Audi Q5 e Complaints

50 consumer complaints on file.

#11758262August 20, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I purchased the car in October, 2023. The problem first happened in October, 2025 and not happened just once. The vehicle breaks unnecessarily and violently without any warning. Additionally the pre-sense collision indicator light displays when there is no apparent person, vehicle or object in the vicinity of the vehicle. The abrupt breaking is the most concerning since it has happened multiple times and at one point, I was in the middle of an intersection making a left turn into a shopping center on a busy street. There were cars coming in the distance but far enough away that it should not have stopped. Luckily they were far enough away that they could see me stopped because I could not get the car to move until I put the car in park and then back into drive. Additionally, there were cars behind me which could have easily rear ended me due to the unexplained abrupt stop. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer for the issue and they were not able to recreate the problem. They told me they changed some settings on the sensors and to keep the outside sensors clean. I keep my car very clean and do not live in an area where debris would accumulated on the sensors to create a problem. The adjustments they made did not help and I still experience the problems. I will be taking it back to the dealer again to report it again to them. At this point I do not feel safe driving the car and will express that to the dealer when I take it in.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11757908August 19, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
While driving at about 60 mph on highway, several systems in the car failed without prior warning. The message on dashboard said Catastrophic Electric System Failure. Brakes would not work for a moment and then started working. All windows came down and went up on their own. No lights were working. No blinkers or side lights were working. With a lot of difficulty and hand signals moved to the hard shoulder. The engine would not turn off for several minutes and turned off after multiple attempts. Audi tested the vehicle and found multiple DTC's in various modules - all sporadic and happened at the same time. Audi did software update and is waiting for another software update to be approved by EPA. The Director of Service at Audi thinks the failure may be also due to a problem with hardware/battery. He said he does not trust the vehicle in its current state and the vehicle is presently grounded at the dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756692August 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On August 11th, 2026 right before noon, the sunroof on my Audi Q5 (hybrid, 2021 model) exploded without warning. Luckily noone was hurt but the explosion alone was enough to distract someone to run off the road. Luckily there were no pedestrians around otherwise they could have been hit by flying glass. And luckily the sunroof cover was protecting me otherwise the glass would have been all over the cabin. I had never heard of exploding sunroofs but have since learned that it’s a known problem. I realize there was an investigation which was eventually called off with no results, but I want you to know that the problem is still there. There was nothing wrong with our sunroof. I wasn’t hit by any debris, it just exploded out of nowhere. I seriously thought I was shot at. I am emailing to bring this back to your attention in the hopes that you don’t shrug this off. The explosion was loud and freaked me out. People could have gotten hurt.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756691August 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On August 11th, 2026 right before noon, the sunroof on my Audi Q5 (hybrid, 2021 model) exploded without warning. Luckily noone was hurt but the explosion alone was enough to distract someone to run off the road. Luckily there were no pedestrians around otherwise they could have been hit by flying glass. And luckily the sunroof cover was protecting me otherwise the glass would have been all over the cabin. I had never heard of exploding sunroofs but have since learned that it’s a known problem. I realize there was an investigation which was eventually called off with no results, but I want you to know that the problem is still there. There was nothing wrong with our sunroof. I wasn’t hit by any debris, it just exploded out of nowhere. I seriously thought I was shot at. I am emailing to bring this back to your attention in the hopes that you don’t shrug this off. The explosion was loud and freaked me out. People could have gotten hurt.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742774June 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I and my wife were emerging from an intetstate highway entrance ramp when our car suddenly and completely lost power. A "Transmission Malfunction" warning suddenly (and for the first time) appeared on the dashboard.We had just completed a merge with heavy traffic going 70-75 miles per hour. Immediately behind our car was a very large tractor-trailer that hit its brakes but came within inches of the rear of our car before we could get on the highway shoulder--i.e., we came extremely close to suffering serious injury or death. The car was towed to the nearest Audi dealer, where it was determined that the Transmission Control Module had to be replaced, at a cost of $8,000. The warranty on the car is 4 years/40,000 miles, while our car is 5 years, 2 months old, and has 47,000 miles on the odometer. The dealer (Flow Audi of Charlottesville) confirmed the car's problem and determined that, because of the threat to safety, the cost of the repair, and the lack of any previous warning, it should be covered by warranty in spite of the car's age and mileage, but Audi has refused to do so. Audi has been aware of this problem with Q5e (plug-in hybrid) models such as ours, as they have published a Technical Service Bulletin about it (without provision for the affected vehicles to be examined or repaired). The vehicle is still at the dealer for repair (as of 06/08/2026).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738560May 18, 2026
ENGINE
Vehicle has an issue with the transmission control, it will not reliably shift into the appropriate gears as it gains speed, often slipping & shuddering, sometimes even slamming into a higher gear. A few times it has stayed in first or second gear as I was pulling onto a busy street into oncoming traffic, I was unable to gain speed without taking my foot off the gas entirely and trying again. This creates a very dangerous situation as I was unable to get to speed, cars did have to slow & go around me as I was not able to speed up I did get a warning light a couple of times, dashboard read "Drive system: Malfunction! Please contact Service" Dealership said it gave the code "P288200," and stated that this indicated "Engine disconnect clutch engagement fault." Audi has a TSB for remedy (Audi Technical Service Bulletin 2070965), in which is stated that "There is a software error in the transmission control module." This indicates that this is an ongoing issue with this component. The dealership that I brought it to was able to replicate the problem when test driving the car. quoted a $537 software update to remedy the malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734714April 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While normal driving the screen infotainment system or MMI turns off and takes a few minutes to come back up. When it comes back up it does not remember the user and asks for a PIN code. This is very disruptive as it happens while driving and is not safe to drive while it is rebooting It also happens randomly and there is no pattern to it , can happen once or twice or not happen for a given drive period
