2020 Audi Q5 E

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Electrical system4
2. Engine4
3. Service brakes3
4. Wheels2
5. Forward collision avoidance2
6. Suspension2
7. Unknown or other2
8. Power train1
9. Fuel/propulsion system1

Latest complaints

• Nov 7, 2025MN
  Engine

  Our vehicle started jerking when it transitioned from EV mode to Hybrid (gas engine). I found TSB 2079556, which describes exactly the diagnostic codes our car has for all eight battery packs. This is clearly a known problem, and as the car is out of its original warranty I would have to pay for this myself. Audi should replace the battery packs free of charge as they were clearly defective.

• Oct 22, 2025FL
  Service brakes

  I understand that there have been recalls for the brake booster in some 2020 Audi Q5s. I have had my brake booster light come on, but my VIN is not in the recall. My car has less than 50,000 miles on it and I should not be having this issue. I think my car should be recalled and this issue should be fixed by Audi. The cost to repair this issue is around $3000.

• Jan 30, 2025FL
  Electrical system · Engine · Service brakes

  An Electrical Malfunction has caused several safety issues causing the car engine to idle and have "drive system malfunction" The warning system being displays on the dashboard has show not only cooling issues but issues relating to the brakes and overall engine making the car unsafe to drive. The Audi Pre-sense system engages the brakes while driving a varies fast speeds usually while on the highway.

• Jan 29, 2025FL
  Electrical system · Engine
  Ecu Malfunction leading to Cooling system malfunction The car after idling more than 30 min with the A/C off has a "drive system malfunction". The warning displays on the dash and the engine runs violently rough until the car shuts itself off. The Audi has done this several times, though not…

  Ecu Malfunction leading to Cooling system malfunction The car after idling more than 30 min with the A/C off has a "drive system malfunction". The warning displays on the dash and the engine runs violently rough until the car shuts itself off. The Audi has done this several times, though not while driving. This problem creates a lot of heat in the engine bay and has led to a problem in my cooling system pipes, causing multiple points of piping to burst. The coolant expansion tank also warped and leaks, as well as the upper radiator hose. The problem with safety is the car will spray coolant onto the wheel well making the brakes less effective. This problem, which seemed to arise from the car ecu overheating during idle, could cause an undesirable effect while driving, potentially leading to an accident. The other issue is that the car is overheating due to a compromised cooling system that leaks coolant fluid. This may damage the engine and other engine bay components. The warning sign and first instance i can recall the "drive system malfunction" happening was in February of last year, a month after purchase. The cooling system started leaking profusely 4 months after the first "drive system malfunction".

• Oct 3, 2024CAFire
  Electrical system
  Jul 9 2024. Plug-in hybrid battery fire. Car plugged in at 11:10am with an empty battery. At 1:45pm we noticed white smoke emitting from the battery, (rear left near charge port). Immediately unplugged. Fire Department on scene, car pushed to street. Disconnected battery, observed heat and some…

  Jul 9 2024. Plug-in hybrid battery fire. Car plugged in at 11:10am with an empty battery. At 1:45pm we noticed white smoke emitting from the battery, (rear left near charge port). Immediately unplugged. Fire Department on scene, car pushed to street. Disconnected battery, observed heat and some black residue in the battery compartment, FD deemed it no longer an immediate threat, so they departed. At 3:02pm the battery ignited and quickly developed into fully involved car fire. FD returned at 3:08pm and extinguished the fire by 3:09. Filed an insurance claim. Total loss. AudiUSA has not answered phone calls, emails, messages. They assigned a rep to the incident but he has never made any contact, despite my attempts to reach him.

• Aug 29, 2024CT
  Service brakes

  Brake Booster Brake Serví Unit faulty Making noise, took t mechanic and I was told there is a technical service bulletin on this. I called Audi of Danbury and I was told there is no recall. I was told by my mechanic it can cause car t run bad and die.

• Feb 19, 2024PA
  Power train
  My Transmission failed to go in forward and was racing in drive. I put it reverse and that worked but put back into drive it races then makes a bang and instantly goes into drive. I had car towed to Audi of Allentown. They initially went over vehicle couldn't find issue then it did it to them. They…

  My Transmission failed to go in forward and was racing in drive. I put it reverse and that worked but put back into drive it races then makes a bang and instantly goes into drive. I had car towed to Audi of Allentown. They initially went over vehicle couldn't find issue then it did it to them. They said it had a code for solenoid. They changed valve body and it had codes so they were in contact with Audi Hotline they had them change Mechatronic unit also and the issue was solved, They sent me video, I picked up car and gave them loaner back, I used car local after a few times then it did it again. Had car towed to Audi of Allentown again, they couldn't find issue and sent me video of car. I went to pickup vehicle and they were getting vehicle ready and it did it to them and they said they would let service know. They gave me a loaner. I've called and they haven't had vehicle do it again until today. They videoed it and sent it to Audi Hotline (engineers). There waiting on a reply from Audi. The vehicle is unsafe-- if it did it to me while entering a highway and cut out I could be hit in from rear and it would be a catastrophic accident. Or if it did this at a crosswalk that could be another issue but with pedestrians. If I get car back and it happens again then it cant be fixed and its unsafe I'll need to get a lawyer to rectify this situation.

• Dec 17, 2023DE
  Electrical system · Engine · Fuel/propulsion system

  Complete failure of the car to start or turn on. This occurred once in 2021 and a second time in 2023. Taken to dealership. Diagnosed with a computer problem. Fixed by dealership.

