Audi Q5 Complaints

1,386 consumer complaints on file.

#11773667October 26, 2026
STRUCTURE
The contact owned a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that the sunroof drain was clogged, causing water to flood into the trunk where the spare tire was located. The water caused electrical failures, short-circuiting the brake lights and indicator lights. The contact stated that the circuit breaker was in the trunk of the vehicle. The message of an electrical failure was displayed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed the failure. The technician at the dealer stated that the failure was a known failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773552October 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
In my daughter’s driveway with my foot on the brake, my vehicle suddenly accelerated forward without warning. I immediately pressed the brake pedal firmly and kept my foot on the brake, but the vehicle continued moving forward and would not stop. The vehicle crossed the street and entered the neighbor’s lawn heading towards a large tree. I managed to steer away from the tree and the neighboring house and return to the street. The vehicle then continued through a stop sign. I made a left to avoid another house and continued traveling one tenth of a mile before the vehicle finally came to a stop. Throughout the incident, my foot remained pressed on the brake pedal. Steering was very difficult. The engine did not sound as though it was revving loudly. The vehicle left deep marks in the grass, but I did not observe skid marks on the street. My initial report to AUDI I stated the vehicle was going 15-20 MPH however; I did a test with another vehicle and determined it was more like 25-30 MPH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772648October 21, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The NEW vehicle keeps showing a warning light on the dash saying that the rear wheel bolts are loose two accidents have occurred in a 60 day period, the vehicle has been in for service multiple times and Audi has not found a fix for the safety light warning or found the loose bolts or suspension break issues. The have ignored a vehicle defect notice sent and lawyered up as soon as I said the vehicle was a lemon.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11772781October 21, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The subframe in the Audi Q5 has plastic that is connected to the bottom of the subframe which traps salt, water and dirt which can lead to premature rusting and failure. Because this is where a lot of the suspension and other components are attached to, when this fails during operation of the vehicle, it can lead to loss of control and increase the chance of an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771851October 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING
I bought a late model Audi Q5 2025 late February 2026. the one I bought was a loaner with 8K miles on it, list 60k, paid 48K for it. late April, we were in the mountains of western NC and were on a windy 2 lane mountain road after midnight with no cell service and nowhere to pull off. 7 warning lights came on, the most concerning was to immediately pull over and shut off the engine. We could not do this. The steering wheel was shaking and the climate systems shut off. All ABS were non functional. We drove the last half hour to the house, put the car in the garage and figured it would need to be towed the next day. The next morning, I turned it on and all was cleared out. I took it to the dealer when back in SC, but they could not find anything. it is now mid October, it has happened 4 other times since then. all in NC except for once on [XXX] but I was near exit [XXX] so made it home. It happened twice in a week late July. it was 98 outside the first time, I had an hour to go and it was incredibly hot in the car. with no ac. my two dogs were very stressed by the time we got to the house. Again, in the garage, all clear the next morning. It happened on the way home, now it's 99 out. I turned off the car in a parking lot, waited 15 minutes, turned it on, all clear and we got home fine. My service person said there was a "major software upgrade" coming out and that was all the car needed. they got me in early before it was released and had the car for 4 days. It took 5 tries to get the upgrade. I was told this was it, all was fine. next time I was on a steep downhill in NC. had to hold tightly to the wheel it was shaking so much, abs working, maneuverability seemed compromised. I was scared to death. This time it took over a week and because they could not find the fault code, nothing done. Given the research I have done, I am sure the dealer knew about these issues when I bought the car or certainly during the emails detailing the other incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771731October 16, 2026
AIR BAGS
Vehicle was in a head-on collision at a speed of approximately 30-35 mph. Both airbags in the front compartment failed to deploy while the airbags in the vehicle that made the illegal u-turn deployed. I suffered injuries to my chest and neck as a result of direct impact to the steering wheel. Vehicle purchased through McDonald Audi.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11771468October 15, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2018 Audi Q5 became disabled after liquid intrusion affected the gateway control module, which is the condition addressed by Audi Safety Recall 90S9. At the time of the failure, I was traveling away from home and was unaware that my vehicle had an open recall. Because the vehicle was disabled, it was taken to an independent repair facility for diagnosis (we were in a small mountain town on a Sunday). The independent facility accessed/opened the gateway module during its good-faith diagnostic effort after the vehicle had already failed. The vehicle was subsequently presented to Audi Reno. Audi refused to perform the recall repair/replacement because the gateway module had previously been accessed by the independent repair facility. I escalated the matter to Audi of America under case 07709194. Audi acknowledged in writing that the module was accessed as part of a good-faith diagnostic effort while I was stranded and unaware of the open recall. However, Audi continues to deny recall coverage based upon the prior diagnostic access. I have asked Audi to identify the specific written provision of Safety Recall 90S9 stating that diagnostic access to an already-failed gateway module disqualifies the vehicle from the safety recall, but Audi has not provided such a provision. I am reporting this because my vehicle experienced the safety condition addressed by the recall, yet Audi refused to perform the recall remedy based on diagnostic activity that occurred only after the vehicle had already become disabled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771358October 15, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
May 30, 2026 - Latching part of rear door lock broken. Had 3 grandchildren in the car at the time. Door would not latch. October 15, 2026 - Park gear would not work properly. Put in park and car would still roll. Hill-hold function also not working. March 24, April 8, August 7 - Front console lights up with warning lights for no reason. Dangerous as you don't know what is working and what is not. Forced us to have car out of commission for over 30 days since purchase on March 6, 2026
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771114October 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While driving random safety lights will turn on like forward collision. So many issues Audi paid to get out of 2025 into a 2026. The most recent safety concern is that with keys inside the car will lock. The car will not unlock with the spare key fob and it will not unlock with the key fob from phone. There were dogs in the back seat and to get in the manual key fob had to open the door and when we started the engine all the issues went away.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771124October 14, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On October 14, 2026, while driving my 2025 Audi Q5 on a busy freeway at approximately 57 mph, the vehicle suddenly activated emergency braking and rapidly slowed/stopped without warning. At the same time, the seat belt tightened extremely forcefully around my body, restricting my movement and making it difficult to breathe. The instrument cluster then displayed “Emergency assist: canceled.” I believe the malfunction involved the vehicle’s emergency/driver-assistance braking system and restraint system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The sudden braking created an immediate risk of a serious rear-end collision because the vehicle unexpectedly slowed/stopped in freeway traffic. I was also physically restrained by the seat belt during the event and unable to move normally. This specific freeway incident has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. I reported it to Audi Fremont immediately and requested inspection. The vehicle has previously been serviced for other unresolved safety-related issues, including a parking-related condition acknowledged by Audi as a Pending Service Solution with no repair currently available. There were no warning lamps or messages immediately before the sudden braking event. Afterward, once I was safely able to do so, I photographed the instrument cluster displaying “Emergency assist: canceled.”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770827October 13, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
While vehicle is in motion or parked driver side seat belt sign comes up followed by air bags on and off message. Seatbelt was fastened. Attached pictures are when vehicle is parked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767998September 30, 2026
Carry Handle, Shell, Base, Other/I am not sure
After one year of use, the car seat developed a sudden defect. An internal rod slid out of place, protruding from the side of the car seat by about an inch. I reported the issue to Graco, and they confirmed this car seat defect is a child safety risk, and in fact the car seat is no longer safe for use. According to the Graco Consumer Care representative: "I do apologize, but the rod protruding from the car seat is not normal and presents a safety hazard. Unfortunately, this is not a replaceable part, and the issue cannot be repaired without replacing the entire car seat." I have a friend who experienced the same issue, and worry that the Graco Turn2Me is prone to sudden safety defects. We have kept the broken car seat and it is available for inspection. The car seat has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or anyone else.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11768130September 30, 2026
SUSPENSION
