2021 Audi Q5 E Driver assistance Problems

I have had three occurrences where the Automatic Emergency Braking system and Forward Collision system have been activated for no reason. In one case the Q5 braked suddenly, and the seat belts tightened to the point that it made my passengers back sore. Fortunately, no vehicle was following close behind to cause a rear end collision. I another case I was stopped at a traffic light with a car also stopped in front of me and the seat belts tightened for no reason. It was very startling. The third instance I was driving along a straight 2 lane road with no cars travelling in either direction and the AEB activated. The braking was violent. I am concerned that the AEB could activate on an interstate highway causing a serious accident. The date I used was just one occurance.

NHTSA ID

11590726

Incident

Jul 14, 2023

In several instances, my Audi Q5 has erroneously thought there was a road hazard and slammed on the brakes. It was terrifying. Luckily there were not cars close behind or they would have collided with my car. We took it to the dealer who adjusted the system they call “Pre-sense” but the car still slammed on its brakes for no reason a couple of months later.

NHTSA ID

11590488

Incident

May 20, 2023

Every possible warning light came on without notice and the car came to an abrupt halt. Ultimately the front tires locked and the car could not be moved out of park. This happened at Yosemite National Park and was very dangerous. Fortunately I was able to glide most of the car to the side of the road (not all) before the complete shutdown of all systems. The car was towed to our Audi dealer. Audi confirmed that it was the Gateway Module that had completely shut down due to "water ingress." This was perplexing because: 1) There had been a recall to fix this issue in similar Audi's about a year ago and we had promptly taken it in for the fix; and 2) We did not spill any water on the back seat nor drive over any substantial water which in any event should not have resulted in a complete system failure based on the fix that had been prescribed for the recall. Audi indicates they have fixed the issue and applied a sealant underneath as an added measure. We are very concerned about how - after the recall fix - this could have happened and want to know what assurance there is it cannot happen again.

NHTSA ID

11525278

Incident

May 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5E. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer due to an accident unrelated to a failure; however, the contact stated that while his vehicle was being serviced at the dealer, he was notified by the technician that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V742000 (Back Over Prevention) however, during the software update, the infotainment module became corrupted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11520086

Incident

Oct 25, 2022

Mileage

11,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that when she purchased the vehicle the MMI (Multimedia Interface) system failed to load correctly. The contact stated that the dealer informed her that the system would upload later as the system was not communicating with Audi corporate and she would be able to finish the programming later. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer as messages that the navigation system was not loaded, the driver assistance was inoperable, the fuel gauge display was incorrect, and the Lane Assist feature had failed. The contact stated that she had experienced the failure for the past year. The contact stated she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V742000 (Back Over Prevention) several months ago and the dealer informed the state DMV that they were unable to repair the recall at the time. The contact stated that she had been communicating with the director at her state DMV as she was unable to have the dealer repair the vehicle. The contact stated that a case was not opened with her state DMV. The contact stated that the manufacturer and dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 10.

NHTSA ID

11503423

Incident

Jun 16, 2021

My vehicle was completely shut down. After towing to dealer and had the problem checked out, dealer service department had identify that the problem was the damage of the control module caused by possible liquid reaching to the gateway. This is what the recall is. However, dealer cannot do any repair but rather than forcing me to pay for replacing module part. Dealer claims that they are not aware of any such recall of (Manufacturer Recall Number90S9 NHTSA Recall Number21V947). Manufacturer should be responsible for correcting and paying for any the damage of the flaw in their vehicle design.

NHTSA ID

11447707

Incident

Dec 31, 2021

While driving in the far left of the 405N in Long Beach, the vehicle experienced some catastrophic failure. The accelerator stopped working, gear shifting was not possible, the interior lights turned on and flashed, there was some text instruction on the screen about the vehicle having lost power, and the emergency On-Star system was not available. There were no warnings, messages or other symptoms prior to the malfunction of the vehicle. We managed to coast across 4 lanes of traffic moving at a high freeway speed, with our hazard lights flashing and honking to get other drivers' attention, and made it to the right shoulder before using the brakes to stop the car. Upon stopping, all four windows automatically rolled down slightly. It was not possible to restart the vehicle, change the gear, put the car in neutral or operate any of the electrical systems in the car, including On-Star. We were fortunate, but still very much in danger, to have stopped at a small triangular shoulder between the 405 freeway and an adjacent on-ramp. Cars were passing us at full speed and in close proximity on both sides of the car. We called AAA as well as 911 to assist us in getting out of that harrowing situation safely. The vehicle was towed directly to the Audi Service Center in Santa Monica, where we left it with an after-hours note describing the issue we experienced. We called Audi the following morning and the service tech, Angel, said they would review the problem. Upon review, Angel confirmed that the issue was a failure in the gateway control module - a problem that Audi is aware of and has occurred in many of the same types of vehicles. We found through online searches of this issue that it is generally caused by water spilled in the backseat of the vehicle. Angel confirmed that no moisture was found inside the vehicle and he did not believe the failure was caused by spilled liquid. Audi is now insisting that we continue to drive the car, without the issue being fixed.

NHTSA ID

11446264

Incident

Dec 11, 2021

The vehicle automatic emergency braking has engaged over 6 times when no vehicle or other object was in front of the vehicle. The aggressive hard braking has nearly caused rear ending accidents and has also caused a neck injury. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership to address. The dealership indicated they reduced the sensitivity/distance of the system. This has not resolved the problem, and Audi has indicated they have no other actions they can take.

NHTSA ID

11441634

Incident

Nov 24, 2021