NHTSA Complaint #11524100 — 2023 AUDI Q5

On 21 April 2023 while driving on a highway, the US specification 2023 Audi Q5 engine began to make noise and a yellow engine warning light came on. During the process of moving the vehicle off the highway to a safe location to stop, the engine began to progressively lose power and the noise became much more noticeable and distinctly sounded like metal on metal. The Audi repair shop provided a report of diagnostic tests run but did not open the engine for further inspection. The repair shop ordered a replacement engine. Due to delays in delivery of a replacement engine, the vehicle is still at the repair shop five weeks after the incident. The vehicle had less that 550 miles (900 kilometers) on the odometer and had been in service only one month from delivery. The vehicle was sold by Audi USA through Military Auto Source direct to the user in Germany. The vehicle was used only in Germany and is presently at the Audi repair shop in Germany (Autohaus Lutz, Vaihinger Str. 91, 70567 Stuttgart, Germany). Based upon cursory research of existing recall issues for this model vehicle, the problem appears very similar to a connecting rod failure identified for engines manufactured in a prior period. Attempts to work with Audi USA to identify if this is indeed the same connecting rod problem and attempts to obtain confirmation that this engine was checked/tested for the known connecting rod issue both have proved unsuccessful. The local Audi repair shop has not been forthcoming with details of what specifically caused the engine failure or actions that Audi is taking to identify the source of the problem. This is being brought to the attention of the NHTSA because this may be a continuation of the connecting rod issue previously identified and declared resolved by Audi.