19 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
The driver and front passenger seat belts in some of these vehicles were built incorrectly at the factory. Because of that, a belt may not hold the person in the seat the way it is supposed to during a crash. There is no way to tell from the outside whether your belts are affected, so the dealer needs to check them. A dealer will inspect both front belts and replace them if needed, free of charge.
On certain 2022 through 2024 Audi Q5 Quattro and Q5 Sportback Quattro models, the screws that hold the cover on top of the engine may not have been tightened properly at the factory. Over time those screws can work loose. When that happens, engine oil can seep out from under the cover. Oil escaping onto hot engine parts can catch fire. Dealers will inspect the screws and replace them if needed.
The large battery in these plug-in hybrids can get too hot, and an overheating battery can start a fire. For now, dealers are installing monitoring software that watches the battery; Audi checks the data from cars that report in and will contact owners who need to stop charging. If Audi cannot see your car's data, do not charge the battery at all until the permanent fix is ready. The software and the eventual battery work are free.
The large battery in these plug-in hybrid Audi Q5 and A7 models can overheat, which can start a fire. Until the fix is available, owners are told not to charge the vehicle. Volkswagen is also watching vehicle data online and contacting owners directly when needed. The final repair is new monitoring software installed by the dealer, free of charge; the notice also refers to replacing the battery. A newer recall has since replaced this one.
An electrical connection inside the front passenger seat can work loose. That connection belongs to the system that senses whether someone is sitting in the seat, and if it comes loose the front passenger airbag is switched off. In a crash, that airbag would not inflate to protect the person riding up front, so injuries could be worse. The dealer will replace the seat's occupant detection control unit free of charge.
These Audis came with a portable charging cable that plugs into a 220/240-volt outlet, the kind used for a large appliance. At the 100% charge setting, the cable can draw more electricity than some home outlets can handle, and the outlet or the cable can get dangerously hot. Overheating like this can start a fire. Audi says to stop using that cable for now and charge with the 110-volt cable or at a public charging station until you receive a free replacement.
Inside the engine, the bearings that let the connecting rods spin smoothly can become damaged. When that happens the engine can fail and the vehicle can stall while you are driving. If the damage also causes engine oil to leak, the leaking oil can start a fire. Dealers will inspect the engine on affected Audi Q5 and Q5 Sportback, Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge.
A software problem in the infotainment system can leave the screen blank or black when you shift into reverse, instead of showing the view from the backup camera. With no picture, you cannot see a person, a child, or an object directly behind the car while you are backing up, so it is much easier to hit something you never saw. The dealer fixes it by updating the infotainment software; nothing needs to be replaced.
These Audis were part of an earlier recall (21V-295) that involved work on the rear axle. Afterward, the shop was supposed to check that the rear wheels were still lined up correctly, and on some cars that check was skipped. If the rear axle is out of alignment, the tires can wear out early or wear unevenly, which increases the chance of a crash. Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment if needed, and replace any badly worn tires at no charge.
Audi found that spilled drinks in the back seat, or water leaking in through a poorly sealed spot underneath the car, can soak a computer module that lets the car's systems talk to each other. If that module gets wet it shuts down, and the engine can suddenly lose power while you are driving. Dealers will fit a protective cover over the module and seal the gap under the body at no cost to you.
In these Audi and Volkswagen models, the rear seat belts have a locking feature you use to hold a child safety seat tightly in place. On these vehicles that lock can switch off too early, so the belt no longer keeps the child seat secure. A child seat that can shift or move means a child is less protected in a crash. Federal occupant protection rules are not met. Dealers will inspect the middle rear seat belts and replace them free if needed.
On these Audi cars and SUVs, a lock nut holds part of the rear suspension — the trailing arm — to the rear axle. That nut can corrode under stress and break. If it breaks, the rear axle can shift out of alignment, and the car can become hard to keep straight in a way the driver may not be able to correct. That can lead to a loss of control and a crash. A dealer will replace the lock nuts, and the bolts with them if needed, at no cost.
Welds holding part of the front seat frame and the backrest adjuster together may not have been done correctly at the factory. During normal driving you would not notice anything different about the seat. But if another vehicle hits you from behind, the bad weld could break and the seat back could give way, so the seat would not hold the person in it as well as it should. Dealers inspect the front seats and replace the seat back frames if necessary.
Above each rear wheel there is a plastic trim cover along the wheel opening. The clips that hold the front part of that trim can work loose, and the trim can come off the car. If it falls off while you are driving, it becomes an object in the road that another driver could hit or swerve to avoid. Dealers replace the four clips that hold the front of the trim, at no charge.
On certain 2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles, a metal frame behind the dashboard was not welded correctly at the factory. In a crash where the front passenger airbag goes off, that frame can break. If it breaks, it can damage the passenger airbag as it inflates. A damaged airbag may not cushion the person in the front passenger seat the way it should, so they could be hurt worse in a crash. Dealers replace the dashboard and the airbag.
The plastic trim that covers the wheel arch — the curved edge of the body above each wheel — may work loose and fall off while you drive. A piece coming off on the road can become an obstacle for the cars behind you. Dealers will fasten the trim down with an extra screw and nut at no cost. The repair started July 26, 2019, and Volkswagen calls it 66K6.
The part that pushes brake fluid to your wheels when you press the brake pedal was made too short at the factory. Because of that, pressing the pedal may not build enough pressure, and your brakes can stop working suddenly while you are driving. The electric parking brake, including its emergency stopping function, is not affected and will still work. Dealers will check the part and replace it if needed.
The brake calipers — the parts that squeeze the brake pads against the wheels — were built with pistons that did not get enough protective coating. Over time that can make the brakes work less well than they should, so the car may not slow down or stop the way you expect. Volkswagen and Audi say owners should not drive these vehicles until the brake system has been checked. Dealers bleed the brake lines to fix it.
⚠ NHTSA advises: do not drive this vehicle until repaired.
On some 2018 Audi Q5 SUVs, the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly. A pretensioner is the device that instantly pulls your seat belt snug against your body the moment a crash starts, so you are held firmly in your seat. If it does not activate, the belt will not tighten the way it is designed to and you would not be as well protected in a collision. Dealers will replace the affected parts free of charge.
Complaints owners have filed with NHTSA about the Audi Q5. These are unverified reports; better-selling years collect more.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 202 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 2019 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021 | 71 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2024 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: