2019 Audi Q5 Complaints

ENGINE — Filed 08/19/2026

Received a malfunction drive train alert on a 2019 Audi with approximately 66,000 miles at the time. Took it in to have it addressed and was advised it needed a new Turbo. The turbo has since been replaced. However, a vehicle with very low miles should not be having any drive train issues. There is a class action lawsuit against Audi for the same issue. However my vehicle was not included. This is a known issue with Audi.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/31/2026

The vehicle is experiencing an issue withe the All-Wheel Drive system where its function is affected by an issue Audi calls Shutter or Shudder. The degradation in this system's performance is characterized by drive system torque oscillations when the steering wheel is turned. A hazardous condition is introduced when the AWD system is required for traction control and the system either outputs oscillatory torque, or binds up at a time where smooth torque at each wheel is required to provide traction and directional control (e.g. snow and ice or rain conditions). Audi has stated that they do not consider this a safety issue. Audi is aware of the issue and has released a Technical Service Bulletin 39 24 60 2059057/8 April 3, 2024 entitled "Quattro Ultra Vibrations or Binding in Tight Turns." This TSB has multiple revisions and covers several of their models over several production years. The Audi prescribed procedure to address the issue is to verify the condition, then flush and fill the AWD system with a new, unique oil which is called out in the TSB. Unfortunately, this oil is not available and they are deferring repair of the affected vehicles. The condition appears to be related to wear/wear debris and the functional effects degrade with the accumulation of additional driving time.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 08/20/2026

Severe consequential safety defect involving total anti-lock braking system (ABS) failure stemming from a manufacturer recall defect and volatile CAN-bus network conditions during repair. This vehicle has less than 7,500 miles and has been grounded at an authorized dealership, Audi Brooklyn- Lic# [XXX], 700 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231, for exactly 20 days since being flatbed-towed on [XXX], due to total power failure caused by the known manufacturing defect of clogged sunroof drains flooding the critical interior electrical network. The dealership replaced the comfort control module under the VIN recall warranty. However, during the dealer's active programming phase of this recall component, a fatal communication fault was introduced to the J104 ABS safety module. My original Service Advisor documented explicitly in writing via text that the technician observed the ABS faults materialize specifically during the recall programming process. No prior warning signs other than the vehicle's sudden loss of power. The manufacturer's design defect allowed moisture ingress to destabilize the vehicle's localized CAN-bus communication network, leading directly to the catastrophic failure of a critical braking system (ABS). Dealership management is now attempting to evade safety liability and force an out-of-pocket repair payment by manipulating records. They have actively backdated internal "Ready for Pickup" dates for the vehicle from August 24 to September 1 to hide an 8-day window where they concealed a New York State safety inspection failure from me and attempted to release an illegal, uninspected vehicle with compromised brakes back to a vulnerable consumer. The owners of the vehicle are [XXX]. Furthermore, despite claiming the ABS module was a severe safety hazard, the facility logged 50 unauthorized miles (odometer jumped from 7,437 to 7,487) on public roads while it has been in their custody. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 05/01/2026

2019 Audi Q5 had the hardware fail which controls the rear view camera (controls other functions too) It's known as the MMI and the replaced part says "MIB2 Main-Unit" on the housing. I have the old part that the dealer replaced in my possession. Dealer confirmed the part was broken and would require replacement. not having a rear camera impacts safety in parking lots, backing in to streets etc, as well as increased risk of backing off the road esp in tight settings. there was no initial warning - it 100% stopped working then would give some warnings or random short term use the past 3 months while scheduling replacement. Completely unreliable for day to day safety, as we back on to a busy road multiple times per day.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 06/06/2026

