If you are topping up the oil in your Audi every few hundred miles and the dealership keeps telling you that is normal, you are not the first owner to hear it. Below is what a class action said about the 2.0T engine, what other owners reported to federal regulators, and how California law treats a car that burns oil faster than it should.
Before you read further, one point about who we can help. Our firm handles California lemon law claims on 2020 and newer vehicles. The lawsuit described on this page covers older Audis, so if your car is one of the model years listed below, this page is background rather than an offer of representation. If your Audi is a 2020 or newer model that is burning oil between services, a California claim may well apply to you, because the standard turns on your own repair history rather than on any particular class action. Our California lemon law FAQ explains what qualifies.
A class action lawsuit filed in 2021 alleged that Audi 2-L turbo engines consume excessive amounts of oil, eventually causing engine damage.
The lawsuit covered the following Audi vehicles equipped with 2.0T engines:
- 2012–2017 Audi TT
- 2012–2017 Audi A3
- 2012–2017 Audi A4
- 2012–2017 Audi A5
- 2012–2017 Audi A6
- 2012–2017 Audi Q3
- 2012–2017 Audi Q5
According to Hernan A. Gonzalez v. Volkswagen, the primary plaintiff purchased a new 2015 Audi Q5 that quickly began consuming excessive amounts of oil.
The Audi Q5 lost power four months after purchase, and the Check Engine Light came on two months after the incident.
The plaintiff said he took his Audi Q5 to a dealer, where technicians attributed the engine problems to piston failure and recommended that four pistons be replaced. The plaintiff was charged over $7,500 for repairs, according to the lawsuit. For others with similar engine problems, repairs or replacement costs could skyrocket up to more than $10,000.
The plaintiff said his Audi Q5 would experience the same turbo problems because Audi uses the same faulty replacement parts – in this case, the same faulty pistons. The lawsuit itself alleges that faulty pistons, piston rings and piston heads are responsible for the 2.0T engine’s excessive oil consumption. Allegedly, the piston rings do not seat properly in the grooves of the turbocharged engine’s piston heads.
Several complaints have been submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over excessive oil consumption in the listed Audi vehicles. Those listed below have been edited for grammar and clarity.
Audi Q5 Excessive Oil Consumption Complaints
The Add Oil Light on my vehicle started to come on as I was driving. Initially, it was requiring oil added in between service appointments. I mentioned it at time of service and I was told this was normal at the dealership where I had all of the service on this vehicle done. When it started reading low oil at just under every 1,000 miles, I contacted the dealer again, who had me bring it in and they performed a scope of the system. I was told that it was not using too much oil and, according to Audi, it was within normal usage of oil. I was very skeptical and brought it to a different Audi dealership for the next scheduled service. They told me there was too much oil in the exhaust and it was indeed using too much. At this point, I need to add a quart of oil at just under every 500 miles. I did get a third opinion from a foreign motor specialist who works on Audis, but is not affiliated. He told me the car is using way too much oil and that the Audi Q5 vehicles are known for this. I have had all recommended service completed at an Audi dealer, most was done where the vehicle was purchased. I have only used premium gasoline, which is what Audi recommends. I am very frustrated with the conflicting reports and believe this is a known problem that Audi continues to ignore. This is an ongoing incident, which first happened at about 60,000 miles.
Audi Q5 Owners Adding Oil Between Every Service
I bought it 7 weeks ago, at 44,000 miles. [There is a] severe oil consumption problem. I’m finding out everyone knows about already with Audi turbos and [there] was previously a class action. I’m putting oil in every other day and feel the pistons missing when I drive in the morning.
Audi A4 Burning Oil With No Visible Leak
The car burns too much oil, I need to add 1 quart every 700-1,000 miles. There is no leak, but the oil burns and you can see the exhaust pipes are black. It seems this was a problem in 2011 4-cylinder Audis.
Excessive oil consumption occurs because the combustion chamber is not properly sealed off from the Audi turbo engine parts that need to remain lubricated. Because of inadequate lubrication, fragments of the piston rings flow through the Audi 2L turbo engines and damage important components, as CarComplaints.com reported when the case was filed. As a result, Audi Q5 and other Audi vehicle models may experience an immediate loss of engine power.
Oil consumption claims are frustrating for a specific reason: the dealership can always say the usage is within specification. That is why California law does not ask whether the manufacturer thinks the car is fine. The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the statute people call the California lemon law, asks whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the vehicle, and whether the dealership has had a reasonable number of chances to repair it. An engine that needs a quart every 500 to 1,000 miles, and a consumption test that keeps coming back inconclusive, is exactly the kind of record that question was written for.
Three things worth doing while it is happening. Ask for a written repair order at every visit, including the ones where you are told the usage is normal, because a no-fault-found visit is still a repair attempt. Ask for the oil consumption test results in writing rather than as a verbal summary. And keep receipts for the oil you buy yourself. A successful claim under Song-Beverly ends in a buyback or a replacement vehicle, and the manufacturer pays the attorney fees, so the claim costs you nothing out of pocket.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation, subject to the model year note at the top of this page.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer them to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law, or speak with an Audi lemon law attorney about what your repair records show.
Reviewed by Roger Kirnos, Managing Attorney, California State Bar No. 283163.
