Audi Q5, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
135,382 Audi Q5s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 83.7% of initial MOT tests, 11.4 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Q5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Audi Q5 at the MOT
83.7% of 118,079 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Q5 143rd of 575 models. Audi Q5s aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 73.3%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Audi Q5 tests in 2025.
Where Q5s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Audi Q5 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (9.4%), pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (9%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7.8%).
The MOT page lists every common Q5 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Q5's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.21.1% of Q5 failure items
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.19.9% of Q5 failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.18.5% of Q5 failure items
Audi Q5s in the UK
135,382 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 296% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +296%from 34,215 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2018half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2018 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 5,847against 12,656 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 2,7902% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Audi Q5s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 34,215 |
| End of 2015 | 42,922 |
| End of 2016 | 53,039 |
| End of 2017 | 61,869 |
| End of 2018 | 72,955 |
| End of 2019 | 84,480 |
| End of 2020 | 92,095 |
| End of 2021 | 103,331 |
| End of 2022 | 112,714 |
| End of 2023 | 122,541 |
| End of 2024 | 130,044 |
| End of 2025 | 133,946 |
| End of June 2026 | 135,382 |
How old they are
Licensed Audi Q5s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 132 were first used before 2009.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,625 | 5,847 |
| 2024 | 9,323 | 9,650 |
| 2023 | 10,651 | 11,132 |
| 2022 | 9,167 | 9,912 |
| 2021 | 11,308 | 12,089 |
| 2020 | 8,180 | 8,670 |
| 2019 | 11,892 | 12,656 |
| 2018 | 11,259 | 12,234 |
| 2017 | 9,089 | 10,065 |
| 2016 | 9,619 | 10,369 |
| 2015 | 8,673 | 9,470 |
| 2014 | 7,350 | |
| 2013 | 5,410 | |
| 2012 | 4,423 | |
| 2011 | 5,051 | |
| 2010 | 3,226 | |
| 2009 | 3,248 |
8,673 Q5s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 92% of the 9,470 first registered that year.
Q5 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 86% of Audi Q5 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.0 litre at 14%. Diesel accounts for 67% of licensed Q5s and petrol for 25%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 118,067 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Q5s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 33,951 | 25% |
| Diesel | 90,917 | 67% |
| Battery electric | 1 | <0.1% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 10,508 | 8% |
| Hybrid electric | 3 | <0.1% |
| Gas | 2 | <0.1% |
Audi Q5 recalls
29 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi Q5. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Q5 is affected.
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May 2026 R/2026/192
Replacing seat belt with tensioner
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On Audi Q5 vehicles manufactured within a specific period the belt tensioning function on the front seats does not comply with technical requirements. Although the seat belt is tightened in the event of an accident which requires this it cannot be held tight reliably which reduces the protective effect. For this reason one or both front seat belts - as required - will be replaced on affected Q5 vehicles.
- Remedy
- Recall campaign 69GT must be performed on affected vehicles and the affected seat belts must be replaced as described in the Workshop Manual.
-
Oct 2025 R/2025/463
Software update for battery control unit
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may be defective battery modules which may result in a fire hazard when charging the high-voltage battery.
- Remedy
- Update the software of the high-voltage battery to improve the self-diagnosis capabilities. Vehicle owners are advised to not charge the high-voltage battery using external charging sources and also not use the e-tron modes "Battery charge" and "Battery hold" until the update is applied.
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Aug 2025 R/2025/387
Stop-drive TAKATA PSAN
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Urgent Safety Warning - Do Not Drive Your Vehicle Affected vehicles were originally allocated to or used for an extended period of time in a region with a climate zone considered to as HIGH RISK. Certain front airbags contain an ageing inflator propellant that may explode when deployed due to long-term exposure to heat and humidity. If the airbag inflator explodes metal fragments may be ejected causing life-threatening or fatal injuries to anyone in the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Affected airbags will be replaced. You can contact Audi's dedicated Takata Stop Drive helpline at 0113 526 9646 (MONDAY to FRIDAY 9:00AM to 5:00PM.
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May 2025 R/2025/184
Cylinder head cover bolts inspection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Audi conducts programmes to constantly monitor the quality of its products. As part of this we have discovered that individual bolts in the cylinder head cover area on your vehicle may become loose as a result of a manufacturing issue. Depending on the extent to which the bolts become loose engine oil may leak and drip onto hot surfaces which poses a fire risk. If you notice smoke in the engine compartment park the vehicle safely and without delay.
- Remedy
- To ensure the bolts are secured correctly a check must be performed.
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Dec 2024 R/2024/495
Servicing high-voltage battery
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles battery modules may become defective over the course of the vehicle's service life. This may result in a fire hazard when charging the high-voltage battery with the associated risk of severe or fatal injuries to people inside and/or outside the vehicle as well as significant material damage. To minimise this risk do not charge the high-voltage battery using an external charging source. In addition do not use the e-tron modes "Battery charge" and "Battery hold" (refer to Owner's Manual) until further notice.
- Remedy
- Replace the defective modules. Further software fix being developed to improve monitoring.
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Feb 2023 R/2023/052
Replacing TAKATA passenger airbag gas generator
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- If a front airbag is deployed it is possible that the gas generator housing in which the propellant is generated may burst on vehicles manufactured within a limited period.
- Remedy
- As a precautionary safety measure it is necessary to replace the airbag unit on the driver side.
-
Aug 2022 R/2022/291
Inner and outer sheet metal components of rear tailgate may not have been joined sufficiently
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The inner and outer sheet metal components of the rear lid may not have been joined together sufficiently well in the manufacturing process.
- Remedy
- Replace the rear lid of the affected vehicles.
-
Jun 2022 R/2022/169
Engine control units might be fitted with semiconductor components that do not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On a small number of vehicles manufactured within a specific period it is possible that the engine control units were fitted with semiconductor components which do not meet the specifications.
- Remedy
- The engine control unit must be replaced on the affected vehicles.
Q5 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Audi Q5 FAQs
How many Audi Q5s are there in the UK?
135,382 Audi Q5s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,790 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Audi Q5 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 83.7% first-time pass rate for the Audi Q5 across 118,079 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Audi Q5 had any recalls?
29 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi Q5. The most recent was published in May 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Audi Q5?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check an Audi Q5's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Q5?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Audi history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Audi VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.