What 30 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Audi Q5

CORRECTION to NHTSA COMPLAINT #11745968 The Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) did not disengage when the vehicle was placed in gear from P to R to D while/after parked in an incline postion (see DTCs -Bozeman Audi invoice, 6/23/26). The EPB is designed to disengage automatically. There was a dashboard warning light --RED--symbol--brake failure that flashed when the ignition was started. The occupants drove the vehicle approx 50 ft before the vehicle's Automatic EBS and/or Automatic Parking Braking (Maneuver Assist) shut down the vehicle completely because EPB was still engaged after gear shifts--R and D. |DTC| Diag 01500060-15TU (202729223) Terminal 75X (Relief Relay for X-Contact). [DTC 01500 / 015000] Diagnostic Lookup [Root Causes]: Blown Fuse: A fuse (typically on the main power distribution block) protecting the relief relay circuit has failed. Faulty Relay: The J59 X-Contact Relief Relay has mechanically stuck open or failed internally. Wiring/Ground Fault: Corroded, pinched, or damaged wires along the steering column or under the dashboard. Low Battery Voltage: Insufficient system voltage can trigger relay dropout during vehicle start-up. [Immediate Next Steps] Check Voltage: This was not done at Bozeman Audi dealership [DTC] The Audi repair sequence "27068950" Battery Charging / Testing (Labour Operation Number: 27068950) associated with the 12V/48V electrical system on an Audi. Audi Automatic Braking System—Audi pre sense—includes Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). Automatic Parking Braking (Park Assist / Maneuver Assist): This operates when parking or reversing. "In the 2023 Audi Q5, the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)—the physical switch marked with a (P) on your center console—acts as the ultimate mechanical failsafe and anchor. It interacts differently with the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Automatic Parking Braking (Maneuver Assist) systems based on speed, safety protocols, and driver behavior." Safety Recall 93AA

NHTSA ODI 11747307

Automatic Emergency Braking system engaged when the vehicle was parked on an incline. Unable to release automatic emergency brake when vehicle was started with key. Ignition light warning — RED — symbol — brake failure. Required a tow to Audi dealership. Audi dealership in two states failed to use OMB II reader to scan codes at the time of emergency visit. Vehicle was released to owner without scanning codes at the time of the emergency therefore owner acquired more than 3-4 consecutive drive cycles before scheduled repair appointment 7 days after emergency incident described above because the Audi dealerships in two states (vehicle occupants were traveling long distance) failed to read and store computer codes immediately after emergency incident with the automatic braking system. This incident made the vehicle inoperable and placed the occupants of the vehicle in an unsafe situation. The failure at the Audi dealerships to retrieve codes at the time of the emergency incident prolonged a permanent repair and will make vehicle evaluation/assessment for safety less reliable given that no evaluation or assessment was done at the time of the emergency at the dealerships and before the vehicle codes were automatically cleared after 3-4 consecutive ‘drive cycles.’ Requested an incline field test with vehicle — place the vehicle in similar conditions— incline — and test automatic emergency braking system— during scheduled appointment 7 days after incident.

NHTSA ODI 11745968

May 11, 2026 approx 9:35am. I was in a flat parking area at a gas station waiting for a friend. There were 2 other cars parked near me. No one was in them. Neither were moving. I backed out of my space into a large, empty, open area to turn my car around to have a better view. Because the audi pre-sense chronically malfunctions, I always turn it off before I drive. But I left it on this time because I was only driving about 15 feet in a parking area. I backed out, then stepped on the brake to turn the wheel. While I was AT A FULL STOP, the seatbelt motor started up loudly and grabbed my chest with the seatbelt, slamming me back against the seat. No one was there. No cars were moving. I was at a stop. When the seatbelt let me go, I noticed a red lighted image of some sort on the screen. I believe there was a red star-shaped image and some text indicating a collision. Then the image disappeared. I turned off pre-sense and backed into my parking space. It was painful and frightening - especially as I have osteoporosis. This car has previously slammed the brakes on an empty road while I was driving 45-50 mph. Dealer says there are no codes or errors and I need to clean the sensors. I bought it new. Likewise, the rear cross-traffic, pedestrian detection etc. rarely works and sometimes fires for no reason. If the brakes slam when there's a car behind me, I'll be rear-ended. If the seatbelt slams while I'm on the road, I'll certainly swerve from the discomfort and being startled. Very dangerous. NOTE: My previous report seems to be removed from this website. Bad idea.