• Oct 23, 2022NY
  Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
  The vehicle is a 2020 Audi Q5 Premium Plus model with 15,525 miles on it. I was driving at 55 mph on a two lane country road and approaching an intersection at 11:55 AM ET. Road and weather conditions were perfect. Clear, sunny weather and 65 degrees. Recently paved roadway which was clear…

  The vehicle is a 2020 Audi Q5 Premium Plus model with 15,525 miles on it. I was driving at 55 mph on a two lane country road and approaching an intersection at 11:55 AM ET. Road and weather conditions were perfect. Clear, sunny weather and 65 degrees. Recently paved roadway which was clear and dry. There were no vehicles in front, behind or at the intersection. No pedestrians or animals. Cruise control was off. My foot was on the accelerator pedal. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the Audi Pre-Sense system engaged. The brakes were automatically applied which instantly reduced speed to about 40 mph. Steering wheel shook briefly, there was a brief audible alert, and then a Audi PreSense triangle warning symbol appeared on the instrument gauge cluster. I was thrown into my seat belt when the car quickly decelerated. The entire incident was probably 5 seconds although it seemed longer in the moment. I startled but maintained control of the vehicle. Luckily, I have a previously scheduled dealer maintenance appointment this coming week. This item will be at the top of the list.

• Jun 17, 2022CA
  Suspension · Wheels
  Recall Number: 22V034 Audi has a current recall impacting the alignment of the rear axle. It is causing uneven and unsafe wear on the rear tires. Our tires are experiencing this greatly. We took the car into our Audi dealership. Audi, the manufacturer, rejected the request for tire replacement…

  Recall Number: 22V034 Audi has a current recall impacting the alignment of the rear axle. It is causing uneven and unsafe wear on the rear tires. Our tires are experiencing this greatly. We took the car into our Audi dealership. Audi, the manufacturer, rejected the request for tire replacement claiming alignment is within specification. However, if you take even a small glance at our tires, it is clear there is something wrong due to the vehicle, matching the description of the recall to a T. This is a serious safety issue that Audi is not properly addressing.

• Mar 22, 2022CA
  Suspension · Unknown or other
  Received letter from audi regarding nhtsa:22v034. Letter indicated there was a defect with the rear axle suspension alignment which could lead to premature and excessive tire wear and, potential tire failure. After inspection, dealer (fletcher jone audi, costa mesa, ca) said there were no issues…

  Received letter from audi regarding nhtsa:22v034. Letter indicated there was a defect with the rear axle suspension alignment which could lead to premature and excessive tire wear and, potential tire failure. After inspection, dealer (fletcher jone audi, costa mesa, ca) said there were no issues despite presence of excessive tire wear. tires only had 18,000 miles on them and had been rotated at 10,000 by fletcher jones audi. I was told they would not do any work, repairs or replace tires.

• Mar 20, 2022CA
  Unknown or other · Wheels

  I went to dealership to fix recall and the dealership didn't finish work on recall because they wanted me to pay for an alignment when it says it should off been fixed on your website because the recall damaged my tires unevenly.

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 11011305This bulletin provides information when the camera for the Driver Assist Systems is coded incorrectly.
• 11011303This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate.
• 11011297This bulletin provides information regarding documenting cell module labels when replacing HV modules.
• 11011296This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content.
• 11011293This bulletin provides informatin when there is shuddering when charge level is low.
• 11011285This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings.
• 11011282This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted.
• 11011274This bulletin provides information when the restricted function icon for Audi Pre sense is displayed after engine starts.
• 11011270This bulletin provides informatoin when Audi pre sense restricted message appears in the instrument cluster, no DTCs.
• 11011263This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass.
• 11011256This bulletin provides information when the DTCs B200FF0 to B200FF5 are stored in the J775 suspension control unit.
• 11011240This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
• 11009983Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available
• 11009967This bulletin provides information when there is an issue with wireless charging/wireless charging not working with Audi Phone Box.
• 11009959This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians enter a record in the PSS Database when there is an Audi connect installation error.
• 11009957This bulletin provides informatin on ordering replacement parts for vehicles with ConBox Low; applies to any customer complaint or DTC, including SOS malfunctions.
• 11009941This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system.
• 11009938This bulletin provides information when there are droning noises/vibrations in tight corners, vehicles with PR number GH4 (quattro with ultra technology).
• 11009936This bulletin provides informatin when there is binding or vibrations in tight turns with quattro Ultra.
• 11009933This bulletin provides information when there is a function restriction with event memory entry P071800 - P276800 (symptom 20736 - 20737).
• 11009928This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds.
• 11009403This bulletin provides information when there is shuddering when the charge level is low.
• 11009399This bulletin providse information in order to document when replacing HV modules.
• 11009390This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians enter a record in the PSS Database when there is an Audi connect installation error.
• 11009387This bulletin provides information when there is an SOS Malfunction with ConBox Low, "Emergency call function: fault", (DTC U142100, U153E00).
• 11009385This bulletin provides information about ordering ConBox Low replacement parts; applies to any customer complaint, or DTC, including SOS malfunction.
• 11009380This bulletin provides information about the Audi pre sense warning, warning jolt and/or brake engagement.
• 11009377This bulletin provides information when the audi virtual cockpit display has semi-circular marks on the edges of the display.
• 11009376This bulletin provides information when the instrument cluster is blank when the vheicle is started, LED bar graphs are lit.
• 11009375This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern.
• 11009372This bulletin provides informaiton when the exterior black optic trim is discolored.
• 11009366This bulletin provides information when the vehicle does not start using the key reader, and/or the key is not recognized during immobilizer servicing.
• 11009365This bulletin provides information when there is visible corrosion at the joint between the roof and roof side member.
• 11009362This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection.
• 11009361This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage.
• 11009356This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes.
• 11009354This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis.
• 11009351This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing.
• 11009348This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor.
• 11009347This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.

Every Audi Q5 E model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.