2019 Audi SQ5: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
19 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
7,150 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 19 complaints (21.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 6 | 31.6% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 5.3% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 5.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 4 |
| Service Brakes | 4 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 |
| Air Bags | 2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 |
Engine: 4; Service Brakes: 4; Electrical System: 3; Exterior Lighting: 3; Air Bags: 2; Visibility/Wiper: 2; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 15 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 3 |
2019: 1; 2020: 5; 2022: 1; 2023: 3; 2024: 3; 2025: 3; 2026: 3
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11270821 · 2019-10-24 (October 24, 2019)
ON A SUBURBAN STREET THAT I REGULARLY DRIVE ON WITH NO CAR NEARER THAN 100 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME AND FORTUNATELY NO CAR BEHIND ME THE AUDI PRESENSE SYSTEM ACTUATED SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES AND FLASHING A RED TRIANGLE IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN. IF A CAR HAD BEEN FOLLOWED BEHIND ME I WOULD'VE BEEN REAR-ENDED
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11270821 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11300531 · 2020-01-20 (January 20, 2020)
THE TRUNK LID HAS OPENED ON ITS OWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE NIGHT TIME, SOME SMALL CARGO (MADE OF PLASTIC) FELL OUT OF THE TRUNK AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND IN ADJACENT LANE WHILE CREATING SOME MINOR ROAD HAZARD. INSTANTLY PULLED OVER ON A SOFT SHOULDER, PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND GOT OUT TO CHECK OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THE TRUNK WAS WIDE OPEN BUT HAZARDS WERE NOT VISIBLE AS THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK LID WHICH WAS OPEN AND FACING UPWARDS, EFFECTIVELY MAKING THE HAZARD LIGHTS INVISIBLE TO THE TRAFFIC IN T…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11300531 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11307518 · 2020-02-06 (February 6, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 AUDI SQ5. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI STEVENS CREEK 3350 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SAN JOSE, CA 95117 AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11307518 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11309874 · 2020-02-18 (February 18, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 AUDI SQ5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE SOS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AUDI ROCKLIN LOCATED AT 4448 GRANITE DRIVE, ROCKLIN, CA 95677, TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BLOWER ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THERE WAS ALSO A MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH STATED THAT NO KEYFOB WAS DET…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11309874 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11328753 · 2020-06-14 (June 14, 2020)
CARS DASH BOARD GO WILL GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. COMPLETELY DISABLING ALL GAUGES UNTIL IT RESETS. BLUEGRASS AUDI CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE IT. I ASKED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO BE CONTACTED BY AUDI BUT I WAS NEVER CONTACTED. AUDI BLUEGRASS HAS HAD THE CAR2-3 TIMES NOW WITH NO SOLUTION. THIS ALSO INCLUDES ONE TIME WHERE THEY DROVE OVER 400 MILES ON IT. PICTURE I INCLUDED IS A JUST A GUESS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11328753 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11328754 · 2020-06-14 (June 14, 2020)
ISSUES WITH AUTO BREAKING IN REVERSE CAR WILL SOMETIMES STOP ABRUPTLY WHILE BACKING UP WHEN NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEOPLE ARE PRESENT.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11328754 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11465846 · 2022-05-23 (May 23, 2022)
Rear sunroof exploded. Sounded like a large rock or gunshot and then shattered glass from the rear sunroof. The interior shade caught the glass. Car was immediately dropped off at the Audi dealership in SLC, Ut. Dealership tried to say it was from a rock hitting the car but no one was around me. A simple search on the internet shows this gas occurred numerous times on all different Audi models.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11465846 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11522432 · 2023-05-17 (May 17, 2023)
First, the tail lights malfunctioned randomly. Both tail lights were out due to some software error that eventually resolved after a week. Thankfully this was covered by Audi, and there is a redundant tail light system in place. The error just suddenly came up and all main tail lights and turning signals failed. This could have ended terribly as i was driving at night. An additional issue is the power steering also randomly failed. This is probably my biggest issue so far. The vehicle has 37k miles, and the power steering randomly went out whil…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11522432 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
5 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
19V277000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder
Reported: 2019-04-08 (April 8, 2019)
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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V416000 · Wheels:Hub
Reported: 2019-06-05 (June 5, 2019)
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 66K6.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V473000 · Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel
Reported: 2019-06-19 (June 19, 2019)
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.
Consequence: A damaged frontal air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of an injury.
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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V737000 · Structure:Body
Reported: 2019-10-16 (October 16, 2019)
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 for this recall is 66K8.
NHTSA campaign record ↗21V947000 · Structure:Body | Electrical System:Body Control Module/Bcm
Reported: 2021-12-08 (December 8, 2021)
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 this recall is 90S9.
NHTSA campaign record ↗