tdecast

Hello, I’m new to the forum and haven’t owned a car in over 5 years (live in nyc) but planning to move back to Texas.

Previously I owned a 2009 Acura TL and had virtually no issues for the 8 years and 100k miles I put on it.

Love the Q5 but am worried about reliability. My budget is around $30k so am targeting a 2018 model. Was also considering a 2018 BMW X3 xDrive (AWD model).

I don’t know a ton about cars, should I be concerned about maintaining a Q5? Would hope to keep it for min 5 years (ie past factory warranty). Hoping it won’t turn into a money pit.

newyork13

We have a 2018 Q5, and have not had a single problem. Not one.

greasykid

Just traded my 2018 Q5 w/26k mi. Had several problems----noisy pano roof,loose subframe bolts, defective heater box & a few minor ones. Mine was a very early production of a new model. Fortunately it was a CPO car so everything was warranty. Really liked the car but decided to trade to a CPO 2020 Q5. I strongly recommend getting as much service history as you can & only buy an Audi CPO car. Take a drive over all types of road b4 buying. My 2020 is my 13th Audi.

ribeye

We have a 2018 Q5 and a 2017 BMW.
Issues BMW. Tailgate automatic closure broke. It was fixed for free under warranty.
Issues Q5: Some people, including me have an issue where when you roll to a slow stop the car trembles like the engine is shutting off. Some don't have it, others say it is the dual clutch and normal. I just don't like it. Other than a two recalls for fender trim, I have not had any other issues.
If your read through this forum, you will see what people have suffered but it seems like they have fixed most of them. I would look for a later built one rather than an early build as the 2018 was a brand new design made in a brand new factory. They probably fine tuned things as they went along.

jkballon

We had a 2015 Q5 and traded up to a new 2018 SQ5. Did not have one problem with either vehicle other than a sun visor clip in the 2014. We love the SQ5 and loved the Q5 thinking it couldn't get any better until we got the 2018.

Wires

Super happy with our 2018 SQ5. The x3 will be equally nice and reliable, but you will find the interior a lot more nicer/modern on the Audi. You need a lot newer BMW to get the updated dash, etc, and it still won't be as nice as the Audi virtual cockpit.

Weebl

When I see someone that is worried about reliability, maintenance and cost of a German car, I think they need to get another brand. They are expensive to maintain properly, they may have no issues or many. I honestly buy BMW's and Audi's so that if I were in a nasty accident, the car would be totaled but I would be alive. I don't care what it costs for maintenance , they design these cars to hit concrete walls. I would keep a car to at least 150k.

jfscheck

2018 Q5 Prestige - only issue was backup camera “glitch” that was fixed with software update.

Solid, dependable car!

JCantave

Switched to Audi after having had a fair number of BMWs. Last one was a 2018 Q5. Never had ANY issues with it other than weirs noise coming from steering column when locking the steering to the left and making a u-turn. This was taken care of during the initial months of the lease. My wife loved the car so much that we just purchased a 2021 Q5e. I would have gone the CPO route without hesitation but the incentives on the Q5e made the decision easier. Just make sure you hav access to service history and that they were performed according to maintenance schedule.

pesto126

2018 SQ5 here... only issue I have had is the thermostat .. .replaced under CPO warranty with loaner car for 2 weeks... no biggie to me! Sure - there is one "rattle" that I haven't figured out (suspect the sunshade or roof) but otherwise - the car is a dream to own and drive....