2025 Audi Q5 Problems

Emergency assist engages . Randomly while driving at highway speed Car starts pulling to right by itself and slowing down . In 5 seconds control can de gained by driver intervention Dealer has twice 2 appointment to fix and still can’t fix it . This is widely reported on the internet and is a know safety issue ..

On October 14, 2026, while driving my 2025 Audi Q5 on a busy freeway at approximately 57 mph, the vehicle suddenly activated emergency braking and rapidly slowed/stopped without warning. At the same time, the seat belt tightened extremely forcefully around my body, restricting my movement and making it difficult to breathe. The instrument cluster then displayed “Emergency assist: canceled.” I believe the malfunction involved the vehicle’s emergency/driver-assistance braking system and restraint system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The sudden braking created an immediate risk of a serious rear-end collision because the vehicle unexpectedly slowed/stopped in freeway traffic. I was also physically restrained by the seat belt during the event and unable to move normally. This specific freeway incident has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. I reported it to Audi Fremont immediately and requested inspection. The vehicle has previously been serviced for other unresolved safety-related issues, including a parking-related condition acknowledged by Audi as a Pending Service Solution with no repair currently available. There were no warning lamps or messages immediately before the sudden braking event. Afterward, once I was safely able to do so, I photographed the instrument cluster displaying “Emergency assist: canceled.”

2025 Audi Q5 S Line (VIN [XXX]). Surrendered under binding repurchase order via BBB AUTO LINE Case #[XXX] (VA Lemon Law) due to uncorrected factory defects. Odometer locked at 855 miles. 1. POWERTRAIN FLUID DEFECT & SHIFT FAILURE: Delivered new (23 miles) with transmission critically low on hydraulic fluid. Caused gear actuator failures, DTCs P187C00, P086900, P270800, and a 20-minute failure to engage "Park" (Repair Order #[XXX]). Failure to engage Park creates an immediate unintended rollaway and collision hazard (FMVSS 102/114). The dealer had to add fluid and perform 10 consecutive sensor calibrations to restore basic operation. 2. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE & LIGHTING HAZARD: The vehicle suffered systemic bus communication drops, gateway control module crashes, and uncommanded exterior lighting turning on while parked, off, and locked. Scans revealed severe parasitic draw, gateway failure, and harness corrosion from delivery. Uncommanded exterior lighting creates a vehicle fire risk and drains 12V reserves, causing sudden complete electrical shutdown. 3. BRAKE ELECTRONICS FAULT & UNRESOLVED REMEDY: Extended diagnostic holds (>30 days) documented active DTC U041800 in Brake Electronics Control Unit 812C. Audi technical field engineering confirmed in writing that no software/hardware remedy existed for this communication failure and promised a fix by end of Q3 2026. Q3 2026 ended with zero factory remedy, recall, or campaign deployed. 4. ARBITRATED BLAME-SHIFTING: The dealer attempted to evade warranty liability by billing $1,502.69, claiming aftermarket window tint caused the harness corrosion. In binding arbitration, Arbitrator Stenlund ruled gateway crashes preceded any tint work, rejected dealer causation, and ordered a full statutory buyback and repair refund. The vehicle sat undriven at 855 miles post-service return until corporate surrender because it is unsafe to operate on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The NEW vehicle keeps showing a warning light on the dash saying that the rear wheel bolts are loose two accidents have occurred in a 60 day period, the vehicle has been in for service multiple times and Audi has not found a fix for the safety light warning or found the loose bolts or suspension break issues. The have ignored a vehicle defect notice sent and lawyered up as soon as I said the vehicle was a lemon.

