Which Audi Q5 do you have?
| Built | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| 8R | 2008 to 2017 | 2.0 TFSI, 3.2 FSI V6 and TDI diesels, plus a 2.0 TFSI hybrid in 2011 and 2012 |
| FY | 2016 to 2025 | Adds 48-volt mild hybrids and the 55 TFSIe plug-in hybrid |
| GU | From 2024 | A 48-volt electrical system is part of the design |
Why the 48-volt side matters on a battery job
A mild hybrid has a small electric system that helps the engine, with its own higher-voltage battery. Mild hybrids generally keep a 12-volt battery as well, so a Q5 that won't wake up could be short of charge in either one.
That's why the test comes first. Put a new 12-volt battery in a car with a fault on the other side and you've bought the wrong part.
The 55 TFSIe goes further, with orange high-voltage cables. Leave those to a mechanic with high-voltage training. Hybrid and EV servicing explains the difference.
Audi Q5 problems: where to start
Be wary of any list of Q5 faults that doesn't ask which Q5. A 3.2 V6 from the first run and a late 40 TDI share a badge and not much else.
What most of them share is weight and quattro all-wheel drive, so brakes, tyres and suspension work hard and the driveline has more parts to look after. If a light comes on, note when it happened and photograph the dash, then see what an engine light means. A red warning means pull over somewhere safe and switch off.
Servicing and the warranty on a Q5
CarsGuide's summary of Audi's plan puts the Q5 on 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first, and your service book settles it for your car.
A Q5 sold from 1 January 2022 has five years with unlimited kilometres, and older ones had three. Servicing yours with a qualified independent mechanic, done to Audi's schedule and specifications, does not by itself void the warranty.
What's yours, and what's the mechanic's
You can
- Read the badge on the boot and find the year: it tells the mechanic which Q5 this is.
- Check the oil on a cold car on level ground, and the tyre pressures too.
- Keep the service book and invoices in the glovebox.
Leave to the mechanic
- Battery and charging tests, on both systems if the car has two.
- Anything on the 48-volt or plug-in hybrid side.
- Driveline and suspension checks with the car up on a hoist.
If it were our Q5
We'd have the battery and charging tested, confirm whether the car has the 48-volt system, and only then order a battery. While it's there, we'd ask for the VIN to be checked for open recalls. Tell us it's a Q5 and roughly what year. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.