Skip to content
Emergency

Before you buy a used Audi Q5 (8R).

2008–2017 · Petrol / Diesel · 6 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Audi Q5 (8R), real photo of this generation
Thomas doerfer · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 6 of its engines.

  • A/C not cooling: N280 valveClimate control
    Period mentioned
    2006–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the air conditioning system described.

2.0 TFSI (2008–2012, EA888 gen 2)

Petrol

2.0 TFSI (2012–2017, EA888 gen 3)

Petrol

These also apply, described above: Coolant loss from valves N82, N509 or N488, with coolant entering the wiring harness

2.0 TDI (EA189)

Diesel

  • Cracked EGR coolerCooling / EGR
    Period mentioned
    Approx. 2010–2020
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

These also apply, described above: Front knocking over bumps in hot weather caused by the guide link hydraulic bushings

3.0 TDI V6

Diesel

These also apply, described above: Front knocking over bumps in hot weather caused by the guide link hydraulic bushings

SQ5 (3.0 TDI V6)

Diesel

These also apply, described above: V6 TDI rear chains, intake flaps and leaks

SQ5 (3.0 TFSI V6)

Petrol

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Audi Q5 (8R)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
2.0 TFSI (2008–2012, EA888 gen 2)Petrol53 with conditions0
2.0 TFSI (2012–2017, EA888 gen 3)PetrolFewest documented22 with conditions1
2.0 TDI (EA189)Diesel32 with conditions0
3.0 TDI V6Diesel32 with conditions0
SQ5 (3.0 TDI V6)DieselFewest documented21 with conditions0
SQ5 (3.0 TFSI V6)PetrolFewest documented21 with conditions0

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 2.0 TFSI (2012–2017, EA888 gen 3) (Petrol), SQ5 (3.0 TDI V6) (Diesel), SQ5 (3.0 TFSI V6) (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Diesel.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Audi dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Auxiliary coolant pump blockage and overheating (19M1)Cooling / electrics

Engines: 2.0 TFSI (2012–2017, EA888 gen 3) (Petrol)

How to check it: Confirm 19M1 VIN and update protective software; replace the pump if the procedure detects a fault.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 8 checked

Engine

  • Look out for: Very high oil consumption (over 1 litre per 1,000 km), low oil warning, bluish smoke, oil-fouled spark plugs.

    Ask them to check: Controlled oil consumption test over 1,000 km, compression or leak-down test and a PCV valve check.

Timing system

  • Look out for: Metallic rattle for a few seconds on a cold start, engine light for camshaft/crankshaft correlation; in the worst case the engine won't start after a loud noise.

    Ask them to check: An inspection plug on the lower timing cover shows the tensioner position. Listen to a cold start.

Cooling / EGR

  • Look out for: Coolant level drops with no visible leak, white smoke with a sweet smell, rising temperature or engine light. In severe cases the engine hydrolocks.

    Ask them to check: Cooling system pressure test and check for coolant in the intake or manifold.

Timing / intake / leaks

  • Look out for: Chain rattle for the first seconds after a cold start; power loss or limp mode from the intake flaps; coolant or oil loss in the engine V; EGR faults with rough idle.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start (a rattle lasting more than 2–3 seconds is a bad sign), check flap operation with a diagnostic tool, look for leaks in the engine V and check the oil change history.

Cooling / engine

  • Look out for: Coolant loss, sweet smell, unstable temperature; misfires; some oil consumption; on some S5s, chain noise from 60,000–80,000 km.

    Ask them to check: Look for leaks at the thermostat and water pump, read misfire codes, run an oil consumption test and listen for the chain on a cold start.

Climate control

  • Look out for: The air does not cool or cools intermittently (for example only at motorway speed), and sometimes the compressor rattles with the A/C on. Codes 01232 (N280 valve), P2612 or 00898.

    Ask them to check: Read the codes and N280 control current with VCDS or ODIS, measure its resistance (about 10 ohms) and check the connector and wiring before replacing parts. If the valve or compressor is replaced, the whole circuit must be flushed.

Cooling

  • Look out for: Engine warning light, coolant level warning, a heater that barely warms, a higher than normal temperature and limp mode; sometimes also automatic gearbox faults.

    Ask them to check: With a high temperature, stop and do not drive on; do not open the reservoir when hot. At the garage, have them check the coolant valves and their connectors, and whether fluid has entered the harness, before replacing control units.

Suspension and steering

  • Look out for: Front knocking or rattling over bumps with the car warm and hot outside, especially when braking at the same time; in the cold it is not heard.

    Ask them to check: Note whether it only happens in hot weather and when braking over bumps. At the garage, have them check the front guide links' hydraulic bushings before replacing shock absorbers or ball joints.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P001601232P261200898P275300P275500

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

More Audi buying guides

View the model pageAll buying guides