2025 Audi Q5 S Line (VIN [XXX]). Surrendered under binding repurchase order via BBB AUTO LINE Case #[XXX] (VA Lemon Law) due to uncorrected factory defects. Odometer locked at 855 miles. 1. POWERTRAIN FLUID DEFECT & SHIFT FAILURE: Delivered new (23 miles) with transmission critically low on hydraulic fluid. Caused gear actuator failures, DTCs P187C00, P086900, P270800, and a 20-minute failure to engage "Park" (Repair Order #[XXX]). Failure to engage Park creates an immediate unintended rollaway and collision hazard (FMVSS 102/114). The dealer had to add fluid and perform 10 consecutive sensor calibrations to restore basic operation. 2. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE & LIGHTING HAZARD: The vehicle suffered systemic bus communication drops, gateway control module crashes, and uncommanded exterior lighting turning on while parked, off, and locked. Scans revealed severe parasitic draw, gateway failure, and harness corrosion from delivery. Uncommanded exterior lighting creates a vehicle fire risk and drains 12V reserves, causing sudden complete electrical shutdown. 3. BRAKE ELECTRONICS FAULT & UNRESOLVED REMEDY: Extended diagnostic holds (>30 days) documented active DTC U041800 in Brake Electronics Control Unit 812C. Audi technical field engineering confirmed in writing that no software/hardware remedy existed for this communication failure and promised a fix by end of Q3 2026. Q3 2026 ended with zero factory remedy, recall, or campaign deployed. 4. ARBITRATED BLAME-SHIFTING: The dealer attempted to evade warranty liability by billing $1,502.69, claiming aftermarket window tint caused the harness corrosion. In binding arbitration, Arbitrator Stenlund ruled gateway crashes preceded any tint work, rejected dealer causation, and ordered a full statutory buyback and repair refund. The vehicle sat undriven at 855 miles post-service return until corporate surrender because it is unsafe to operate on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I bought a late model Audi Q5 2025 late February 2026. the one I bought was a loaner with 8K miles on it, list 60k, paid 48K for it. late April, we were in the mountains of western NC and were on a windy 2 lane mountain road after midnight with no cell service and nowhere to pull off. 7 warning lights came on, the most concerning was to immediately pull over and shut off the engine. We could not do this. The steering wheel was shaking and the climate systems shut off. All ABS were non functional. We drove the last half hour to the house, put the car in the garage and figured it would need to be towed the next day. The next morning, I turned it on and all was cleared out. I took it to the dealer when back in SC, but they could not find anything. it is now mid October, it has happened 4 other times since then. all in NC except for once on [XXX] but I was near exit [XXX] so made it home. It happened twice in a week late July. it was 98 outside the first time, I had an hour to go and it was incredibly hot in the car. with no ac. my two dogs were very stressed by the time we got to the house. Again, in the garage, all clear the next morning. It happened on the way home, now it's 99 out. I turned off the car in a parking lot, waited 15 minutes, turned it on, all clear and we got home fine. My service person said there was a "major software upgrade" coming out and that was all the car needed. they got me in early before it was released and had the car for 4 days. It took 5 tries to get the upgrade. I was told this was it, all was fine. next time I was on a steep downhill in NC. had to hold tightly to the wheel it was shaking so much, abs working, maneuverability seemed compromised. I was scared to death. This time it took over a week and because they could not find the fault code, nothing done. Given the research I have done, I am sure the dealer knew about these issues when I bought the car or certainly during the emails detailing the other incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

The vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine power (limp mode) while driving, accompanied by a “POWER LIMIT” warning in the instrument cluster. Separately, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) malfunctioned, including Emergency Assist / Medical Alert Assist (which autonomously pulled the vehicle over on two occasions) and Traffic Sign Recognition. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. While accelerating at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost nearly all power and would only move at about 2 mph, creating an immediate hazard in traffic. On two separate occasions, the Emergency Assist / Medical Alert system pulled the car over without driver input. Traffic Sign Recognition also malfunctioned. These events nearly caused three accidents and have made the primary driver afraid to operate the vehicle due to the unpredictable loss of power and autonomous system interventions. The issues have been reported to the Audi dealer. We are awaiting formal confirmation and documentation of the findings. No police or insurance inspection has occurred at this time.” or “No formal manufacturer, police, or insurance inspection has been completed beyond dealer service visits. The instrument cluster displayed a “POWER LIMIT” warning during the power-loss event. Multiple ADAS warnings and system unavailability messages (including Emergency Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition) have appeared. The power-loss event occurred while driving at approximately 35 mph. The Emergency Assist pull-over events and traffic-sign malfunctions have occurred on multiple occasions since the vehicle was purchased in December 2025 (current mileage approximately 17,105).

