What 105 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Audi Q5

On 12/1, around 7:20am my fiancé and I were getting ready to leave for work; there was frost on the car so my fiancé went out to start it and turn on the defrosters. After starting the car, he turned on the heater and front and rear defrosters, he then went inside to retrieve some items we needed to load into the car. He was inside for about 5 minutes before coming out to see smoke emanating from right side of the trunk, which quickly turned into a small fire, whose point of origin was the rear fuse compartment. He ran inside to grab water to try and put it out, but due to how quickly it was spreading, as well as the fact that it was electrical nature, the water only served to temporary diminish but not extinguish the flames. We then used an ABC rated fire extinguisher from our kitchen, which did suppress and extinguish the fire. The vehicle still started, and we were able to drive it from our driveway to the side of our home, however, with the risk of it igniting again or creating any other failures, in addition to the guidance provided by our insurance company and Audi Corporate, we had the vehicle towed to an Audi dealership for further investigation. There was no indication prior to this that would lead us to believe the car would catch fire. We consider ourselves to be lucky that we were not driving as we would have no way to extinguish the fire on the side of the road. Since this incident, an investigation was done by Audi corporate. It was determined that there was corrosion within the right trunk compartment caused by water at some point which caused a short considering the body module and fuses are located there. However, Audi claims no responsibility in the water getting into the trunk or any manufacturing defects. Upon our own research though, we’ve seen many reports of Q models have sunroofs draining into the interior. The car has since been totaled by insurance due to repair estimates nearing $29,000 and taken to Copart auction.

NHTSA ODI 11563997

The car has a known "oil consumption issue" that has led to engine failure that Audi has failed to take responsibility for. This is a 2104 Audi Q5. The car is in San Francisco and available for inspection. The car vibrates and can't be safely driven at highway speeds, if the engine suddenly lost power on the highway it could be a major safety issue for the driver and other drivers. The dealer has reproduced the issue and diagnosed it as needing new Pistons and Rings at 99,000 miles (but it has had this issue since in the 60,000 mile range, they just said keep adding oil). It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, just the dealers. I'm sure some warning lights came on, but could not say which ones or when.

NHTSA ODI 11557145

P235/55/R19 105V Tire at 4/32s is developing some peeling/de-laminating tread on all tires. One tire developed crack that when moved exposes the internal belts. At risk at sidewall failure.

NHTSA ODI 11554412

In 2017 while driving in 10 degree weather, the overheat warning light and message to turn off engine came in. The car was not actually overheating and we took it straight to the dealership. They were not able to get it to replicate and advised it was possibly a faulty sensor. Fast forward to fall of 2023, the same warning light came on as soon as the car was turned on. Still no actual overheating per the dial in the car. We did check the coolant level and it was low. Dealership looked at and stated the didn't see any leaks and suggested replacing thermostat. Took to another shop and they found a small leak in the water pump so we had it replaced. Car has less than 60k miles on it. Engine failure, fire are all concerns. Especially when commuting at high speeds on a highway. We're either dealing with a faulty water pump or thermostat.

NHTSA ODI 11550926

The contact owns a 2014 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11550107

Unknown, but can assure the gas tanks has cracks and leaking gas, along with the smell of gas inside the car and outside the car. Called Audi and spoke with a rep but they dont want to acknowledge the recall which was issued for the vehicle. I made an appointment with Audi New Orleans, but the earliest appointment to get the vehicle check is August 28th, 2023. I have to go to work and the car can possibly catch a fire to the tank actually leaking. This is extremely dangerous and life threating. I definetly need help because let Audi tell it they dont see a recall at all for my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11532852

I recently discovered that my Q5 tubular rear subframe/crossmember (part # 8R0505235N) has rusted thru near a bushing that supports the rear transaxle. The rust thru area at the transaxle is about a foot long. This subframe supports the rear axle and all the rear suspension components. I brought my Q5 to the local Audi dealer and they took a video showing two areas on the subframe that have rusted thru, the bushing area supporting the transaxle and also an area supporting the left rear suspension. The dealership did not allow me to take the Q5 back and gave me a loaner vehicle to drive until the subframe can be replaced. The dealership contacted Audi North America and Audi agreed to pay 40% of the cost to replace the rear subframe. I think Audi should pay 100% as this is a serious safety issue. My Q5 has no other areas of corrosion except a slight amount of surface rust on the exhaust and is otherwise in excellent condition with only 50,444 miles. It has always been garaged since purchased new and has been in no accidents. The Audi service tech even complimented me on how clean my Q5 was at 10 years old. PS - How can I include an attachment of the video taken by the Audi dealership?

NHTSA ODI 11519666

Steering shaft rusted and sized. Water and mag chloride got passed the seal causing the slip joint of the steering shaft to corrode and size. The outer tube of the shaft was almost corroded through with visible holes in the metal. I believe this to be a safety concern do to the possibility of the shaft braking while driving. I am a certified Audi technician and have seen this problem on other similar vehicles. This is my personal vehicle and I have the old steering shaft for inspection if needed.

