2025-2026 Audi Active Front Assist System Malfunctions TSB

Audi has released Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 2076135/4 to address various concerns related to the Audi active front assist system, specifically within vehicles built on the PPE/PPC platform. This bulletin, released on October 24, 2025, provides detailed information for diagnosing and resolving potential malfunctions in the driver assistance systems, particularly those involving emergency braking functions.

The Audi active front assist system is a critical safety feature designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions. However, owners of certain 2025-2026 Audi A5, A6, Q5, S5, and SQ5 models may experience unexpected behavior from this system. This TSB outlines the symptoms and the recommended software update to restore proper functionality and enhance the system's reliability.

Revision History

This Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 2076135/4 has undergone several revisions:

• Revision 4: Incorporated revised warranty instructions, specifically adding KD2 flash warranty details.
• Revision 3 (October 17, 2025): The header was revised to include updated models.
• Revision 2 (April 24, 2025): The header was revised to include updated model years.

Symptoms of Active Front Assist Malfunction

Owners may notice several issues with their Audi active front assist system, which fall under various complaint types related to the emergency braking function and automatic partial braking (City-ANB) or automatic emergency braking (Front Assist). These symptoms indicate that the system may not be operating as intended, potentially affecting vehicle safety.

Common complaints include:

• Unintentional deployment: The emergency braking function or automatic partial braking (City-ANB) may activate without a clear cause, or the automatic emergency braking (Front Assist) may deploy unintentionally. This is described as "functionality -> unintentional deployment."
• Activation without cause: The system activates when there is no apparent obstacle or collision risk, leading to unnecessary braking. This is noted as "functionality -> activates without cause."
• No function: The emergency braking function or automatic emergency braking (Front Assist) fails to operate when it should, leaving the driver without critical assistance in a potential collision scenario. This is listed as "functionality -> no function."
• Misfire: The automatic emergency braking (Front Assist) may misfire, meaning it attempts to intervene but does so ineffectively or incorrectly. This is described as "functionality -> misfire."
• No deployment: Similar to a lack of function, the system fails to deploy when a collision risk is detected. This is categorized as "functionality -> no deployment."
• Too early/too late: The system intervenes either prematurely or with a delay, described as "functionality -> too early" or "functionality -> too late."
• Operation sequence incorrect: The system's sequence of operations does not follow the intended logic, leading to improper intervention. This is noted as "functionality -> operation sequence incorrect."
• Faulty: General malfunction of the system, described as "functionality -> faulty."

When the front assist system is intervening, owners may see the "Front assist icon" displayed on the instrument cluster or MMI, as shown in Figure 1 of the TSB. If swerve assist is active, the "Swerve assist activation icon" may be displayed, as shown in Figure 2.

Understanding Active Front Assist Interventions

The active front assist system employs various intervention types, which can be reviewed using the ODIS-S diagnostic tool. These include:

• Preliminary warning: If a possible collision risk is detected, the driver receives a visual and acoustic warning.
• Main warning: For immediate collision risks, an acute warning is issued, often as a short brake jolt, prompting evasive action or hard braking.
• Reaction time-increasing automatic braking (RAB): This function initiates early partial braking to increase the driver's reaction time, reduce impact speed, and make them aware of the dangerous situation.
• Deescalating automatic braking (DAB): In situations where a collision can only be avoided by immediate braking, this function performs automatic braking to prevent or reduce the severity of accidents.
• Automatic braking to a stop (AFB): In critical situations, such as intersections or when driving away from a standstill at low speeds, the vehicle is automatically braked to a stop to prevent collisions with oncoming vehicles or pedestrians/cyclists.
• Driver-triggered controlled braking (FZB): This function increases the braking force applied by the driver in critical situations where the driver may not be braking sufficiently.
• Swerve support (AWU): A corrective steering function that assists the driver for a limited time to avoid frontal collisions by providing steering assistance during an evasive maneuver. It can also involve partial braking.
• Automatic emergency swerve (ANA): A corrective steering function that provides collision-avoiding steering intervention when there is a risk of a frontal collision with stationary or moving road users. It can also involve targeted braking of individual wheels and partial braking.

Diagnosis Procedure

To diagnose issues with the Audi active front assist system, technicians should use the ODIS-S diagnostic system. The specific test program for