May 30, 2026 - Latching part of rear door lock broken. Had 3 grandchildren in the car at the time. Door would not latch. October 15, 2026 - Park gear would not work properly. Put in park and car would still roll. Hill-hold function also not working. March 24, April 8, August 7 - Front console lights up with warning lights for no reason. Dangerous as you don't know what is working and what is not. Forced us to have car out of commission for over 30 days since purchase on March 6, 2026

Mileage at time of incident: Approximately 4,000 miles Date of incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Incident description: My vehicle was in neutral while going through an automatic car wash, as instructed. When the exit signal indicated it was clear to proceed, with my foot on the brake, I shifted into drive. The vehicle accelerated on its own, without corresponding accelerator pedal input, and struck the building adjacent to the car wash. The vehicle did not exit the building on its own, so I shifted into reverse. The vehicle again accelerated on its own and struck a structural beam. I applied continuous pressure to the brake pedal throughout the incident. The vehicle did not respond immediately, but the brakes eventually engaged and brought the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle's rear obstacle-detection and automatic braking sensors, which normally engage under similar low-speed reversing conditions, did not activate at any point during this incident. The airbags also did not deploy after the vehicle struck the building. Video footage of the incident shows the vehicle moving at low speed with no visible braking response until the vehicle came to a stop. Police and fire department personnel responded to the scene. No injuries were reported. Property damage occurred to a vinyl fence, an adjacent building, and an interior wall of a business inside that building. I requested that the vehicle's Event Data Recorder (EDR) be reviewed by the dealership/manufacturer prior to any repairs, to determine throttle position, brake switch status, and sensor activity at the time of the incident. As of this report, Audi sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle on XXX and has since provided me with a rental car. I am still awaiting the results of that inspection. Components involved: Engine/motor, electronic throttle control, service brakes, parking assist/sensors, forward collision/automatic braking system I am filing this report because I was genuinely afraid for my safety INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

The airbag light and the driving assistance warning lights appeared on the dashboard randomly one day. I took the vehicle to the dealership (Audi of Columbia), where they kept it for a week and said the software needed to be updated. They updated it multiple times, but the car would not complete the update until the last attempt. When I picked up the car, they reported that several other 2025 Q5 (new model) vehicles were being brought in for the same issue. When I picked up the car, there were no warning lights on the dashboard. Approximately 1-2 weeks later, the same warning lights appeared on the dashboard again. I brought it to the dealership again, where they recalibrated the systems, disconnected the battery, and then cleared the fault code. That cleared the warning lights, and they planned to drop off my vehicle the next business day. While they were driving to drop off the vehicle, the warning lights came back on, so they returned it to the dealership. They have replaced the airbag control module without resolution. They have been working on my vehicle for >1 month to resolve the airbag issue.