NHTSA ODI 11508345

I bought my 2014 Audi Q5 in September of 2019 with 74, 291 miles from a reputable dealership in Cleveland, OH. After a few months of driving, I began to notice that the vehicle did not retain oil. This caused oil leaks which led to internal spillage, subsequent parts damage and random stalling. As a result, in May of 2022, during rush hour traffic, my car failed to accelerate mid-intersection, leaving myself and my passengers in danger of collision. After dealership and independent inspection, it was determined there was an issue with the piston rings in the 2.0 Turbo engine. After speaking with the mechanic, Audi USA and conducting online research, I found that this has been noted and reported to Audi on several occasions for makes and models dating as far back as 2012. Because this is major engine issue, I fear for what other repercussions may result from the negligence. Upon further research, I also found that several class action lawsuits have been filed country-wide due to concern of this factory malfunction. These vehicles are large and capable of irreparable damage. Whatever steps can be taken to avoid sudden engine failure similar to my own is of highest priority.

NHTSA ODI 11493156

Engine oil consumption between every 200miles and 300miles spends a quarter of complete engine oil

NHTSA ODI 11464076

I am reporting Audi Side Assist System fault. Audi assist among other things provides blind spot warning and is major safety feature in the car. Basically when I am switching lanes on, I get existance of car in blind spot. When driving in January I received warning message that said Audi Side Assist System fault. I scheduled service for Feb 3 and the car was repaired by Feb 4. Originally they suspected accident or repair work done around the back bumper. Later they realized that none was done and fixed the issue by "alignment". During that work they found out that the two assist modules have different versions which is surprising since all my service was done at Audi San Jose dealership and never repaired that function. This means that my car original parts has version mismatch. The function worked OK for several weeks but failed again on April 1. I still did not repair it but I am scheduled on May 10 (earliest date). The fault is still on!

NHTSA ODI 11463044

Timing chain, turbocharger and high pressure fuel pump has to be replaced for the car with 75000 miles on it. Was advised by the shop supervisor that it’s caused by faulty engine. That this type of damage is highly unlikely for the car under 100000 miles. Turbocharger is under extended warranty from the previous Audi recall.

NHTSA ODI 11461655

Check engine light on and diagnostic test shows particular matter sensor malfunction. This is apparently under recall, but my VIN is not included

NHTSA ODI 11451934

I have a 2014 Audi Q5 Premium Plus with 3.0 liter engine. I was in Wolfeboro NH this past weekend and it was very cold, -15 at night. My vehicle has 123000 miles on it and has run with no issues to this point. Luckily , I parked the car to go into store and when I came out DSC red warning light came on , could not budge the steering wheel. Looked up issue in manual and said do not drive. I am from CT so no car now in NH. I had vehicle towed to closest Audi dealer , 60 miles away for service. It turns out to be I need a whole new steering column due to cold temperatures. If this happened while driving it would have been devastating. My issue is there was a recall on the 2014 SQ5 for the exact same issue. I have found numerous complaints for the same issue for the same vehicle, why has there not been recall? This could have ben a deadly incident in the wrong situation. Vehicle at Audi dealer to the tune of $3600 for repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11448776

Seatbelt tensioner and air bags failed to deploy when the vehicles was in a severe frontal collision when another vehicle ran a stop sign exiting the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11446057

My 2014 Audi Q5 2.0L Turbo, at 84339 miles, is consuming oil between oil changes. 4300 miles after my last oil change by the Audi dealership, I had to add oil. The dealership, Gwinnett Audi, 3190 Satellite Blvd, Duluth, GA 30090, said that Audi is paying for the oil top off for all customers. Seems odd that if this is normal that Audi would voluntarily reimburse the dealership for this expense. I am concerned, based on internet searches, that this will continue to get worse and I will be adding more and more oil without getting the problem resolved. The dealership told me it would cost $7,000 to fix the engine and there is no longer a warranty. This vehicle should not be burning oil at $80,000 miles. Audi needs to make permanent repairs to fix the problem, not just put a bandaid on it. I am not the only Audi owner with this problem.

NHTSA ODI 11428479

I am writing about an incident that happened to my wife while she was driving my car from Los Angeles, CA to Phoenix, AZ on June 16, 2021. My wife was driving the Audi Q5 at approximately 75mph and 125 miles west of Phoenix (near the CA/AZ border) when the car suddenly loss power. She stepped on the gas and noticed the speed gradually dropping. Fortunately, she had the presence of mind and barely had enough time to pull over to the shoulder. It was at this point that she called to tell me that the car would no longer start and the “check engine” and “EPC” light indicators were illuminated. This occurred at approximately 12:30 noon during a severe heatwave where the outside temperature was 117 degrees. I asked her to wait for 10 minutes to try to restart the car; the car would not restart. She called AAA Towing and was told the wait would be over one hour because of the rural location (Quartzsite, AZ). She ended up waiting a little over 3 hours in her car, without air conditioning, in 117 degrees for a tow truck driver to arrive. The car was towed to her sister’s house in Goodyear, AZ at a cost of $673. The next day, she had the car towed to the Audi Dealership in Peoria, AZ where it was diagnosed the car had suffered a fuel vapor lock due to the heat. The car has less than 28,000 miles on the odometer when the incident happened. Audi Peoria kept the car for a couple of days because the parts had to be ordered from Los Angeles. Ultimately, the repair bill from the dealership came to $1,983. I felt helpless and scared for my wife that I was not able to assist her as I was 3 hours away. What if my wife (or another driver) was unable to pull over to the side of the road? The chances of an accident are dramatically increased if the vehicle was stuck on the highway. As you can imagine, my wife has been traumatized by this incident and we are both fearful that this incident can happen again. Therefore, we request that NHTSA investigate this incident.

