2019 Audi Q5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (7) · Service Brakes (7) · Vehicle Speed Control (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi Q5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (5)
Structure:body 2021-12-08 · campaign 21V947000 · 288,991 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway control module, causing it to shutdown.
Risk: A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.
Structure:body 2019-10-16 · campaign 19V737000 · 174,278 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 66K8.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-06-19 · campaign 19V473000 · 28 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. In the event of a crash deploying the passenger's frontal air bag, the instrument panel carrier may break due to incorrect welding. If the carrier breaks, there may be damage to the passenger frontal air bag.
Risk: A damaged frontal air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel and the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began August 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90N1.
Wheels:hub 2019-06-05 · campaign 19V416000 · 126,161 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach.
Risk: The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the wheel arch trim with an additional screw and nut, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66K6.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder 2019-04-08 · campaign 19V277000 · 12,645 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake master cylinder casting may be too short.
Risk: A short casting can cause a sudden loss of brakes, increasing the risk of crash. The electronic parking brake and its emergency brake function are not affected and will still function.
Fix: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 47O9.
Service bulletins (1,042)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2083409_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
Engine 2026-09-25 · TSB_2083393_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the starter/generator drive belt is noisy or came off.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2074846_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2065871_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides informaiton when dtc b200ff0 is stored.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-22 · TSB_2020552_15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,042 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Service Brakes“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 …”
2026-09-16 · Power Train“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 t…”
2026-09-16 · Engine“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 i…”
2026-09-02 · Service Brakes“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 exa…”
2026-07-26 · Visibility/Wiper“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 impact…”
2026-07-19 · Service Brakes“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 …”
2026-06-27 · Air Bags“seat occupancy sensor, it's associated with code "b12251b".…”
2026-05-12 · Unknown Or Other“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 stat…”
2026-04-22 · Unknown Or Other“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 …”
2026-04-18 · Engine“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.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.