Went to Mavis on Weber Rd in Bolingbrook, IL for front brake replacement on June 6, 2026. It took 6.5 hours when I was originally told when I called to schedule the appointment it would only take 1.5 hours, so it was obvious that something was wrong. Within 100 yards of leaving their parking lot after the service appointment, an obvious clattering was present. I immediately called them to let them know the replacement had not been performed correctly. Booked appointment with Audi of Naperville first thing Monday morning to have them fix whatever was wrong - the earliest appointment I could get was June 11. Drove the car until Wednesday evening when something went very wrong and constant clatter was replaced by loud scraping and brake lockup when I exited 355 on my way home from work. Called someone that night to have it towed to Audi for the next day's service appointment. Audi videoed their inspection and shared the video. Their inspection revealed one caliper entirely missing from the driver side brakes and the other caliper on that brake very loose. I paid Audi personally for that repair. I called Mavis customer service to notify them of my findings. After pulling the shop video from my brake appointment that day, they got back to me and said they would refund me for that appointment, the tow to Audi, and the Audi repairs. I have since been in touch with them and they said they mailed me a check on July 2. Since it has been 17 days since that date and it doesn't take mail that long to get to most of North America, I tend not to believe them. I have since learned that this Mavis brake replacement was negligent and could have resulted in an accident, with the potential of injury. I am contacting you because I don't want Mavis to take their responsibilities for the safety of their customers so casually.

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/27/2026

Seat occupancy sensor, it's associated with code "B12251B".

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/22/2026

2019 Audi q5 drive system malfunction/start stop malfunction. Error code will come on randomly in traffic and when you try to put your foot on the gas it hesitates and you need to push harder on the gas. Car will also lose acceleration power and take longer to reach desired speed. Drive system malfunction light will come on as well as an error stating start/stop system malfunction. Have had multiple sensors and battery replaced with only temporary results. Start stop malfunction will come on randomly at any time and then go away for a certain amount of time and come back again. This malfunction is constantly going on and off and is sometimes dangerous because you don’t know when it will happen, if it does happen you don’t know if you need to press harder on the gas, or if you do accelerate you don’t know if you’re damaging your engine. After multiple fixes at Audi dealership and other repair shops, them attempting to address this issue has done nothing for the car leaving me to believe this could be a fault. This issue has been going on for at least 10 months with multiple dealer visits attempting to address this issue.

SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/22/2026

My seat belt warning has been going off intermittently. I received an extended warranty from Audi Subject: Seat Occupancy Detection System Limited Warranty Extension extending the warranty for my car. However, when I took it to the dealer they could not replicate the sound. I provided them a video of it happening. They said it was not showing as a fault on the computer and therefore refused to repair the seat under the warranty extension. This is a safety issue and it's recognized as one by Audi. This sensor is obviously malfunctioning for a lot of people or they would not have extended the warranty. Regardless of being able to "replicate" the issue, they should replace the sensor since it's a known issue and they extended the warranty on it.

ENGINE — Filed 04/02/2026

A failed (frozen) Turbocharger Wastegate Actuator. An engine warning light came on and engine had less power. It had to be replaced. There was a settled law suit for the same issue covering this item in previous vehicles settled in 2025.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 03/13/2026

My 2019 Audi Q5 has 23,300 city-driven odometer miles. The vehicle has been serviced and maintained per the Audi Service Manual, based on months in service, not accumulated mileage. The vehicle has been garaged both at home and at work. The vehicle has never been driven off-road. When driving, an “All-wheel Drive: malfunction! You may continue driving. Please contact Service” warning message sounded and appeared on the instrument panel. The malfunction was diagnosed by Audi Honolulu and another Audi repair shop as a Shift Fork Unit issue and/or Quattro differential failure, which needs to be replaced. Audi has has a Technical Service Bulletin for a similar problem for the Q5. Audi Honolulu and Audi America refuses to provide a goodwill repair citing the age of the Q5. While the vehicle is 7 years old, a Shift Fork or Quattro Differential should not fail at 23,300 miles, regardless of age. I have been told by both repair facilities that the Shift Fork Unit or Quattro Differential could suddenly fully fail and seize causing a sudden loss of forward movement. I am afraid that if this happens at freeway speeds coming to a sudden stop could cause serious injury and if a vehicle behind mine slammed into me at freeway speeds a catastrophic or deadly accident could occur, especially at night or in inclement weather conditions.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE — Filed 12/25/2025

