2023 Audi SQ5 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2023 Audi SQ5, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure133.3%
- Driver assistance133.3%
- Electrical133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2023 Audi SQ5 Sportback's key fob stopped working, and when I took it into the Audi dealership they said that it is a known issue that if you don't unclog the drain (not sure where that is - was never told I needed to do so) then there can be leaks that affect the wiring and the Comfort Control Module, rendering the vehicle unusable. They are now trying to charge me approximately $16,000 to fix the vehicle when it is obvious that this is a manufacturing defect not present on other vehicles. I know there has been a recall for other Audi Q5 models, and it seems that the new generation of Audi Q5 has the same issue. I have also seen online that this occurs quite often to other Audi SQ5 and Q5 owners.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Purchased car 3/18/23. Not even two months after purchasing - on 5/11/23, I was in far left lane going to make a left turn - stopped and had blinker on. No cars, pedestrians or any items were in front or behind me. Out of nowhere the car slams on breaks and the red presense light comes up on dashboard. Vehicle may have even turned off. Both myself and passenger thought we had been hit from behind due to the amount of force and both had neck pain afterwards. Only 3 days later, nearly the exact same thing occurred. I was in far left turn lane but this time a car was behind me also wanting to turn. When proceeding to turn, the brakes were slammed on. I don't recall seeing the presense light this time. My dog flew out of backseat and the car behind me honked and driver was screaming out his window at me. I was lucky I was not rear ended. I called the dealership who explained this happens with the presense and they could change settings but it is a known complaint. Said it can be caused by a dirty sensor or even sunlight. I took the car to Audi who had engineers look at it and verified that the events did occur on these dates and said it was "environmental concerns" which could be several things since there wasn't a vehicle around - suggested maybe sunlight reflecting off a street sign. Presense is not able to be turned off permanently - must go through a series of steps to deactivate. The car is not safe to drive with presense on - period. Also mentioned there was a technical service bulletin 2058077. There have been numerous people online describing accidents from this. The public should be aware of this as I am sure deaths have already occurred from this. There are numerous complaints on the audi boards and I've read of at least one lawsuit where driver was seriously injured from it breaking so hard that his lung was crushed.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2023 Audi SQ5 Sportback's key fob stopped working, and when I took it into the Audi dealership they said that it is a known issue that if you don't unclog the drain (not sure where that is - was never told I needed to do so) then there can be leaks that affect the wiring and the Comfort Control Module, rendering the vehicle unusable. They are now trying to charge me approximately $16,000 to fix the vehicle when it is obvious that this is a manufacturing defect not present on other vehicles. I know there has been a recall for other Audi Q5 models, and it seems that the new generation of Audi Q5 has the same issue. I have also seen online that this occurs quite often to other Audi SQ5 and Q5 owners.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .