RoadVitals

2025 Audi SQ5

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 24, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2025 Audi SQ5, most frequently naming the fuel system, driver assistance and engine categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 767 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Fuel system220.0%
  • Driver assistance220.0%
  • Engine110.0%
  • Exterior lighting110.0%
  • Powertrain (other)110.0%
  • Steering110.0%
  • Visibility110.0%
  • Electrical110.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V266000

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

Apr 24, 2026
7,425 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2025 Q5, Q5 Sportback, SQ5, and SQ5 Sportback vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belts may have been manufactured incorrectly, and fail to properly restrain occupants during a crash.
The risk: Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69GT.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 69GTView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalFuel systemExterior lighting
Filed Jul 28, 2026

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rendering the vehicle completely invisible to surrounding traffic. Prior to this complete shutdown, the vehicle had been brought to an authorized Audi dealership on 3 previous occasions soon after purchase for progressive electronic communication failures and transient dashboard warning lights, which the service department dismissed as false alerts and did software updates to remedy the alert. It is unclear if those really were false alerts or some precursor to this future problem. The total loss of primary propulsion combined with the complete failure of the secondary emergency backup hazard lighting created an immediate, life-threatening traffic hazard to myself, my passengers and those in vehicles and pedestrians around me. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Audi dealership for diagnosis.

NHTSA ID
11753278
Incident
Jul 22, 2026
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 11, 2026

1–2 second delay in throttle response from pedal input, followed by sudden uncommanded surge/jerk forward. Occurs when vehicle is on hold mode in a slope or in plain flat conditions at a light or a stop sign. It happens when the car is cold or warm. I consider the vehicle unsafe to drive. The cruise control also has a major problem. When activated the lane departure feature also gets activated automatically but instead of making the car more stable it moves the card left and right all the time without any major interaction from the driver. I have to deactivate the lane departure function all the time in order to feel safe.

NHTSA ID
11743621
Incident
Jun 4, 2026
Visibility
Filed Jun 2, 2026

The contact leases a 2025 Audi SQ5. The contact stated that the driver's side exterior rear-view mirror position was blocking the driver's view while making a left turn. The manufacturer was contact and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for it to be test-driven. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 800.

NHTSA ID
11741553
Incident
Nov 30, 2025
Mileage
800 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 7, 2026

I was driving out of a parking lot into the feeder road of a highway with the intent of immediately getting on the highway. When I attempted to accelerate the car would not go any faster. I was traveling perhaps 5-10 miles per hour as cars on the feeder road were approaching at 45-50 miles per hour. The lag time before the car would accelerate was about 20 seconds. Luckily, I had not entered the feeder road right as the feeder road traffic was near me, otherwise I would definitely have been hit. This lack of acceleration happened two other times but the lag time was shorter. I took the car to the dealer but they could not find the problem.

NHTSA ID
11736430
Incident
May 2, 2026
Driver assistanceEngineSteering
Filed Nov 18, 2025

We bought the car today at Audi South Atlanta brand new and were driving back home. The car suddenly showed the engine light, showed drive system malfunction please safely stop, and then the car slowed down and stopped on the highway. The steering stiffened up and almost caused a car crash. It was very dangerous. The Audi dealership said that software issues were all resolved before allowing the purchase of the vehicle today, but this dangerous malfunction still happened.

NHTSA ID
11700198
Incident
Nov 18, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB_2081477_4

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides in overview of the combined software update.

TSB_2082223_3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information regarding software update KD2* 03.11.00/C (28.14.01).

TSB_2082846_1

This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.

TSB_2081403_3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides informatoinw hen the driver assist systems and traffice sign recognition is sometimes inoperable; DTC U198C00; U147C00, U194E00.

AVIN4PIN20260723

Summary of all Vin-4-Pin topics for June Check engine light after charging - P0E5E00 Rattle noise from sound generator Vehicle sound malfunction warning Oil leak from oil filter drain off valve Secondary air codes P244000 or P049100 P04F000: EVAP system high pressure purge line performance

TSB_2076267_4

ENGINE

This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians create a record in the PSS Data base in instances where there is intermittently no restart after start stop - V6 TFSI.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Audi SQ5 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025Viewing510—
2024600—
2023200—
2022320—
2021115057.9
2020740—
2019185055.6
2018245054.0
2017500—
2016600—
2015810—
2014121031.1
2013100—
2012000—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.