The contact owns a 2019 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stopped and jerked, and the RED master warning light illuminated, and the message “Electrical Control Module” failure was displayed. On other occasions, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the turn signals and brake lights failed to operate as intended, and the message "Faulty Brake Light" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there was water trapped in the clogged sunroof drain, and the water leaked, and the control module was covered in water. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 03/20/2026

am writing to report a very concerning safety issue with my 2019 Audi Q5 and to request guidance on whether this may be covered under warranty or if my vehicle is experiencing a malfunction. On Saturday, while driving to an appointment, there was a bicyclist in the bike lane. Suddenly, the “Audi Presence” warning flashed red on my dashboard and the vehicle braked very hard on its own. I was not close to hitting the bicyclist and there was no imminent collision risk. The sudden braking was extremely frightening and could have caused an accident if a car had been behind me. It took quite a while for me to calm down and get my breathing back to normal after the incident. Then this morning, I received a dashboard warning that said: “Drive system: malfunction! Please contact service.” I am very concerned that this may be a malfunction of the automatic emergency braking or driver assistance system, especially after the unexpected hard braking incident. This feels like a serious safety issue. I am very concerned and very unhappy, as this situation felt dangerous and could have resulted in an accident.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 09/10/2025

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Summary: The turbocharger on my 2019 Audi Q5 failed prematurely. The initial check engine light and loss of performance began at approximately 48,000 miles, which is within Audi’s 4-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty. The condition progressively worsened and the vehicle became difficult to drive safely in traffic due to reduced power and hesitation during acceleration. The turbocharger ultimately required complete replacement at 50,334 miles at a cost of $ 2511.20 This appears to be a premature failure of a major engine component. A sudden loss of power while merging or crossing intersections creates a safety concern. The vehicle has been properly maintained, is completely stock, and has never been modified. No warning was provided prior to the check engine light and rapid performance degradation. I am submitting this complaint because similar turbocharger wastegate failures have been documented in other Volkswagen/Audi vehicles using related engines, and a failure at this mileage should not occur in a properly maintained vehicle. Safety Risk: Reduced engine power and hesitation during acceleration creates a hazardous condition when merging into traffic or crossing intersections. Repair: Turbocharger replacement Repair cost: $ 2511.20 Mileage at repair: 50,334

SUSPENSION — Filed 12/17/2025

The motor mounts and control arms are defective. The defective motor mounts that secure the engine causes the engine to shake resulting in collapse while driving. Both front control arms over the wheels are defective make clicking noises when turning resulting in the collapse of the car while driving. These problems were discovered by the dealer during a routine maintenance inspection. The warning lights did appear to have the vehicle inspected,

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 01/05/2023

The problem was a turbocharger in my 2019 Audi Q5. The repair was done in January of 2023 by Audi North Houston / Sewell (17815 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77090, ph. # 281-586-1000). The cost was approximately $3,556. The replacement of the turbocharger was the same repair in the turbocharger class settlement (Kimball vs Volkswagen Group of America Inc., Case #XXX), but my vehicle is not apart of the settlement class vehicles. I verified the settlement class vehicles on the turboclasssettlement.com website, and I called their 855-779-6685 number to double check the settlement class vehicles. Their rep, Leisha, indicated, "The 2019 Audi Q5 is not a settlement class vehicle." The Audi Q5 vehicles identified in the settlement are for 2011 - 2014 model years. I had the same problem in my 2019 Audi Q5. Please help!

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — Filed 08/22/2025

Subject: Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) – Airbag Safety Concern Description of the Problem: The Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) in my 2019 Audi Q5 is malfunctioning. The system intermittently fails to recognize when a passenger is present, or it falsely indicates that a passenger is present when the seat is empty. This creates uncertainty about whether the passenger airbag will deploy correctly in the event of a collision. The issue has occurred multiple times. Safety Concern: Because the PODS system directly controls passenger airbag deployment, a malfunction could result in the airbag being disabled when an adult passenger is seated, or unintentionally activated when no one is present. This poses a significant safety risk. Request: I am reporting this issue as it appears to be a defect in the occupant detection system. Other Audi models from nearby years have had recalls related to PODS malfunctions. I urge NHTSA to investigate whether this defect extends to the 2019 Audi Q5 and to consider issuing a recall if warranted.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 06/25/2025

Turbo Charger Failed. Lost power for driving and Car Start Stop function failed, quit completely. 2. Fluid leaking in the Motor Mounts. 3. Rear passenger side Tail Reverse Light and Rear camera not Working at all. This could cause me a serious accident or I could get a Citation.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 07/15/2025

