2009–2012 Audi Q5: Burning oil between changes (2.0T piston rings)
Likely causes, ranked
- Piston oil control ringsShop
- Crankcase (PCV) valveDIY
Real-owner fix counts will appear here as reports come in.
DIY or shop: See DIY or shop section
Parts to check
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Symptom: Adding a quart of oil every 1,000–2,000 miles, oil warnings, or blue smoke.
Likely causes
- Piston rings. Audi's repair and Audizine rebuild threads point to the original oil control rings. The fix is updated pistons and rings.
- PCV valve. Audi's first step is an updated crankcase pressure valve and software.
DIY or shop?
PCV DIY. Pistons and rings are a shop job.
Useful steps
- Do an oil consumption test.
- Replace the PCV valve first.
- Ask a dealer whether the bulletin applies to your VIN.
Vehicle focus: 2009–2012 Audi Q5.
Safety / mechanic note
Low oil can damage the engine. Verify with a mechanic or dealer.
Recalls & service bulletins
Technical service bulletins
- Audi 2.0T oil consumption TSB Audi's staged repair for high oil use on the 2.0T. Stage 1 is a PCV valve, crank seal and software. Stage 2 replaces the pistons and rings. Details
NHTSA complaints: 16 keyword-matched complaints for Audi Q5 2009–2012 (of 276 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-15).
Always check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Sources
What actually fixed it?
Had this problem? Tell other owners what the real fix was. Reports are counted above; we never show made-up numbers.