NHTSA ODI 11738774

My dashboard VIN plate was destroyed when the windshield was being replaced. I’ve been trying to get Audi to send me a new VIN since October 23, almost 6 months ago. They assigned an executive case manager 2 months ago but that’s accomplished nothing. The vehicle is out of compliance with federal law without a VIN plate and I cannot trade or sale the car. Please help me.

NHTSA ODI 11731416

Component/System: Engine. The vehicle was destroyed by fire but the remains are available for inspection depending on insurance/salvage status. Safety risk: Around [XXX] on [XXX], my 2023 Audi Q5 began smoking as I was exiting the vehicle with my [XXX] daughter and then caught fire and was completely destroyed. This created an immediate risk of serious injury or death to me and my child. I live across from a park and there were many children and families nearby who were at risk as well. Dealer/service confirmation: I just learned of recall 15ZK (loose cylinder head cover screws/oil leak fire risk) after the fire. I never received a recall notice despite owning an affected vehicle. Inspections: The incident was responded to by Silver Spring/MCFRS Fire Station 19 along with local police on April 12. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by my insurance company. They are expected to send an inspector on April 13. Prior warning symptoms: I recently noticed a fuel/burning smell originating from the front of the vehicle. The smell was detectable from outside the car after driving but was not present inside the cabin. No warning lights appeared on the dashboard. The smell persisted for several days prior to the fire without resolving, consistent with the oil leak described in recall 15ZK. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11730710

VIN plate missing over 150 days.

NHTSA ODI 11727990

I owned the car for two weeks when I had my dog in the front and it automatic braked going down the freeway. It threw him into the screen and broke it, luckily he was ok. (He was belted in.) This has happened three more times and been inspected but they are not able to reproduce the problem. This only happens when the dog is in the car with me. This last time, the dog hit the dash and screen again and broke it, and I had to pay to have it replaced again. (Thankfully dog just fine.) They keep saying no fault found because they can’t get it to do it on their test drives. This is a serious safety issue and could cause an accident by someone rear ending me. The roads aren’t wet, and nothing is around when it has happened each time. They turned down the presensor this time, so i am hoping this helps.

NHTSA ODI 11725942

SoS emergency call malfunction. Besides transmission or engine mounting shakes on idle positions car still 6800 miles

NHTSA ODI 11716576

The over dashboard screen didn't turn on when the car was open or the ignition turned on. Sometime it would take minutes though on a few occasions it simply didn't turn on. The consequence is I couldn't see how fast I was going, any information related to the car such as fuel level, tachometer, temperature. etc. I had the part replace by Audi, but it was over 3K to fix on part and/or system that should not fail. This started in the month of December 2025 though I just had it fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11709480

The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5 equipped with a Vredestein Spare Tire, Tire Line: Spare Wheel Space Master, Tire Size: 195/75/R18, DOT Number: DVVB. The contact stated that AAA was called to the scene to change a tire and discovered that the spare tire could not be inflated while needed. While attempting to inflate the spare tire, air was continuously leaking from the tire. The contact stated that the tire was unusable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11708803

While travelling at highway speeds in the passing lane, a warning appeared “Transmission Malfunction! Safely stop vehicle” at which point the vehicle acceleration suddenly stopped. Fortunately despite the heavy and fast traffic I was able to get to the side of the road, but the vehicle would not move. The deslership noted this was part of technical bulletin 2064312/7 that caused this issue. Fortunately the Ohio Highway patrol came to keep me safe until the tow truck arrived. This is an extremely dangerous flaw that could have led to a serious accident. I urge you to investigate and order a recall for this potentially fatal issue.

NHTSA ODI 11690360

The digital dash screen system continually disconnects from the phone and will not reconnect. It disconnects during 911 calls. It disconnects when navigation is activated. It is very dangerous to drive a car that does this. I’m sure I paid thousands a dollar for this digital dash screen system, and is very frustrating that it does not work yet the Audi dealership and Audi corporate refused to, and or cannot fix my car. I’ve done research and it appears this is a very common problem and the service department at the dealership says they hear this complaint all the time.

NHTSA ODI 11688634

Total engine failure at ~13.5k miles. 2 out of 4 cylinders and pistons failed, found damage on cylinder walls. Cylinder pressure too high. Failed cylinder leak down test and pressure test. Metal shavings found in oil filter and housing.

NHTSA ODI 11687879

I am not sure of what happened and I am not seeing any remedy also in the finding. My car has been idle since May 7th and hence please help me in resolving it as the recall status says that remedy not available.

NHTSA ODI 11662699

1 Steering wheel makes noise. Dealership fixed in December 2024 but same sound come back again. 2 Oil burning smell comes while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11661683

We have a leased 2023 Audi Q5 that has been to the Audi Service Department twice so far to determine the source of the problem with our SOS sensor, which turns on randomly and now stays on and won't turn off. The first time, on April 23rd, Audi Service did not address the issue because they forgot to. The second time, on April 29th, the Audi Service rep, Kyle Blomberg, reported that the SOS sensor issue may be fixed with a software update coming out later this year. He will speak with the service foreman today for more information. This is a safety issue if the car is ever in an accident, as we are not sure if the airbags will deploy, whether the seat belt tension will be activated, or whether the eCall system will automatically contact emergency services. It's unacceptable for Audi not to deploy an update more expeditiously, as waiting nearly seven months is entirely ludicrous. Please investigate this further.

NHTSA ODI 11657795

The lane keeping system randomly will malfunction and will veer the car either into oncoming traffic or out of the lane i am driving in. The most recent it tried to veer me off the road completely and into a sign off the road. The vehicle will also sometimes trigger the Audi collision avoidance system randomly. It has done it twice while turning left that the car will come to an abrupt halt for no reason. Both of these concerns can create car accidents if someone is either following closely behind or if the car veers into a different lane. I have reported this to the dealer multiple times and have escalated to Audi corporate. They are unable to replicate the issue, because it happens randomly and say the vehicle is operating within the standard. There have been no warnings or lamps that would indicate that the car has an issue.

NHTSA ODI 11642110

Happens weekly, the car breaks randomly when making a left turn, but it slams on the breaks to where you feel like you’ve made impact. It does this in the middle of the intersection and we could be hit head on or rear ended. It continues to happen, it has been in for service at least 3 times over the past year and Audi continues to say there isn’t a problem. Yet people are complaining about this all over social media, and Audi does have a fix for this on their other models, just not the Q5 which is what we are leasing. Please help! We are in danger and are nervous every time we drive this car!

NHTSA ODI 11581427

235/55 R 19-101H, manufacture defect in the tread, there are remnants components of the fabric belt that are imbedded in the tread of the tire. The tires only have 5,200 miles on them. This was brought to the attention of the Audi Service Department on Saturday 16 March 2024, where they inspected the tire and replaced it the same day.

NHTSA ODI 11579078

WHEN THE HATCHBACK ON THIS CAR HAS BEEN OPEN ON AT LEAST 8 OCASSIONS IT HAS AUTOMATICALLY PEEPED AND BEGAN TO CLOSE ON ME WHILE, FOR EXAMPLE I WAS LEANING INTO THE BACK PUTTING IN OR TAKING OUT GROCERIES. THIS CAR HAS REAR BUMPER SENSOR TO ALLOW ONE TO OPEN THE HATCH WITH YOUR FOOT. THIS SENSOR IS ON THE LEFT END OF THE BUMPER. MY FEET HAVE NEVER BEEN NEAR THE SENSOR WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED, THIS HATCH HAS ALSO CLOSED ON MY HUSBAND SO I DONT FEEL IT SOMETHING UNIQUE THAT I AM DOING.