The right back up light is defective. This light is in the right rear light housing that sits in the rear bumper. The defective light indicator came on before the 5 year/40k mile warranty had expired. The lamp bulb was changed as I believed this was the cause of the defect error. Took vehicle to Audi dealership where the car was purchased and the service advisor mentioned this happens "all the time" and the entire rear light housing will need to be replaced. Technician diagnostics confirmed this. The bulb was not in-fact out, the power/wiring to the housing was not malfunctioning and the error/fault/malfunction is in the rear bumper light housing. This same issue with 2018 and 2019 Audi's was reported in a thread on [XXX] as well. I feel this is a manufacturing defect and repair/replacement should be covered by the manufacturer, not the consumer. Not having an illuminated reverse backup light is a safety concern for all drivers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 04/07/2025

During a rain storm a water egress issue damaged my comfort control module. An issue identified for many Audi Q5 vehicles; however my VIN for some reason is not showing this recall. It appears the recall may need to be expanded.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 02/25/2025

When I'm waiting to turn and have to almost stop, there is a lag when I accelerate causing the anticipated time to make the turn longer than expected. Almost caused an accident because car wouldn't go when gas was pushed. Very scary.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 04/07/2023

Traveling north Interstate 95 about 40 miles south of Jacksonville, Fl. 4/7/23 at 8 am. Traffic slowed , brakes flailed , no emergency brakes, hit others cars and travelled off road, car flew into a tree 10 ft up, cut off the top of tree and landed on nose upside down against a tree

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/13/2022

The contact owns a 2019 Audi Q5. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and with the engine idling, she exit the vehicle, and moments later the vehicle erroneously began to drive forward and crashed into an office building. During the crash, no injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.

STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 01/04/2022

After driving on deep wet icy slush, the vehicle was on a straight section of road and suddenly vehicle inexplicably veered hard to the left causing it to run off the road and into a tree. Electrical component failure lights were illuminated on dash afterwards. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I believe that the stability control systems and or drive train suddenly changed. I believe this might be due to water ingress and failure of gateway module. This is available upon request. Car is in shop How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? sudden loss of steering control in icy conditions Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? not yet. Current recall Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? body shop is looking at vehicle Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? I was unaware of warning lamps until after loss of control.

SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE,SEATS — Filed 07/06/2019

DURING A REAR END COLLISION, THE VEHICLE, A 2019 AUDI Q5, WAS STOPPED, STATIONARY, ON A CITY STREET AT A RED LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING APPROX. 30-40 MPH. BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS IN THE AUDI SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. OF THE MAJOR COMPLAINTS, THE LOWER BACK INJURY HAS BEEN ONGOING (6 MONTHS+) OF SIGNIFICANT BACK PAIN WORSENED AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE REAR SEATS AND SPECIFICALLY THE BUILT IN "LUMBAR SUPPORT" IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS. THIS STIFF AND EXTRUDING LUMBAR PROTRUSION BUILT INTO THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS WAS FORCED INTO THE LOWER LUMBAR REGION OF BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS DURING THE MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION. BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS MVA WAS DOCUMENTED BY A POLICE REPORT, INSURANCE CLAIMS, AND ONGOING LITIGATION.

SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE,SEATS — Filed 07/06/2019

DURING A REAR END COLLISION, THE VEHICLE, A 2019 AUDI Q5, WAS STOPPED, STATIONARY, ON A CITY STREET AT A SIGNAL AND STRUCK IN THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING APPROX. 30-40 MPH. BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS IN THE AUDI SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT LOWER BACK INJURY AND ONGOING BACK PAIN POSSIBLY WORSENED AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE REAR SEATS AND SPECIFICALLY THE BUILT IN LUMBAR "BUMP" OR SUPPORT IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS. THIS STIFF AND EXTRUDING LUMBAR PROTRUSION BUILT INTO THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS WAS FORCED INTO THE LOWER LUMBAR REGION OF BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS DURING THE MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION. BOTH REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WERE WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS MVA WAS DOCUMENTED BY A POLICE REPORT AS WELL AS INSURANCE CLAIMS AND ONGOING LITIGATION.