3 complaints reported

2021 Audi Q5 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Apr 2026

Control module located under rear seat became slightly wet from spilled liquid, and failed. Engine and electrical failure as a result of control module failure. Audi refuses to cover damages as warranty period is over. Vehicle design is defective.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 AUDI Q5, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2026
Oct 2021

While driving on the road, multiple warning and error messages suddenly appeared on dashboard. Entire car shut down in very short time left no time for driver to safely pull over. The car cannot move in the middle of the road and put the driver, passengers and surrounding vehicles at risk. The car was towed to a dealer and they confirmed the gate way module under rear seat is wet and shorted.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 AUDI Q5, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2021
Jun 2021

Q5 HAS A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT, THAT IS, THERE IS A GATEWAY MODULE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR SEAT CUSHION/CUP HOLDER. ALL OF THE COMMUNICATIONS TO ALL THE CONTROLLERS GO THROUGH THIS LITTLE BOX. IF WATER SPILLS, IT COLLECTS AROUND THE GATEWAY AND CORRODES IT, WHICH WILL SHUT DOWN THE CAR. THIS SHUTDOWN OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY FAMILY. LOST ALL POWER, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL, EVERYTHING. BARELY COASTED OUT OF THE ROADWAY. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW TO LOCATE THIS SENSITIVE MODULE UNDERNEATH REAR CUP HOLDERS AND WILL LEAD TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS FOR PEOPLE IN THE CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 AUDI Q5, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2020

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Audi Q5 has 3 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.