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Audi · NHTSA safety record

2019 Audi Q5

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 52 safety complaints about the 2019 Audi Q5 with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 12 complaints, 23% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 7,900 miles, the median across the 11 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2019 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

52 complaints on file

52

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

6

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12 · 23%
ENGINE 9 · 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 7 · 13%
STEERING 7 · 13%
POWER TRAIN 6 · 12%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 · 10%
SEAT BELTS 5 · 10%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 10%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 · 8%
STRUCTURE 4 · 8%
AIR BAGS 3 · 6%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 52.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 14.

16 12 8 4
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2019 Audi Q5, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 16.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM

21V947000 · December 8, 2021

The 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.
The risk
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 288,991 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY

19V737000 · October 16, 2019

The 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.
The risk
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 174,278 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V473000 · June 19, 2019

The 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.
The risk
A damaged frontal air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of an injury.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 28 vehicles across all model years covered

WHEELS:HUB

19V416000 · June 5, 2019

The 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.
The risk
The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 126,161 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

19V277000 · April 8, 2019

The 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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 12,645 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STRUCTURE:BODY

2 injured · crash · towed

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

NHTSA complaint 11289983, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

2 injured · crash · towed

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.

NHTSA complaint 11300984, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · crash · towed

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

NHTSA complaint 11518689. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · towed

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

NHTSA complaint 11447099, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 issue. However my vehicle was not included. This is a known issue with Audi.

NHTSA complaint 11764630. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 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

NHTSA complaint 11764639, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 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

NHTSA complaint 11761511, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 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

NHTSA complaint 11752899, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 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

NHTSA complaint 11751401, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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

NHTSA complaint 11746962. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi Q5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 42 1 —
2024 20 4 —
2023 43 5 —
2022 22 4 —
2021 74 8 —
2020 25 6 —
2018 207 6 —
2017 42 5 —
2016 77 5 —
2015 99 6 —
2014 105 5 —
2013 89 5 —
2012 168 6 —
2011 143 5 —
2010 100 4 —

Other 2019 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 155 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst