Audi Q5 Complaints

1,386 consumer complaints on file.

#11641442February 7, 2025
STEERING
When at highway speed, the vehicle veered hard to the left without any driver input, causing the car to cross several lanes of traffic and hit a concrete divider at ~65mph. The driver fractured her back, and one of three children in the car experienced injury. The vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance. The driver (my wife) indicated that a similar incident happened at low speed in a parking lot, but it resolved after shut down and restart of the engine. It is my understanding that the vehicle is currently either at or on the way to a Copart lot.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11640813February 5, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The message "Shut off Engine, Check Cooling" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the engine temperate gauge was elevated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cracked coolant line. The vehicle was repaired twice however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion and the vehicle was diagnosed and repaired; however, the failure reoccurred twice. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640878February 5, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle had dealt with a loss of automotive power. A warning message "Shut off Engine, Check Cooling" had appeared in the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the engine temperate gauge had risen. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cracked coolant line. The vehicle was repaired twice however, the failure had occurred. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion where the vehicle was diagnosed and repaired however the failure occurred twice again. The local dealer was contacted however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640890February 5, 2025
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While driving, the power steering completely went out and lost the ability to steer, while on the road. There were no prior warnings or feeling in the steering to present a possible future failure of steering under power. Put myself, my wife and the other operators at risk as I lost all power steering and had to pull over immediately. I have a current repair order open at a local shop and the PSM module has failed, of course requiring a full steering rack replacement to the tune of +$5k.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640211February 2, 2025
SUSPENSION
Took my vehicle in for an alignment, was told by my local Audi dealer the rear subframe has rotted through and will need to be replaced. I asked how could this happen on a vehicle under 10 years? They said they see a lot of Q5's with similar rust issues due to a design flaw where a plastic protective cover cups and holds water directly on the structural part of the vehicle. They quoted me $8,000 to fix and offered no assistance on the price. Many, MANY others in forums and social media pages have the same issue and are forced to pay out of pocket for this issue caused by Audi.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640013January 31, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Water intrusion from sunroof floods electronics modules and shorting out, making the car unoperable
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639457January 29, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2018 Audi Q5 comfort System Control Module is faulty due to corrosion from water and or humidity. No incidents have occurred with my vehicle that has less than 70k miles. I purchased the vehicle as a certified pre-owned with 7700 miles on the car. The dealership claims that outside forces have cause the module to corrode and that I am responsible for the 10k payment to replace and/or repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638003January 23, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Component/System Malfunction: The Audi Pre-Sense system has malfunctioned on multiple occasions. The system is available for inspection upon request. What Happened: On two separate occasions, the Pre-Sense system erroneously activated while making an unprotected left turn at a signal-controlled intersection. In both instances, the left turn signal was activated. After waiting for an oncoming vehicle to pass, I began the left turn. Despite the vehicle having passed, the Pre-Sense system activated, incorrectly perceiving the passing car as a threat. The system abruptly engaged emergency braking, locking the car in place and stalling it in the middle of the intersection. This left my two minor children and me stranded in oncoming traffic, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard. On a separate occasion, while driving straight in a lane with no intention of turning, the Pre-Sense system activated again. This time, the vehicle next to me slowed to make a left turn in its lane, which triggered my car's system to abruptly stop and stall in traffic. Risk to Safety: These malfunctions placed my family and other road users in immediate danger of a collision. In the left-turn incidents, the car stalled in the middle of an intersection with oncoming traffic approaching. In the straight-driving incident, the sudden stop created a risk of being rear-ended in traffic. Attempts to Resolve: After the first two incidents, I brought the vehicle to the dealership for inspection. A full diagnostic test was conducted, and I was told the Pre-Sense system was functioning "properly" with no repairs needed. Dealership staff admitted they had experienced similar Pre-Sense malfunctions in their own vehicles but dismissed the issue. I was advised to ensure my left turn signal was activated, despite already confirming the signal was on during both incidents. Warning Lamps or Symptoms: There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before the failures occurred.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637004January 20, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