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732886April 21, 2026
WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The warning lite for the low tire pressure comes on randomly and consistently. I've taken it in about 5 times and have been told the tire pressure is fine and it is just a built in defect. I am concerned because I can't check my tires constantly and especially when I am on the freeway. I fear for my safety, the safety of my passengers and the vehicles around me. It happens on the loaners they give me, so I know it is not just my vehicle. I've talked to corporate and they seem very unconcerned. Can you help at all?' I'm considering selling it because of this issue, but don't want some one else coming back on me about it if they get in an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732114April 18, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The system continues to sound an alarm and flash a warning that lane departure and collision is malfunctioning. We took it to the dealership, they told us two things: it may be a software glitch but they couldn’t recreate it and all systems are normal currently. We live 2.5 hours from the dealership and had to take the day off, rent a vehicle during the repair because no loaner was available. We started our return trip, the vehicle sounded the warning an additional three times yesterday and then again today 3 more times by lunch.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727662March 28, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
My 2024 Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid (VIN [XXX] ) has twice lost accelerator response when transitioning from battery power to gasoline power. In both events, the warning message displayed was: “Drive system: malfunction! Please contact Service.” In both events, the accelerator stopped responding and normal operation was restored only after the vehicle was stopped and restarted. First incident: On 1/20/2025 at 4:12 PM. The battery level reached zero and the vehicle switched from battery power to gas. The warning message appeared and the accelerator stopped working. We had to leave the highway, stop the vehicle, and restart it before the accelerator worked again. I retained a screenshot of the warning message from this event. Second incident: On 1/31/2026 at 4:26 PM. The battery ran out and the vehicle switched from battery power to gas. The same warning message appeared and the accelerator again stopped working. I was able to pull off at a service area, shut the vehicle off, and restart it. Restarting cleared the warning and restored accelerator function. I retained a photo of the error message and dashcam video showing the vehicle speed and rapid deceleration. I reported this condition to Audi West Chester on 2/12/2025 [XXX] XXX) and again on 2/13/2026 [XXX] ). The dealer was unable to determine the cause or repair the problem. I do not consider the vehicle safe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702283December 1, 2025
SUSPENSION
4 weeks ago, I noted the front of the vehicle sitting lower than the rear. When it was started, a warning message indicated air suspension failure, then an attempt to correct. The front raised itself and the warning stopped. I took it to the dealer for a charging recall the next day and told them about it, but nothing was found. A month later, yesterday, the same thing occurred, and I took it to the dealer again today.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700392November 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q5 E. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V080000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, parts were not yet available. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the same local dealer for an unknown warning message and an unknown warning light; however, the failure codes were cleared due to no failures being identified. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694401October 19, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
In July 2025, I received Recall 93AA (24V988 / 25V080) regarding a defect in the high-voltage battery of my 2024 Audi Q5 Hybrid. The recall states there is a risk of thermal overload and possible fire. I brought the car to the authorized dealer on August 13, 2025, where my service advisor confirmed there was no available repair. I called again on October 14, 2025, and was told there is still no remedy. Audi’s instructions prohibit charging the vehicle until the recall is resolved, which completely disables the hybrid system. This has made the car partially unusable and unsafe to operate as intended. It has been over three months since the recall notice, and no timeline for a fix has been provided by either Audi Corporate or the dealer. The defect has been acknowledged by Audi but remains unresolved, representing an unreasonable delay in remedy for a safety-related issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694136October 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
While driving one day, several warning messages appeared on the dashboard, but would then disappear. The next day, the car engine would not start and the vehicle dashboard would not turn on. The car was inoperable and had to be towed to a dealer service center. Dealer confirmed that the issue was caused by liquid entering the gateway control module. A safety fix had been applied before during a 90S9 recall in 2022, but it appears that fix is inadequate or defective.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690093September 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recall for battery potentially causing fires issued in July 2025 (25V080) and September 2025 (24V898 / 25V080) have not been resolved. No fix is currently available and no availability estimate has been provided. This delay and lack of fix availability are unacceptable. Furthermore, ability to use battery charger in July 2025 per manufacturer's recall letter has now been changed in the September 2025 recall letter to instruct owners not to charge the vehicle from external sources.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689859September 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q5E. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V080000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679217August 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recall for battery potentially causing fires issued in November 2024 has not been resolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678752August 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is an active recall. I went to the dealer to have it resolved. I was told there is no fix and not sure when there will be a resolution. That is unacceptable in my opinion. Especially when it pertains to the battery and there is a heightened risk for fire. I am reliant on having a vehicle to get to work. This concerns me deeply and should be fixed or considered a lemon based on no resolution.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656915April 26, 2025
POWER TRAIN
A transmission malfunction message displayed and vehicle lost power. This happened when ascending a hill.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650499March 25, 2025
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions. The dealer inspected the tires while the warning light was illuminated, and the dealer informed the contact that no failure was found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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