Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 29.8% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 15 complaints, typically at 1.6 years.
Audi Q5 e years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | 7 | too new | |
| 2021 | 29 | 16 | too new | |
| 2020 | 12 | 8 | yes |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 19.1% | covered | |
| 1 year | 36.2% | covered | |
| 2 years | 61.7% | covered | |
| 3 years | 70.2% | covered | |
| 4 years | 85.1% | you pay | |
| 5 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 70.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 29.8% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (4 years / 50,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 38% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Audi Q5 e, the early trouble is Electrical System and Engine — reported at around 1.6 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1.6 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Engine | 3.4 yrs | — | — | |
| Power Train | 2.1 yrs | — | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 2.6 yrs | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1.2 yrs | — | — | |
| Service Brakes | 3.6 yrs | — | — | |
| Wheels | 2 yrs | — | — | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2.3 yrs | — | — |
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is the Audi Q5 e reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.55 against 3.73 for the average car.
When do Q5 e problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 1.6 years, followed by Engine.
Will the warranty cover Q5 e problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and 70.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 38% of the complaints here.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.