2020 Audi A5 Electrical System

The MMI/ radio shuts off and reboots at least every 5-6 minutes. When it comes back up, I get the error “user hasn’t been detected for some time”. Every time it shuts off it is 30 seconds to a minute where nothing in my MMI is accessible. This began around late June of 2025. No warning lights or error codes have been found. I have not taken it in for diagnosis, as it seems to be software related.I know a lot of people that are experiencing the same issue and how it may be related to software updates, as the current software I have matches what the others have. This is very dangerous as access to any GPS services, backup cameras, and any feature tied to the MMI go completely blank while driving.

The Audi MMI system which is there in car infotainment and system management main frame. Has developed a habit of totally going blank, causing loss of phone connectivity, navigation continuity, as well as use of all of the manufacturer supplied safety systems. The system reboots itself, the driver must then struggle to regain navigation, phone connection etc generally at speed. The failures happen very sporadically, as much as 10x on a 7 mile drive and then not at all on the next drive. In an age where holding your phone while operating is illegal it is a very disturbing problem. The Audi fix is a software upgrade, at owners expense, ($458.00)that so far has eaten up 9 hours of my time and is still not done. I have had to upgrade systems like this in other vehicles I own and I am able to accomplish this on my own garage. How long before someone hurts someone critically while they are trying to get their system to reconnect and are not able to pay attention to their surroundings. I feel a system such as this should be better warranted when you consider the amount of components it controls.

Audi USA sent me a recall letter/service action for Infotainment System Software. The system reboots and shuts down unexpectedly while driving. Took the car to a local Audi dealership and they informed me that they cannot repair the recall because they now want to change my SOS module in order for both to work. They are asking me to pay them $1,500 for that. Meanwhile they informed me that my SOS system is not working either because of that, and I cannot use.

The Audi MMI (Multi Media Interface) system plays a crucial role in enhancing safety features by providing a user-friendly interface for managing various driver assistance systems and safety-related functions. These include features like emergency calls, roadside assistance, and the integration of driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance assist.

The vehicle's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system is reportedly shutting down randomly while the vehicle is in operation. This issue occurs without warning and is intermittent, making it unpredictable. Observed Symptoms/Events: Complete Loss of MMI Functionality: The screen goes black, and all associated functions (navigation, radio, Bluetooth, vehicle settings, climate control interface, rearview camera, etc.) become inoperable. Random Occurrence: The shutdown can happen at any time, regardless of driving conditions (e.g., stationary, low speed, highway speed). There appears to be no consistent trigger. Duration of Outage: The MMI system typically remains off for a period ranging from a few seconds to several minutes before spontaneously restarting. In some cases, the system may not restart until the vehicle is turned off and on again. Impact on Other Systems: While the primary issue is with the MMI, the owner reports concern about potential impacts on critical vehicle functions that utilize the MMI display (e.g., rearview camera when backing up, warning messages displayed on MMI). No Warning Indicators: No specific warning lights or messages appear on the instrument cluster immediately preceding or during the MMI shutdown. Repeatability: The issue is not consistently repeatable on demand, but it has occurred multiple times since its initial manifestation. Potential Safety Risk: The random shutdown of the MMI system poses potential safety concerns due to: Distraction: Unexpected system failure can be distracting to the driver, potentially diverting attention from the road. Loss of Critical Information: The MMI displays crucial information such as navigation directions, rearview camera feed, and certain warning messages. A sudden loss of this information can compromise driver awareness, especially when maneuvering or in complex traffic situations.

2020 Audi A5 started randomly rebooting (MMI software) around mid April 2025, It happens I’d say every 5-20 minutes and it repeats all the time. The fact that Audi/VW won't cover the cost to update their buggy software is very frustrating. I have notified Audi USA about the issue and am awaiting a response if they will cover the labor cost @ Prestige Audi in Denver, CO

The computer of the car (the MMI) is constantly rebooting. Once I turn on the vehicle it’ll start up normally and after about 1 minute or two it’ll go black and everything will restart.

About 3 weeks ago, the MMI screen began restarting over and over again and at times would reset when backing up and using the rear view camera. I have attempted restarting the MMI multiple times to no fix. I have also reset the MMI to its original settings and still the system keeps restarting. Sadly, this seems to be an issue occurring to multiple 2020 models according to multiple complaints online. Audi seems to be aware of the issue and there is a mixed response from Audi dealers on a fix. Some seem to suggest expensive options while others “fix” the issue only for it to continue to happen.

Vehicle's MMI and screen shuts off and on randomly even if the car system is off. Cannot use backup camera, or steering wheel controls while driving due to the system shutting down. Yes. Audi of Springfield MO Yes. Audi of Springfield MO No. Happened after the dealership did an update on the vehicle.

Infotainment system restarts every 2 minutes. The entire system is unusable. This affects my safety because the radio static would come on every time it reboots at a loud volume. It is very distracting as it happens at every reboot revery 2 minutes. The screen keeps turning on and off is also very distracting. This has not been inspected by anyone but me. I see this problem surfacing online everywhere: [XXX] No warning message. First appear in March, restarting every few hours, but last few days it restarts every couple minutes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car has a very loud sequence of high pitched beeps accompanying a “SOS EMERGENCY CALL FUNCTION MALFUNCTION” warning light that comes on and stays on. It is a major driving distraction when the warning beeps suddenly come on (up to six sustained times in a row). The diagnosis of this was that the antennae needs replacing due to water ingress with an estimate from dealership of $2500. Additionally, the MMI randomly powers off and then reboots every couple of minutes. This again causes major safely issues as navigation is suddenly gone when the screen turns black, and then loud music starts playing on the radio (which was not playing previously) when it automatically reboots. I have to try and turn off blaring music and readjust navigation in the midst of driving. There are also a number of screens I have to navigate answering after the reboot which again causes driving distraction. The dealership said there were no fault codes so I would have to invest in a software update with an estimate of $700 which may or may not fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed, the entire MMI would have to be replaced with an estimate of $7000. All of these lights and warnings and screen changes and screen prompts essentially makes the car not drivable due to the extreme distractions implicating safely and focus

MMI turns off about every 2-mins and restarts on its own. Everything(Radio+navigation+Airplay+Sound) restarts and its extremely distracting while driving(missing turns+Disconnect hans off calls etc).This has been going on for approximately 4 days.

