By make

Known Audi problems at the APK

Over all generations together Audi has an A-problem 33% less often than cars of the same age (rank 9 of 33 makes). 57 times a part fails clearly more often than average on a Audi generation.

Window: Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · Updated: 16 Oct 2026

By part

Brakes

Repair: medium
  • A5 (F5) 2017–2025 · 5.0% at 9–10 yrs (national 2.8%)
  • Q5 (FY) 2016–2026 · 4.9% at 9–10 yrs (national 2.7%)
  • Q2 2016–2026 · 4.3% at 7–8 yrs (national 2.5%)
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 4.4% at 9–10 yrs (national 2.8%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 4.2% at 7–8 yrs (national 2.6%)
  • A5 (8T) 2007–2016 · 4.7% at 16+ yrs (national 3.1%)
  • A3 (8V) 2012–2021 · 4.0% at 7–8 yrs (national 2.5%)
  • A4 (B8) 2007–2015 · 4.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.9%)
  • Q3 (8U) 2011–2019 · 2.8% at 7–8 yrs (national 1.5%)
  • A1 (GB) 2018–2026 · 3.2% at 5–6 yrs (national 1.9%)
  • Q3 (F3) 2018–2026 · 2.9% at 5–6 yrs (national 1.8%)

Look through the wheel at the discs: no deep grooves or thick rust edge. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stay straight.

Springs and shock absorbers

Repair: medium
  • Q5 (FY) 2016–2026 · 5.2% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.8%)
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 6.0% at 16+ yrs (national 2.6%)
  • Q3 (8U) 2011–2019 · 5.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.3%)
  • A3 (8V) 2012–2021 · 4.1% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.3%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 2.2% at 11–12 yrs (national 1.1%)
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 1.2% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
  • A5 (8T) 2007–2016 · 2.2% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.5%)
  • A3 (8Y) 2020–2026 · 0.8% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.2%)
  • Q2 2016–2026 · 0.8% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.5%)

Push each corner down firmly: the car should rebound once. Look for oil on the dampers and whether the car sits level.

Leaks

Repair: medium
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 8.2% at 11–12 yrs (national 2.7%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 8.9% at 13–15 yrs (national 5.6%)
  • A3 (8V) 2012–2021 · 4.2% at 11–12 yrs (national 2.6%)
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 2.6% at 9–10 yrs (national 1.5%)
  • A6 (C7) 2011–2019 · 2.2% at 9–10 yrs (national 1.5%)
  • Q5 (8R) 2008–2022 · 0.6% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.1%)

Look under the engine and where the car was parked. Open the bonnet and look for wet, greasy spots.

Structural rust

Repair: large
  • Q3 (8U) 2011–2019 · 1.4% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.2%)
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 1.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.4%)
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 0.8% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.1%)
  • A5 (F5) 2017–2025 · 0.5% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.0%)
  • A6 (C8) 2018–2026 · 0.4% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.0%)
  • A4 (B8) 2007–2015 · 0.4% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.1%)

Look under the sills, in the wheel arches and at the suspension mounts, and press on suspicious spots. Watch for fresh sealant or new underbody coating.

Tyres

Repair: small
  • e-tron / Q8 e-tron 2018–2026 · 8.0% at 5–6 yrs (national 4.7%)
  • Q3 (F3) 2018–2026 · 8.4% at 7–8 yrs (national 5.3%)
  • A5 (F5) 2017–2025 · 7.5% at 3–4 yrs (national 4.4%)
  • Q5 (FY) 2016–2026 · 8.8% at 9–10 yrs (national 5.9%)
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 8.5% at 9–10 yrs (national 5.7%)

Check the tread and look for uneven wear: that points to an alignment problem. The DOT code on the tyre tells its age.

Drive shafts

Repair: medium
  • Q5 (8R) 2008–2022 · 9.5% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.9%)
  • A4 (B8) 2007–2015 · 9.2% at 16+ yrs (national 3.5%)
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 7.6% at 16+ yrs (national 3.5%)
  • Q5 (FY) 2016–2026 · 2.8% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.3%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 3.2% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.9%)

Look behind the front wheels at the rubber boots: no tears or grease around them. Drive a tight turn: no clicking noise.

Seat belts, seats and airbags

Repair: medium
  • Q3 (8U) 2011–2019 · 1.8% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.5%)
  • A1 (GB) 2018–2026 · 1.5% at 3–4 yrs (national 0.5%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 1.2% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.5%)

Pull each belt out quickly: it should lock. The airbag light goes out after starting.

Steering

Repair: large
  • A1 (GB) 2018–2026 · 13.1% at 7–8 yrs (national 1.2%)
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 5.1% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.1%)

Turn the wheel while stationary: no play, knocking or heavy spot. On the test drive the car should keep running straight.

Wheels and wheel bearings

Repair: medium
  • Q4 e-tron 2021–2026 · 2.3% at 3–4 yrs (national 0.2%)
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 2.5% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.4%)

On the test drive, listen for a humming noise that rises with speed.

Control arms / ball joints

Repair: medium
  • Q3 (8U) 2011–2019 · 3.0% at 11–12 yrs (national 1.3%)
  • A3 (8P) 2005–2014 · 3.0% at 16+ yrs (national 2.0%)

Listen for clunks or knocks over speed bumps on the test drive. The car should not wander when braking.

Exhaust and emissions

Repair: medium
  • A1 (8X) 2010–2019 · 1.2% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
  • A6 (C7) 2011–2019 · 0.8% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.4%)

Start the engine cold and watch for smoke and an uneven idle. Listen for blowing noises under the car.

Brake lines

Repair: medium
  • A6 (C7) 2011–2019 · 0.6% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.2%)
  • A5 (8T) 2007–2016 · 0.4% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.1%)

Use a torch to look along the lines near the wheels and rear axle: no thick rust or wet spots.

Warning lights

Repair: medium
  • A3 (8Y) 2020–2026 · 1.2% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.5%)

Switch on the ignition: all lights come on briefly and go out after starting. If one stays on, ask about the cause.

Body and doors

Repair: small
  • A4 (B9) 2016–2025 · 0.4% at 3–4 yrs (national 0.1%)

Open and close all doors and the tailgate. Uneven gaps and colour differences point to accident repair.

All Audi generations in a row

GenerationA-problems vs. the same ageKnown problemsInspected
Q3 (F3)2018–202671% less often28,214
Q22016–202669% less often210,071
A5 (8T)2007–201666% less often38,139
e-tron / Q8 e-tron2018–202660% less often16,766
A6 (C7)2011–201959% less often311,895
Q5 (8R)2008–202258% less often28,035
A4 (B8)2007–201547% less often318,578
A6 (C8)2018–202645% less often14,891
A3 (8Y)2020–202640% less often27,439
Q5 (FY)2016–202639% less often48,190
A1 (8X)2010–201938% less often728,164
A3 (8V)2012–202135% less often339,066
A5 (F5)2017–202535% less often34,684
A4 (B9)2016–202529% less often612,422
Q4 e-tron2021–202615% less often14,269
A1 (GB)2018–20268% less often34,976
A3 (8P)2005–201411% more often618,444
Q3 (8U)2011–201915% more often58,331

Looking at a Audi? Check that car

Enter the plate and see the APK history, open recalls and how the car compares with the same model at the same age.

Frequently asked questions

Which problems are common on Audi cars?

At the APK brakes stands out for Audi: on 11 of 19 generations it is clearly more common than on cars of the same age. Source: RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.

Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know