request and your (brief) follow-up. I know selling cars is your main concern. I learned through years of working for tech companies such as Oracle and HP that it cost a significant more to get a new customer than to retain an old one. I expected at the very least was to lob a phone call to me, instead of pretending to- even more humiliating. The Audi Q5 was the biggest, most dangerous and worst purchase I’ve ever made. It is also the most expensive car I’ve ever maintained. I didn’t realize how many people literally got “burned” on this engine debacle that Audi created. Audi dealerships around the globe forced loyal customer who purchased this vehicle to jump through hoops to prove a very apparent engine flaw. It was like watching the Hindenburg crash, but in slow motion. Upon further research, the level of owners problems varied by engine; some were perfectly fine but most were faced with a ticking time-bomb. Audi seemed to take no blame, instead profiting on an “oil program”, expensive for the consumer and also time consuming, to solve the issue. As time has a way of flushing out the truth, a class action lawsuit quietly arose was settled in 2014. Audi shamelessly offered to cover 40% on certain cars-soon having a class action lawsuit on their hands. At that time, my Q5 had 99,000 miles on it. Because of Audi’s foot-dragging, my Q5 was too old to fix which seemed a little too well orchestrated and that is wrong. Currently, my vehicle is worth nothing and I feel 100% that it was intentionally motivated. I now have a hunk of metal that Audi refuses to fix which is not only frustrating- but is a danger to me and cars around me- It is unsafe. I was going to give it to my [XXX] daughter, but after having it looked over, it was too dangerous-at best. I was never notified by Audi when the recall was ann INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
The vehicle is needing about 2qts every 2-3 days. Every once in a while I can feel it slip. I just bought this vehicle in October 2021. There are absolutely no leaks. It's a safety hazard because if it loses enough oil when I am driving, the car can and will die in the middle of the road. This vehicle is what I use to haul my 2 year old daughter in. Yes the vehicle can be inspected. The vehicle was bought at cooks car sales. Lewiston, idaho 83501
EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE, OIL LIGHT COMING ON EVERY 2-3 DAYS ABOUT EVERY 100 MILES DRIVEN OR LESS. I take it to my same mechanic shop always, this is a major issue with the turbo using excessive engine oil consumptions. It's not leaking, it's a VERY WELL KNOWN DEFECTIVE ISSUE WITH THESE 2012 AUDI Q5 2.0 TURBO AWD. MASSIVE GAS USAGE BUT THE MAJOR OIL ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BECAUSE THIS WILL COST THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET CONSIDERING THIS IS A AUDI DEFECT. This issue will end up causing major engine failure if not recalled costing thousands of dollars for a engine replacement.
Excessive oil consumption. Needs 1 quart of oil per tank of gas, more often with city driving. Issues most likely with original rings and pistons. Repair likely $6000. Oil consumption not disclosed as a problem when I bought the car 4000 miles ago. Currently 106,000 miles.
Needing to put oil in engine at an increasing rate. Low oil light comes on every 3 days now as this has been going on over a year. Engine timing chain then jumped and caused engine failure. Replaced with a used engine and the same problems have begun again.
CAR BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL. THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME. OIL CONSUMPTION IS NOT NORMAIL. I HAVE TO ADD OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM OTHER AUDI OWNERS TO REPAIR THE ENGINE IT WILL COST AROUND $6,000.00. THE PISTONS AND RINGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND SINCE THERE ARE SOOOO MANY COMPLAINTS, AUDI SHOULD RECALL THIS ISSUE AND FIX IT FOR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE USING THE PUSH TO START BUTTON, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP. NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI SOUTH COAST (1425 AUTO MALL DR, SANTA ANA, CA 92705, (657) 213-3961) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STARTER AND THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NO REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,276.
ENGINE MISFIRE DUE TO TIMING CHAIN TENSIONING SYSTEM FAIL.
AUDI Q5 TFSI 2.0T ENGINE UPPER TIMING COVER OIL LEAK, CAUSES WATER PUMP TO LEAK OVER AND OVER AGAIN. UNTIL YOU FIX THE OIL LEAK, YOU CANNOT FIX THE WATER PUMP LEAKING.
IM LOOSING A LITER OF OIL EVERY 200-500 MILES AND TYRANNY FEELS LIKE IT SLIPS A LITTLE BUT THE OIL CONSUMPTION IS WHY IM WRITING THIS I BOUGHT MY 2012 AUDI Q5 PREMIUM SPORT EDITION WITH A 2.0 TURBO WITH 80,000 MILES AND WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE OIL CONSUMPTION!!
HEAVY OIL CONSUMPTION AND LEAKS INTO GAS, IGNITION AND OTHER AREAS
WITH 100,000 MILES THE VEHICLE STARTED USING OIL QUICKLY. OVERTIME AFTER OIL CHANGES HAD TO CONSISTENTLY ADD 1 LITER EVERY TWO WEEKS. WITHOUT NOTICE VEHICLE COMPLETELY FAILED AND WOULDN'T TURN OVER. EVERYTHING LIGHTS UP AND WORKS ON THE INSIDE BUT THE ENGINE WON'T TURN OVER WHICH IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS 2011 RECALL. THIS CAUSES ME TO HAVE A NON WORKING VEHICLE AND STILL HAVING PAYMENTS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT REPAIRING WAS TOLD I NEED A WHOLE NEW MOTOR AT A MINIMUM OF $8,000.
Showing 1–20 of 41 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026