2020 Audi Q5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (3) · Engine (3) · Electrical System (3)
🧭 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 (6)
Electrical System:propulsion System:charging:cable/Cord:onboard 2023-12-13 · campaign 23V842000 · 93,196 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
Risk: An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
Tires 2022-01-26 · campaign 22V034000 · 31,058 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
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.
Suspension:rear:axle:non-Powered Axle Assembly 2021-04-26 · campaign 21V295000 · 40,993 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Seats 2020-08-26 · campaign 20V505000 · 5,376 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Risk: In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
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.
Service bulletins (1,041)
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 1,041 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-04 · Steering“on september 2, 2026, i purchased a used 2020 audi q5 with disclosed lemon law buyback title branding. approximately two hours after taking delivery, the vehicle began exhibiting a pronounced vibration/judder in the drivetrain when turning the steering wheel at low speed, approximately 1-5 mph. initially occurring only at full steering lock, the sy…”
2026-08-21 · Seats“electrical system failure due to water in the spare tire & battery well, purchased key fob, 2 auto batteries unable to program fob due to non compatible 1st battery, info display contact dealer, had the water extracted, there were no prior indicators of an upcoming issue until the morning of may 22,2026 when my vehicle wouldn't start so i called ro…”
2026-08-06 · Electrical System“engine start malfunction warning light. apparently, this has been a problem with the 2020 q5 (and others) from water backing up from clogged moonroof drainage system allowing water into the l rear compartment housing the comfort control module, wiring, fuses, etc. (or other roof drainage problems also saturating the ccm) dealership has determined …”
2025-12-09 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“traffic stopped very quickly. the automatic breaking did not engage, resulting in a crash and a total loss of the vehicle. i bought the audi due to quality safety features so this incident was very disappointing and costly for our family.…”
2025-11-13 · Power Train“purchased a 2020 audi q5 sold as-is. within 30 days, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle lost power. a dealer estimated repairs would cost around $27,000. this sudden loss of drive ability poses a safety risk.…”
2025-06-10 · Unknown Or Other“i purchased a pre-owned audi in august 2023 from a franchised dealer. i was explicitly told there were no open recalls or issues. in may 2024, the vehicle suffered a complete electrical failure during use—warning lights flashed, wipers activated on their own, the steering wheel moved without input, and the windows opened/closed erratically. it was …”
2025-04-07 · Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness“the seatbelt comes loose and nuna sent me a pad and screwdriver and refused to replace the seat. the harness won’t stay tight and i do not trust the seat to be safe for my child …”
2025-02-17 · Unknown Or Other“without warning, on [xxx, my 2020 audi q5 stopped working. i called audi care, who arranged a tow to the nearest audi dealer, the q5 was under manufacturer warranty. audi had previously recalled its gateway control module; resolution, put a bag over the part. audi completed the “fix” upon recall. failure of that part is catastrophic; it renders the…”
2024-11-01 · Wheels“my dealership informed me that my tires were feathering at the edges and wearing unevenly. i found information that there was a recall for this problem. there was a recall (4215) that stated there was a misalignment in the suspension creating the uneven wearing. this included my car model. i need information regarding why my car isn't listed for t…”
2024-08-02 · Engine“on 12-18-2024, i brought a audi q5 2020 from lynbrook audi dealership in new york, approximately weeks after the vehicle engine oil light came on to replenish engine oil. i notified the sales representative of the issue, he stated that the vehicle was serviced on 09-2023. after our conversation the vehicle engine oil light continue to light up for …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.