2014 Audi Q5 Structure
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Vehicle rear subframe comes with plastic covers that trap road salt and cause severe corrosion. Issue only presents itself when plastic covers are removed, revealing rust/corrosion and lost material, and a risk of the subframe to split resulting in lost of vehicle control on the road. This was found as a preventative action due to reports from other car owners and is confirmed by Audi Dealers as a common issue. Labor and parts estimate around $6000 (including $2000 in parts)
2014 Audi Q5 TDI with 115000 miles. Rear subframe inspected individually, by independent shop, and by Audi dealership. Found to have severe rust with perforation underneath where plastic debris covers are mounted. It is currently installed on vehicle at time of complaint. The failure of the subframe can disable the vehicle while driving, disconnect the axle and surrounding components, and cause an accident with one or more vehicles on the road. Audi has a 12 year/unlimited mileage warranty but claims it is not covered under warranty. Repair is quoted around ~$6000 including parts and labor.
There is severe rust in the rear subframe. It's so bad that the rust has made holes right through the subframe - compromising its integrity. This is a serious safety issue as the subframe holds the suspension and wheels and could break at any point. This is not normal wear and tear. This is a manufacturer's defect and a major safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
I recently discovered that my Q5 tubular rear subframe/crossmember (part # 8R0505235N) has rusted thru near a bushing that supports the rear transaxle. The rust thru area at the transaxle is about a foot long. This subframe supports the rear axle and all the rear suspension components. I brought my Q5 to the local Audi dealer and they took a video showing two areas on the subframe that have rusted thru, the bushing area supporting the transaxle and also an area supporting the left rear suspension. The dealership did not allow me to take the Q5 back and gave me a loaner vehicle to drive until the subframe can be replaced. The dealership contacted Audi North America and Audi agreed to pay 40% of the cost to replace the rear subframe. I think Audi should pay 100% as this is a serious safety issue. My Q5 has no other areas of corrosion except a slight amount of surface rust on the exhaust and is otherwise in excellent condition with only 50,444 miles. It has always been garaged since purchased new and has been in no accidents. The Audi service tech even complimented me on how clean my Q5 was at 10 years old. PS - How can I include an attachment of the video taken by the Audi dealership?
WHEN CLOSING THE TRUNK THE DASH MARKS AS IF IT WERE OPEN. I HAVE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE TRUNK SEVERAL TIMES SO THAT IT STOPS MARKING AS IF IT WERE OPEN.
SQUEAKS AND/OR RATTLES ARE HEARD FROM THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF AREA.
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2014 Audi Q5 has 6 Structure complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.