Everytime I am driving around my MMI system keeps rebooting. It disconnects my navigation and back up camera and it takes 10-30 seconds to restart. It does this about once every 2 minutes.

The MMI/ radio shuts off and reboots at least 4-5 times within a 30 minute drive. When it comes back up, I get the error “user hasn’t been detected for some time” or "A technical error has occurred. The user could not be loaded". I have had it go out while in reverse which is a safety concern. Every time it shuts off it is 30 seconds to a minute where nothing in my MMI is accessible. This began around April of 2025. No warning lights or error codes have been found. I have not taken it in for diagnosis, as it seems to be software related. It seems a lot of people are experiencing the same issue and how it may be related to software updates. It is very frustrating, and provides potential safety concerns as access to any GPS services, backup cameras, and any feature tied to the MMI go completely blank while driving or reversing.

The MMI unit randomly reboots and disconnects anything connected for navigation. It does this very often, every single time I drive. In a 30 min drive, it could reboot at least 3 times and make you sign in as a user to access it.

The software that supports the radio and other functions keeps rebooting while driving. This I could happen three times in 15 minutes. I have been on highway and it shuts off which has made me swerve and almost get in an accidents. Dealer has charge me $350 and did not fix issue. They are talking with corporate but no one seems to care. Started in January or February of 2025.

The MMI which is the visual interface for screen controls including GPS continually resets and when it does the car loses all connection to these functions. Resets and comes back and then sometimes within minutes does it again over and over. Have communicated with other Audi owners who are having same issue and have had no resolution through Audi.

The MMI which controls back up and 360 cameras, parking sensors, collision avoidance system, navigation, bluetooth, radio, etc reboots randomly without warning. There is no predictability and I have not been able to identify a trigger. There is no warning indicator on the dash or MMI before it happens. When it reboots the screen goes black and all associated MMI functions become inoperable for seconds to minutes. It then restarts and often makes me log back in before I am able to use it again. It happens multiple times, sometimes over a dozen in a short drive and often happens just several minutes apart. It has rebooted while I am pulling into my garage, parking, or backing up and actively using the cameras which poses a serious safety issue. It also occurs often when using bluetooth which can be a distraction, pulling my eyes off the road to grab my phone. This seems to be a widespread problem with Audi MMI which has not been addressed and is a safety concern for all models affected. The dealerships know it is happening due to the amount of complaints, but will not update software and want me to pay a diagnostic fee + upgrade + labor.

The MMI (Multi Media Interface) System reboots, sometimes every 2 minutes while driving the vehicle. This incident has been widely reported across Audi customers driving 2020 vehicles. When the system temporarily shuts down and restarts, all systems go down. Meaning, all sensors, back-up cameras, navigation systems, emergency calls, roadside assistance, and the integration of driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance assist. The MMI plays a crucial role in enhancing safety features by providing a user-friendly interface for managing various driver assistance systems. When it goes down, as a driver, I am without these safety features and distracted.

The blue tooth , gos, CarPlay and emergency sos not working. I looked online and there was a recall, but Audi is no longer honoring the recall to fix this issue.

Our 2020 Audi A5 experienced a module failure affecting SOS (Loud) audible alarm that sounds every 2-4 minutes when driving and also affects bluetooth connection for hands free phone. Told by Audi dealership there was a recall, then removed for this due to lack of available parts from Audi. This very loud alarm sounds every 2-4 minutes while driving and is variable so can easily scare driving/distract. Audi dealership said at least 5 other customers also have this present issue and have for months and they have no idea when Audi will send replacement modules. This is a driving hazard I would suspect impacting thousands of customers if 5 at one dealership is an indication. The first time this alarm sounded, my wife nearly drove off the road and then it is shockingly loud each subsequent time and still is startling.

Where I am currently living, speed is measured on the roads in km/h. My vehicle allows the speedometer digital display screen (Audi virtual cockpit) to be switched to display MPH or km/h. When working correctly, the speedometer should display the speed with digits and an analog simulation. The display works perfectly when in MPH, however when switching to km/h the analog simulation properly shows km/h, but the digital reading will switch to km/h for a split second but then immediately reverts back to MPH. This defect was confirmed by 2 Audi service technicians at my local Audi service center, but they said Audi doesn't have an update for this defect. I have tried to contact Audi customer service, but I am not getting any answers to my question. I think this is a safety issue because it can be confusing as I expect to see the speed in km/h in both digital and analog display, but it shows the digital in MPH. An image that clearly shows the problem is attached. As you can see the analog style reading is in km/h, but the digital reading is in MPH. I have tried to resolve this with Audi for 1 year. It is my opinion that my safety and others has been placed at risk because this problem often causes me to be confused about the speed I am traveling. For example, if I glance down and see 100 on the display in a 100 km/h zone, I think I am going the speed limit, but fact, I would actually be going 100 MPH or 160 km/h, which would obviously be dangerous. The vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance, or any other vehicle inspection organization. The problem occurs consistently and can be inspected at any time. This problem was noticed shortly after taking delivery one year ago in September of 2020.