Driving through the expressway a metal noice from the bottom of my car. One of the coil spring was out of the base and the other was broken. As the Audi dealer, the extended warranty doesn’t want to paid due to a corrosion on the bottom of the car. I’m live and drive close to the beach. They gave me thousands excuses to not fix it. My car has 60,000 miles and is from 2018. I was reading that those car may not be coated with special wax for corrosion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767711September 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle Information: 2021 Audi Q5 Component Affected: Electrical System / Electronic Control Unit (Body Control Module / BCM2) Description of Safety Defect: The vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure of the Body Control Module (BCM / BCM2) caused by water ingress originating from a defective rear sunroof drainage tube assembly. The manufacturing failure of the panoramic sunroof drain allows water to pour directly down the vehicle's interior D-pillar. Because of a severe design flaw, Audi positioned this highly critical central electrical computer completely unshielded in the exact cargo cavity where this water runoff pools. When the Body Control Module shorts out due to this water ingress, it creates an immediate and severe safety hazard. The vehicle experiences sudden, unpredictable electrical malfunctions while in motion, including the risk of uncommanded engine shutdown, a total loss of exterior lighting, failure of the central locking safety systems, and a disabled key transponder system. Audi is fully aware of water ingress vulnerabilities affecting central modules in the floorboards and cargo areas of this platform (as evidenced by NHTSA Recall 90S9 for the Gateway module). However, they have failed to address this identical engineering hazard impacting the BCM in the rear cavity. Leaving an unshielded, critical vehicle operating computer vulnerable to known body leaks exposes occupants to sudden component failures at highway speeds. I am requesting that the NHTSA launch a formal investigation into Audi's BCM placement and sunroof drainage defects to compel a mandatory safety recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767491September 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The sunroof drainage system on my 2018 Audi Q5 failed to properly channel water away from the vehicle, resulting in significant water intrusion and approximately $6,000 in damage. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Audi dealership after the vehicle was brought in for inspection in August 2026. I am concerned that this represents a design or engineering defect in the sunroof drainage system rather than ordinary wear. A drainage system intended to remove water should not allow water to enter areas of the vehicle where it can damage electrical components or other systems. Water intrusion into these areas could potentially create electrical failures or other safety-related problems. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Audi dealer, and Audi of America was contacted regarding the issue. Audi declined to cover the repairs. There were no clear warning lights or messages alerting me that the drainage system was failing before the water intrusion and resulting damage were discovered. The vehicle and affected components can be made available for inspection if necessary. I am submitting this complaint because I believe NHTSA should investigate whether similar sunroof drainage failures and resulting water intrusion have occurred in other Audi Q5 vehicles and whether this represents a broader vehicle safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766803September 24, 2026
POWER TRAIN
We took our 2021 Audi Q5 to the Audi dealership because our vehicle seemed to be skipping gears and making jerking motions while driving. I believe it began happening at least a couple of months ago when my wife noticed a change in driving dynamics. She is the vehicle's sole driver. After taking it to the Audi dealership and driving with the technician in the passenger seat, a diagnosis was made immediately while backing from the parking space. The technician indicated there was no need to go any further because he could determine it needed a differential fluid change. He also indicated it was a common problem with this model Q5 and it is occurring at a high rate with these vehicles. This was a $512.38 (with a 25% discount) expense that should not have occurred for a vehicle this age which was purchased new from this manufacturer. This should not be happening with this vehicle and shouldn't a recall have been made for such a frequently occurring problem? Please investigate and reply
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766482September 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have a 2018 Audi Q5, VIN [XXX]. I am reporting a water intrusion/electrical defect involving the rear trunk area and the Comfort Control Module. My vehicle is within the model range affected by the water-intrusion recall 90S9. I want Audi to investigate whether the water intrusion that damaged my vehicle is related to the recall or a known manufacturing defect, and I am requesting that Audi cover the inspection, repair, and related expenses.It is unsafe driving the car as it is, and I can't afford the repairs. Audi dealer-hip in Alentown Pa diagnosis the car and found the problem. 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
#11766239September 22, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is fuel leaking by the rear passenger tire under where the gas tank is. There was a recall for a cracked flange on the fuel pump.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766103September 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Multiple electrical failures that control numerous safety systems, such as airbags, Collision avoidance, speed control, etc. Airbags will not activate in a collision. Vehicle will shut off at highway speeds, resulting in loss of steering control. The vehicle has been inspected by an Audi dealer. Multiple warnings on dash came on when the issue occurred.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765676September 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
When attempting a left-hand turn, despite the oncoming vehicle already passed me, the Audi auto-breaks leaving me in the center of the oncoming lane and causes the vehicle behind me to almost crash into me. Very dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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