2025 Audi Q5 S Line (VIN [XXX]). Surrendered under binding repurchase order via BBB AUTO LINE Case #[XXX] (VA Lemon Law) due to uncorrected factory defects. Odometer locked at 855 miles. 1. POWERTRAIN FLUID DEFECT & SHIFT FAILURE: Delivered new (23 miles) with transmission critically low on hydraulic fluid. Caused gear actuator failures, DTCs P187C00, P086900, P270800, and a 20-minute failure to engage "Park" (Repair Order #[XXX]). Failure to engage Park creates an immediate unintended rollaway and collision hazard (FMVSS 102/114). The dealer had to add fluid and perform 10 consecutive sensor calibrations to restore basic operation. 2. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE & LIGHTING HAZARD: The vehicle suffered systemic bus communication drops, gateway control module crashes, and uncommanded exterior lighting turning on while parked, off, and locked. Scans revealed severe parasitic draw, gateway failure, and harness corrosion from delivery. Uncommanded exterior lighting creates a vehicle fire risk and drains 12V reserves, causing sudden complete electrical shutdown. 3. BRAKE ELECTRONICS FAULT & UNRESOLVED REMEDY: Extended diagnostic holds (>30 days) documented active DTC U041800 in Brake Electronics Control Unit 812C. Audi technical field engineering confirmed in writing that no software/hardware remedy existed for this communication failure and promised a fix by end of Q3 2026. Q3 2026 ended with zero factory remedy, recall, or campaign deployed. 4. ARBITRATED BLAME-SHIFTING: The dealer attempted to evade warranty liability by billing $1,502.69, claiming aftermarket window tint caused the harness corrosion. In binding arbitration, Arbitrator Stenlund ruled gateway crashes preceded any tint work, rejected dealer causation, and ordered a full statutory buyback and repair refund. The vehicle sat undriven at 855 miles post-service return until corporate surrender because it is unsafe to operate on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Check engine light is on almost constantly on my car. It might turn off and stay that way for a couple of days, but always comes on again. Dealership had made two attempts to "fix" it by just clearing the faults. However, according to the service department the reason why check engine light came on was "faults for loss of communication to powertrain electronics and brake electronics" which i think is a real safety concern. After my last trip to the dealership the check engine light came on after just two days of normal driving. There was also a situation when i was unable to shift to park with the risk of rolling along with some other error messages on the dash. I was unable to lock the vehicle because of that and of course there was a risk of it rolling.

•XXX: Purchased new 2025 Audi Q5. •XXX Dashboard displayed "Check Tire Pressure" warning for all tires. •XXX: Service at Audi Marin - Reported hatch malfunction, tire pressure concerns, and repeated rollback after brake release during service visit. •XXX: Vehicle displayed "P Not Possible. Risk of Rolling Away" warning. Vehicle could not be placed into PARK, required roadside assistance (never showed after 2-hour wait), and could not be safely secured. •XXX: While stopped at a traffic light, both front seat belts tightened aggressively without warning. Passenger was a [XXX] child. •Late XXX: Collision avoidance/emergency braking warnings continued. Vehicle remained in use while awaiting loaner car availability. •XXX Oil service reminder displayed at approximately 5,000 miles. Electronic issues continue. Additional warning lights appeared. Despite multiple service visits, the vehicle continues to experience unresolved safety-related and electronic malfunctions. I have been without the vehicle since XXXdriving a loaner. Dealership reported there is a pending service solution that will be released in the 3rd quarter (maybe September). That is 2 months away - unacceptable- car is unsafe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The seat belts are sometimes locked when they should not be. I understand that the seat belts are designed to lock when the vehicle stops quickly, preventing the driver from leaning forward. However, sometimes my seat belts are locked while I am driving and have not made a fast stop. For example, several times the seat belts have been locked when I get to a drive up window or kiosk, and I cannot lean forward to get a parking lot ticket or interact with the kiosk. The seatbelts have also been locked when I am stopped at an intersection. The locked seat belts prevent me from leaning forward to look for vehicles at the intersection or to see around my passenger. I have to pull on the seatbelt a few times and release to get the belt to unlock and let me lean forward.

The windshield wipers in the vehicle do not turn on automatically until the vehicle is in drive and moving forward. If I want to see in the rain so that I can leave a parking spot, I have to use the windshield wiper control lever to manually wipe the windshield. It only wipes once when the lever is depressed. This is inadequate in heavy rain. The wipers do not go on when parked even when the wiper lever has them on. I thought my wipers were working incorrectly, but when I took it in for service, the manufacturer told that is how they are designed. It is unsafe for the windshield wipers to stop when the car is parked. Drivers need the rain wiped away before driving, not just after. In addition, the wipers do not actuate when driving in reverse, such as when backing out of a parking spot.

