2.8

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,907 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Audi Q5 engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Audi Q5 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #45

Jan 052022

Q5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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

- Greenville , SC, USA

problem #44

Nov 262024

Q5

  • miles
-?? 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.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #43

May 152024

Q5

  • miles
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.

- Islip Terrace, NY, USA

problem #42

Jan 092024

Q5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Bergenfield, NJ, USA

problem #41

Oct 012022

Q5

  • 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).

- Sussex, WI, USA

problem #40

Dec 032022

Q5

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q5. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel injection intake valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The oil warning light, the EPS warning light, TIPM warning, and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel intake valve and the oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #39

Feb 102023

Q5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Tioga , TX, USA

problem #38

Nov 242022

Q5

  • miles
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

- Lawrenceville , GA, USA

problem #37

Mar 272022

Q5

  • 130,700 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started violently shaking. The contact stated that the Electronic Power Control (ECP) and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle started losing motive power and was pulled over out of the roadway. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it remained. The vehicle diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,700.

- Purlear, NC, USA

problem #36

Nov 092021

Q5

  • miles
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

- Lewiston, ID, USA

problem #35

Jul 012021

Q5

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Michigan City, IN, USA

problem #34

May 012021

Q5

  • 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.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #33

Jul 232018

Q5

  • miles
Oil consumption is getting worse and worse. Currently, I am adding a quart of oil every 3 days in between regular oil changes. This is a real issue. I just spent 5,000 dollars approx. on a tune up at a foreign car body shop but they could not repair the oil issue. This is now a known issue with Audis. What can be done to help this issue?

- Hurst, TX, USA

problem #32

May 312021

Q5

  • miles
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.

- Duxbury, VT, USA

problem #31

May 262021

Q5

  • miles
Extreme oil consumption (burning 2+ quarts in less than 500 miles); cutting off while idling. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. If this is a leak, it could possibly catch on fire while my child is driving to school, or it could cut off while driving causing a bad accident. Yes it has been confirmed by a repair facility. Check/add oil indicator; check engine light; emits black smoke from rear. Issues appeared 2 days after purchasing the car.

- Surfside Beach, SC, USA

problem #30

Dec 012020

Q5

  • 68,276 miles
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.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #29

Jul 202020

Q5

  • 119,000 miles
Heavy oil consumption and leaks into gas, ignition and other areas

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #28

Nov 252020

Q5

  • 75,000 miles
Engine misfire due to timing chain tensioning system fail.

- Jamaica, NY, USA

problem #27

Oct 272020

Q5

  • 103,935 miles
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.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #26

Oct 012019

Q5

  • miles
Class action law suit for Audi usa for excessive oil consumption in models up to 2011, has not fixed the issue becasue alot of people claim the same issue with Audi including my 2012 Audi Q5. More than 1 qt of oil every 200 miles is alot and this seems to be a issue with Audi, I have had mu engine check by more than one shop, had a skoke test and oil consumption test done on it and the oil is burning excessively with no resolutions.

- Manchester, NH, USA

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