2018 AUDI Q5 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
300
Owner Complaints
6
Recalls
120
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 AUDI Q5
The 2018 AUDI Q5 has received a total of 300 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 10 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM. 120 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (63 complaints), Unknown Or Other (42 complaints), and Engine (28 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 AUDI Q5
NHTSA has recorded 10 recalls for the 2018 AUDI Q5, potentially affecting up to 925,079 vehicles.
Recall 21V947000 — STRUCTURE:BODY
| 288,991 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 21V947000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM
| 288,991 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 19V737000 — STRUCTURE:BODY
| 174,278 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 19V416000 — WHEELS:HUB
| 126,161 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
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...
View full details →Recall 19V277000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
| 12,645 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: 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.
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.
View full details →Recall 18V369000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
| 10,225 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked....
View full details →Recall 16V955000 — SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
| 5,947 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being...
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
View full details →Recall 16V955000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 5,947 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being...
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
View full details →Recall 16V955000 — AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
| 5,947 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being...
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
View full details →Recall 16V955000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 5,947 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being...
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 AUDI Q5
300 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 AUDI Q5. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
Yellow warning light..drive system malfunction. Red warning light..low oil pressure at idle. Says stop engine..after engine restart lights go off and is fine.. for a little bit.
Yellow warning light..drive system malfunction. Red warning light..low oil pressure at idle. Says stop engine..after engine restart lights go off and is fine.. for a little bit.
Yellow warning light..drive system malfunction. Red warning light..low oil pressure at idle. Says stop engine..after engine restart lights go off and is fine.. for a little bit.
The front subframe on the vehicle is severely rusted and corroded through rust. Part of it has fallen off, and the rest of it is badly damaged. A structural integrity, a major safety risk. The Audi Dealer inspected it and confirmed. The car is unsafe to drive.
Unpublished costly catastropic electrical failure Audi of America reviewed the case and declined assistance solely because the vehicle was already totaled and unavailable for dealer inspection. Audi did not dispute the presence of water intrusion, the technical findings, or the cause of failure. This failure occurred without warning under ordinary environmental conditions and resulted in sudden loss of vehicle function. I am submitting this complaint to document a potential defect related to the protection and placement of electronic systems vulnerable to water exposure. I am submitting this complaint to report a potential safety-related defect involving water intrusion and catastrophic electrical failure in a 2018 Audi S5. After a heavy rain event with no roadway flooding or submersion, my vehicle experienced complete electrical failure and would not start. Inspection revealed water intrusion into the trunk area where critical electronic components—including the battery and electronic control modules—are located. The damage was extensive and rendered the vehicle inoperable, resulting in a total loss determination. Attached documentation includes photographs, video evidence, and a technical inspection summary prepared by an independent automotive service facility and reviewed in consultation with Audi-trained technicians. The findings indicate water intrusion consistent with design vulnerability rather than misuse or lack of maintenance.
Safety Rating for the 2018 AUDI Q5
The 2018 AUDI Q5 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 AUDI Q5
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 120 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 AUDI Q5. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_2080575_1 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin provides information when the seat-occupied recognition system for the front passenger has a fault; airbag warning lamp is on.
TSB_2064790_2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin provides inforaiton when the wireless charging is inoperative for iPhone 12.
DC_24DM_40N1_CLS — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Actions closure announcement
A9623822056019_2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
This bulletin provides instructions for when the anti-theft alarm has gone off for no reason, or did not go off at all. No DTCs are stored.
A9623812051239_3 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
This bulletin provides instructions for when the customer is unable to program their garage door opener to their vehicle.
DC_90S9_Loaner — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dealer Communication: 90S9 âÃÂàQ5 Gateway Control Module âÃÂàLoaner Reimbursement Guidelines
DC_3Gturndown — EQUIPMENT
Communication: 3G Turndown â motion for Audi connect to launch next week
DC_3Gturndown — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Communication: 3G Turndown â motion for Audi connect to launch next week
SM 74-2021 — EQUIPMENT
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
A5521582064020_1 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK
This bulletin contains instructions when the power rear lid cannot be opened using the key, with DTCs B113E29 and/or B113E07.
Showing 10 of 120 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 AUDI Q5
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the AUDI Q5
- 2013 AUDI Q5 — 106 complaints
- 2014 AUDI Q5 — 125 complaints
- 2015 AUDI Q5 — 122 complaints
- 2016 AUDI Q5 — 97 complaints
- 2017 AUDI Q5 — 54 complaints
- 2018 AUDI Q5 (current)
- 2019 AUDI Q5 — 64 complaints
- 2020 AUDI Q5 — 33 complaints
- 2021 AUDI Q5 — 95 complaints
- 2022 AUDI Q5 — 17 complaints
- 2023 AUDI Q5 — 54 complaints