NHTSA ODI 11421907

This SUV has a 2.0 engine that consumes oil. I have to add a quart every 200-300 miles as the IP light indicates the engine is at the minimum oil level. This is not normal to be adding oil this frequently. Audi/VW has had problems in the past with vehicles that used excessive amounts of oil and a settlement was reached with owners. It seems they have not fixed the issue and I believe an investigation is needed and corrective action should be taken again by Audi/VW to make owners whole and to finally fix the problem. They need to find the root cause of this problem and fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11421060

WHILE DRIVING, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED, ALMOST CAUSING A HEAD ON COLLISION. MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING LEFT WHEN SUDDENLY SHE WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY STEER. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS ABLE TO VEER OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED ON THE AUDI SQ5, BUT NOT THE Q5. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH, MULTIPLE AUDI Q5 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11415388

SLIGHT OIL LEAK FROM OIL COOLER LINE SLIGHT LEAK AT THE COOLANT RESERVOIR. BURNS OIL QUICKLY

NHTSA ODI 11414410

WHEN CLOSING THE TRUNK THE DASH MARKS AS IF IT WERE OPEN. I HAVE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE TRUNK SEVERAL TIMES SO THAT IT STOPS MARKING AS IF IT WERE OPEN.

NHTSA ODI 11414212

SQUEAKS AND/OR RATTLES ARE HEARD FROM THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF AREA.

NHTSA ODI 11414213

AFTER 53661 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON,AFTER DRIVING IT IT WENT OFF ONLY TO COME BACK ON AND STAY ON. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER "FOUND TIMING CHAIN STRETCHED. REPLACED TIMING CHAIN AND TENSONER"

NHTSA ODI 11397790

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSENED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI GAINESVILLE (1920 N MAIN ST, GAINESVILLE, FL 32609) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RACK & PINION AND ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. *LN CONSUMER STATED POWER STEERING SHUTS DOWN IN COLD CONDITIONS AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.*JB*LN*JB

NHTSA ODI 11387114

SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS STEERING FAILURE IN 2014 AUDI Q5: WARMED THE CAR UP, DROVE 15 MINUTES TO A GAS STATION, TURNED IT OFF TO FUEL UP AND WENT TO RESTART AFTER ENGINE WAS OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES, UPON START UP AND THE MESSAGE DISPLAYED "STEERING DEFECTIVE" DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING WAS NON FUNCTIONAL AND THE WHEEL ESSENTIALLY LOCKED UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE, BOTH AT VERY COLD TEMPERATURES (ONCE AT -40 DEGREES BELOW AND ONCE AT -15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO). SOME QUICK INTERNET SEARCHING LEADS TO LOTS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME SITUATION FOR 2014-2015 Q5'S. THE SQ5 OF THE SAME YEAR HAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE BUT THE Q5'S FOR SOME REASON DID NOT GET THE RECALL. IT SOUNDS LIKE IN SOME INSTANCES ITS A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE AND IN SOME CASES ITS AN ENTIRE NEW STEERING RACK REPLACEMENT COSTING UP TO $5,000. IT SOUNDS LIKE AUDI HAS NOT COVERED THIS ISSUE UNDER WARRANTIES NOR HAS IT ISSUED A RECALL TO COVER THE SAME ISSUE ON THE Q5'S AS WAS EXPERIENCES WITH THE SQ5 OF THE SAME YEAR (RECALL #48M1 & NHTSA #11184036). I AM 300 MILES FROM THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER. AUDI SAYS THEY WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE ITS OUT OF WARRANTY. I EXPLAINED IT MATCHES A RECALL FOR THE SQ5 AND BELIEVE THE Q5 WAS OVERLOOKED WITH THAT RECALL, THEY WERE OF NO ASSISTANCE. AUDI SAYS I CAN PAY SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY ARE NOT LIKELY GOING TO COVER ANY OF IT SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL. SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF US OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET THIS SAFETY ISSUE FIXED BY AUDI? LUCKILY I WAS STATIONARY ON BOTH OCCASIONS OTHERWISE THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH AND POSSIBLE INJURY. IM SCARED TO DRIVE IN COLD WEATHER ANYMORE. I WOULD THINK AUDI WOULD CARE ABOUT SUCH A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!

NHTSA ODI 11384647