NHTSA ODI 11574403

I am writing to file a complaint against Audi of America. My new vehicle, a 2023 Audi Q5 that I was involved in a minor car accident on [XXX]. That evening my car was side swiped during a merge after a toll both in Woodbridge, NJ off. Both vehicles were moving at relatively low speeds (30-35 mph). The damage to my car occurred on the passenger side panel and multiple air bags deployed including all 4 curtains as well as the passenger side seat air bag (though I did not have a passenger in the car with me). My car was towed to a local lot and has been with an auto body shop since [XXX]. Though all repairs were completed by mid-January, the car has been untouched since then due to the lack of availability of one part - the right front seat air bag. Part# 80A880242G which has been on order since Dec. 14th. So far, Audi has repeatedly claimed that the part ETA is unknown. My research online through Audi and car forums has shown that many other Audi drivers who have been in accidents are in the same predicament because the side air bag is deploying even when unnecessary creating a parts shortage with no solution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11574097

Audi pre-sense slammed on brakes on a dry empty road while I was driving between 45-50mph. Had there been a car behind me, as there usually is in this location, I would certainly have been rear-ended. As it was, my head, neck and back got a heavy jolt, and of course the whole thing distracted me from safely driving the car. I had to pull over to catch my breath (just because it was scary) and figure out how to turn the thing off for the drive home. The dealer checked the computer system and reported that there were no "faults" recorded there. In other words, the system is working "properly". Dealer cannot turn it permanently off because it's a SAFETY feature. The only way to prevent future dangerous deployments is to navigate through 3 layers of touchscreens to turn it off *each time I start the car*, but this has to be done every trip. I have had the brakes erroneously applied several times at lower speeds, one of those times (in the 2018 model) the seatbelt reeled me back into the seat squeezing my chest. Again, no obstacle or hazard of any kind was present, just the hazard of erratic and aggressive car automation.

NHTSA ODI 11570031

Car suddenly applies brakes and sounds alarms when driving out of a sloping driveway or parking lot. It appears that the sensors point at the pavement at the inflection point of the sloped driveway/road and detects that as an obstacle. This happens regularly at certain parking lots - all the blinking and braking make it very difficult to navigate into the traffic lane safely. Audi dealership assures me this is normal. It also suddenly brakes (sometimes) and sounds alarms as I back out of my own gently sloped driveway. I am always paying attention to my surroundings and not operating a phone or doing other activities while I'm driving. There is unquestionably NO hazard or obstacle. The risk for damage to my neck is fairly low at these speeds, but when I'm backing I generally look over my shoulder, and a good jolt (even at low speeds) is pretty unpleasant and could definitely cause injury.

NHTSA ODI 11570039

My wife was pulling into a parking spot when all of a sudden the cars engine accelerated causing the car to jump one curb, hit a step and striking a pole before finally the brakes stopped the car from going through a storefront. None of the safety crash features stopped the vehicle. My wifes foot was on the brake, not the accelerator. Previously we had the vehicle in for service to reset the computer that kept freezing. Unfortunately we did not research Audi in detail before we bought. Since this occurrence, we have seen that some of Audi's models have had a history of "unintended sudden acceleration" and that there was actually a class action lawsuit years ago. After reading about those occurrences, we believe that this is what occurred. Audi corporate sent their engineers to download the computer data. They concluded that there was no computer error and no evidence of impact. Clearly there was impact since the car had to be repaired. I have since driven the exact route into the parking lot to see if possibly my wifes foot could have been on the accelerator. I made a right turn, quick left turn and quick right turn into the parking spot and my foot was on the brake the entire time. All third parties that have looked at the vehicle don't believe that there was a computer acceleration malfunction because the engineers said that they didn't identify a problem. I will never drive an Audi again. After this incident, I have spoken with other Audi owners and there seems to be issues with the german engineered "safety" controls. Apply brakes when not necessary, lane control jerking back into traffic when in an exit only lane. I am thankful that no person was in front of my vehicle when this occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11569788

we purchased a new 2023 Audi q5 at the Audi dealer at Wesley Chapel. On October 3, we noticed a malfunctioning indicator light on the dashboard. We took the vehicle back to the dealer to fix the problem. One of the service agents told us, everything was good, just a software update. I also notified the problem to manufacturing company and still no solution. It has been 4 months since when the problem occurred. The malfunction indicator lamp is on all the time when we turn the engine on and while driving. There are a lot of safety concerns while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11565486