The contact owns a 2025 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the panoramic sunroof glass exploded without impact. The contact pulled over at a pit stop to inspect the vehicle. Despite the failure, the contact resumed normal driving with shards of glass falling from the sunroof. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and agreed to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

After the automatic start/stop system engages, the engine stalls and completely shuts off shortly after the vehicle begins moving again. This occurs after the vehicle restarts and travels only a few feet. When the stall happens, the vehicle loses power and the engine stops functioning while the car is in traffic. This has occurred two separate times: once on a busy highway and once while entering a roundabout. Both incidents created a dangerous situation where the vehicle could not maintain power in active traffic and could have resulted in a crash. A yellow emissions warning light also appeared on the dashboard. The dealer indicated that an intermittent oil pressure sensor code was present but no parts were replaced and no corrective action was taken. The dealer reset the system and stated they could not reproduce the problem. The vehicle is now being returned to me without repair despite the safety risk. An engine stall immediately after the start/stop system restarts the vehicle creates a serious hazard because the vehicle can lose power in the middle of traffic. I believe this issue may be related to the automatic start/stop system or an oil pressure sensor fault affecting engine operation.

When attempting to accelerate rapidly (I.e. passing gear) the engine immediately begins to lose power. Audi dealer investigated and determined it was “TURBO LAG”. This situation happened multiple times at different speeds. When trying to accelerate to pass another vehicle or to merge onto a freeway are the scariest and most dangerous instances. Taking your foot off the accelerator does allow the engine to regain speed. The salesman that we had experienced this on a test ride with me. In reading previous turbo problems with Audi/ Volkswagen vehicles, I’m concerned that this may become a safety issue. This also occurred with the loaner vehicle they gave me which was the same year and model.

The NEW vehicle keeps showing a warning light on the dash saying that the rear wheel bolts are loose two accidents have occurred in a 60 day period, the vehicle has been in for service multiple times and Audi has not found a fix for the safety light warning or found the loose bolts or suspension break issues. The have ignored a vehicle defect notice sent and lawyered up as soon as I said the vehicle was a lemon.

I bought a late model Audi Q5 2025 late February 2026. the one I bought was a loaner with 8K miles on it, list 60k, paid 48K for it. late April, we were in the mountains of western NC and were on a windy 2 lane mountain road after midnight with no cell service and nowhere to pull off. 7 warning lights came on, the most concerning was to immediately pull over and shut off the engine. We could not do this. The steering wheel was shaking and the climate systems shut off. All ABS were non functional. We drove the last half hour to the house, put the car in the garage and figured it would need to be towed the next day. The next morning, I turned it on and all was cleared out. I took it to the dealer when back in SC, but they could not find anything. it is now mid October, it has happened 4 other times since then. all in NC except for once on [XXX] but I was near exit [XXX] so made it home. It happened twice in a week late July. it was 98 outside the first time, I had an hour to go and it was incredibly hot in the car. with no ac. my two dogs were very stressed by the time we got to the house. Again, in the garage, all clear the next morning. It happened on the way home, now it's 99 out. I turned off the car in a parking lot, waited 15 minutes, turned it on, all clear and we got home fine. My service person said there was a "major software upgrade" coming out and that was all the car needed. they got me in early before it was released and had the car for 4 days. It took 5 tries to get the upgrade. I was told this was it, all was fine. next time I was on a steep downhill in NC. had to hold tightly to the wheel it was shaking so much, abs working, maneuverability seemed compromised. I was scared to death. This time it took over a week and because they could not find the fault code, nothing done. Given the research I have done, I am sure the dealer knew about these issues when I bought the car or certainly during the emails detailing the other incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

See attached document for complaint.