I found out this past summer that my rear subframe on my Audi Q5 (2012) had rusted out to the point of being dangerous to drive. Looking into it, this is apparently a common problem due to the 1st and 2nd generation design of the Q5 where they placed a wind deflector over the rear subframe. In doing so, that wind deflector collected and held moisture and corrosive agents against the frame to the point where it was completely rusted through. I was told my Q5 was not safe to drive until I got the rear subframe replaced. The Audi dealership that I ordered the subframe from (Rockville Audi) said they have been increasing the number of subframes on order as this is becoming a consistent problem. When I spoke with Audi of America about it, they said they did not believe it was an issue beyond regular aging of the vehicle but I disagree as I have other vehicles with many more years that do not have complete sections of the frame rusted/rotted out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636788January 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
Audi q5 shows no recalls on my vehicle. My car stops randomly while driving even while being on highways and interstates. As well as the passenger side leaking due to sunroof drainage coming to the inside (which may affect the air bags). This Car has not had any repairs on recalls that I know of personally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636612January 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Getting a message DRIVER SYSTEM MALFUNCTION PLEASE CONTACT SERVICE, I went to a specialized European mechanic and he informed me that the OEM TURBOCHARGER BOOSTER is the problem. He stated that this is a very common problem in the AUDI. He is surprised that there is no recall because it is happening to a lot of cars. The message is constantly coming back.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635505January 12, 2025
ENGINE
Audi had Valves and pistons fail on the highway at 75mph on Nov 28,2024 at 117000 miles Had the vehicle since 2021 and 17000 miles. Complained to the dealerships at the last 3 oil changes about excessive oil consumption. They told us not to worry about it, full aware that they had lost a lawsuit over this very issue. We were never informed about this lawsuit, and now Audi refuses to fix THEIR problem. We are very lucky when the engine blew up that there was no one behind us, otherwise it would have been a major highway accident. Now Audi wants $18,000 to replace the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634185January 5, 2025
ENGINE
December 17, 2024 2012 Q5 Audi Complaint- Purchased at Steve White Greenville, S.C VIN# [XXX] Dear Audi leaders, (and Michele) Thanks for replying to my request and your (brief) follow-up. I know selling cars is your main concern. I learned through years of working for tech companies such as Oracle and HP that it cost a significant more to get a new customer than to retain an old one. I expected at the very least was to lob a phone call to me, instead of pretending to- even more humiliating. The Audi Q5 was the biggest, most dangerous and worst purchase I’ve ever made. It is also the most expensive car I’ve ever maintained. I didn’t realize how many people literally got “burned” on this engine debacle that Audi created. Audi dealerships around the globe forced loyal customer who purchased this vehicle to jump through hoops to prove a very apparent engine flaw. It was like watching the Hindenburg crash, but in slow motion. Upon further research, the level of owners problems varied by engine; some were perfectly fine but most were faced with a ticking time-bomb. Audi seemed to take no blame, instead profiting on an “oil program”, expensive for the consumer and also time consuming, to solve the issue. As time has a way of flushing out the truth, a class action lawsuit quietly arose was settled in 2014. Audi shamelessly offered to cover 40% on certain cars-soon having a class action lawsuit on their hands. At that time, my Q5 had 99,000 miles on it. Because of Audi’s foot-dragging, my Q5 was too old to fix which seemed a little too well orchestrated and that is wrong. Currently, my vehicle is worth nothing and I feel 100% that it was intentionally motivated. I now have a hunk of metal that Audi refuses to fix which is not only frustrating- but is a danger to me and cars around me- It is unsafe. I was going to give it to my [XXX] daughter, but after having it looked over, it was too dangerous-at best. I was never notified by Audi when the recall was ann INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632466December 26, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While driving, the steering wheel suddenly locked up and could not be turned. Several warning lights simultaneously appeared on the dashboard including: "Steering malfunction! Please stop vehicle", "Audi adaptive light malfunction! See owners manual", "Start/stop system malfunction! Function unavailable", and "Audi pre sense currently limited" - No warning lights were present prior to this event. The sudden loss of steering could have caused serious injury to myself and to other drivers or pedestrians nearby. I was thankfully able to stop the vehicle, but I could not pull over because the steering wheel could not be turned. The car was towed to the Audi dealership and I was told the "Electronic power steering rack" would need to be replaced costing nearly $5,000.00.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631507December 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER
I started the car and , put it in reverse and the rear back up camera never turned on as required when backing up today. Rear camera didnt activate but the parking light on the audi was red as usual indicating it was activated. However the screen just went to its default app page (settings, carplay, etc.) I was unable to see pedestrians as I backed out of the grocery shopping center parking spot. Yes. Audi dealership keeps telling me there is no update and that my software version 3606 is the latest software( I have told the dealer, I have a black screen without apps, only LTE and clock show up occasionally) they have done a factory reset and so have i without resolution. No warning lights came on, it just said welcome (user name) and went to the regular media screen. I have a 2mb 7 second video of the incident I took with my iphone if needed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628463December 3, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, SUSPENSION, ENGINE
I've reported multiple times to my dealer about the oil comsumption back in 2022 and work was performed on the vehicle in the prior year to fix leak and brake noise issue since approx 2021 on my 2015 Q5 that currently only has 65,000 miles. No warning indicator presents regarding the brakes. However oil indicator and engine light icons display. I'm constantly checking the oil indicator level to see how much is still in the and then add add once it shows thats its extremly low. I have to do this everytime I am about to use the car. This can be dangerous at times since there's no indication that its very low and its not seen unless you go into the "car" section that shows the level, it has no alert display for the level. All required diagnostic and maintenance services have been performed with the dealer. When inspecting the brake issue they always come back with no findings say that no issue could be found, howeve when I'm driving it, it sqeeks and makes a grinding sound all the time. This has been going on for quite a few years. As for the oil consumption issue, this isssue has been in recent years and both times this has been looked into by the dealer I was informed that its not covered under any manufacturers warranty and would cost me approx. $10,000.00 for them to repair it or I could trade it in. This is a very expensive luxury car and at this low milage shouldn't have these types of issue. I've seen on various car sites that both the oil comsumption and piston issue is a known issue with this model Audi and that issue occurs aournd 60,000 miles but was rectified for the models that came after 2015. I wish I had know this before making this purchase. Now the driver seat adjusting panel is broken, this came out of no where about four weeks ago with no warning. I haven't received any recall notifications since my Audi Care coverage expired, not sure why this would stop because I didn't continue this service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628723December 3, 2024
ENGINE
• Excessive oil consumption • Engine knocking • Illumination of the check engine light, possibly for cylinder misfire • Engine stalling- • the pistons unexpectedly fail, drivers may also experience a sudden loss of engine power while operating their vehicles. This can pose a safety risk as it may become difficult for drivers to brake, accelerate or control the steering wheel. Drivers are believed to have experienced problems with the pistons well before they should, with some seeing engine failure before the 75,000- mile mark. Audi Vehicles Burning Too Much Oil A number of Audi drivers have posted complaints online that their Q5 vehicles are burning more oil than they should, an issue attorneys suspect could be related to a defect in the pistons. A sample of these complaints can be found below [sic throughout, emphasis ours]: My Audi Q5 2012, like all suffers from excessive mass oil consumption. A Dealer did the oil consumption test and said the piston and rings need to be replaced. I ve Already spent over $1K on crankshaft repairs etc. Will AoA to pay for new piston and rings? Its a $6K repair that I am unwilling to pay because it should not be going through this crap for such an expensive car.” This "benefit" likely won't me customers due to the age of the vehicles and they don’t seem to care. Not to mention owners will still be stuck with paying a percentage for repairs. I bought a 2012 Audi Q5 in in 2015…For the first 20,000 miles of owning this car, it was my dream car and was all I had hoped for. Then, the check engine and oil light game started. At first, adding oil meant that it would it go another 1500-2000 miles without issue. Then, around 75k, it went to 500 to 750 miles. Once it hit 95k, it dropped to every 400 to 600 miles that it needed oil. I am at 118k and desperately want to dump this lemon. Unfortunately, I have payments on this garbage car. I've spoken with a local mechanic about it and he says the fix is replacing the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628449December 2, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My words: An overheated electrical connection near the fuel tank overheated, thus cutting off the fuel pump system. This is similar to other fuel pump recalls with Audi A3 vehicles. BEGINNING OF MECHANIC REPORT: Concern? = Customer states he was on a trip driving on the highway, parked it and it wouldnt restart. Vehicle is cranking and not starting. Codes were pulled from the vehicle is there are fuel pump related codes. Cause = Confirmed concern vehicle does not start. fault codes P0087, p3073, p3043, removed rear seat and checked pump control module. found power supplied to control module but no power to pump. also found connector to control module melted. advise replacement of control module, in tank pump, and control module connector to start." END OF MECHANIC REPORT The markings on the fuel pump control module are as follows, line by line: "VW emblem" "Audi emblem" Germany 1j0 973 726 >PBI< FEP 1/3 3699
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628196December 1, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2018 Audi Q5 (2.0, 40K miles, excellent condition) experienced severe electronic failure, due to sunroof drainage lines depositing water into the rear side wells where sensitive electronics are housed, impacting all tail-lights, wipers, sensors, internal dashboard sensors, etc., rendering the car highly unsafe and undrivable. The issue is a design and manufacturer defect that has allowed rainwater to leak into the rear side compartments destroying sensitive electronics & wiring, from faulty/kinked drain lines in the sunroof (according to the Audi Technician from my local Audi store), rendering the vehicle undrivable. It was obvious, repeatable, and avoidable. Worse this issue was misdiagnosed by the same Audi store, causing extra parts & labor expenses that didn't solve anything. It took my AUDI store OVER a MONTH to diagnose the issue correctly. There were also significant investigative/diagnostic charges from my Audi Dealership. There were also significant repair expenses to replace all water-logged equipment, including the Electronics Control Unit (ECU). This should be a clear recall item.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628068November 30, 2024
STEERING
Power steering failure. While driving warning light came on and power steering immediately went out. No prior warnings. Safety was put at risk because steering was basically inoperative, had to muscle to turn, unable to stop at intersections due to difficulty turning when coming to stop. Had vehicle towed to dealership because unable to drive. Had to replace power steering rack with adaptions. The j500 electromechanical power steering control module integrated into the steering rack was was electrically faulty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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