Engine, electrical system, and brake issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
When a consumer wants a luxury SUV, there are a few top choices to consider, including the 2022 Audi Q5. After all, the automaker claims that the Q5 is “the SUV other SUVs wish they could be.” Do other SUVs hope to have ridiculous defects that irritate consumers? Some owners are finding that the Audi Q5 lineup meets these expectations with a defective electrical system, problematic engine, and malfunctioning brakes.
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The most common problems 2022 Audi Q5 owners are complaining about relate to the engine, electrical system, and brakes. However, many other components and systems are implicated including lane departure, forward collision avoidance, the powertrain, fuel/propulsion system, airbags, vehicle speed control, and trailer hitches. There are also a large number of very varied complaints that relate to safety issues.
For example, an owner from Vermont highlights brake, powertrain, and what might be electrical system issues. All of these, the complaint states, “are clear safety issues.” When parked on a slight incline, the vehicle rolls forward downhill after the driver has shifted from Park to Reverse. The “dealership says this is normal” and that the car will roll forward when the transmission is in reverse. But the owner maintains it is “a design defect in the electronic transmission.”
Additionally, the windows of the Q5 won’t open when outside temps are below 20 degrees. And the dealership doesn’t have a solution. “This car has a bunch of other problems that Audi won’t address.”
There are also 4 recalls for the 2022 Audi Q5. One affects vehicles that have a rear-view camera issue where the image doesn’t display. Two recalls are engine and engine cooling problems, both of which can result in engine stalls, increasing the risk of a crash. The fourth is described as a structure and electrical system issue, where the control module can suddenly reduce the engine power, also increasing the risk of a crash.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Lane Departure: Warning | |
| Power Train | |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Fuel/propulsion System |
As mentioned above, there are 2 recalls that involve engine issues with Audi vehicles, including the Q5. The most serious, issued on October 7, 2022, was NHTSA Campaign Number 22V753000, which relates to damaged connecting rod bearings that can result in engine failure. If this happens the engine might stall, increasing the risk of a crash. Another possibility is that it might cause an oil leak, which can increase the risk of a fire.
Potentially 74,071 Volkswagen and Audi Q5 vehicles are affected.
While engine issues are varied, more than half of them refer to the recall and issues that affect 2022 Audi Q5 vehicles.
A man from Ontario in California was provided with a loaner vehicle, which he later discovered had an active safety recall. According to the NHTSA complaint submitted by his wife, the “dealership was aware of the recall.” However, “the recall was not disclosed and the defective vehicle had not been inspected or repaired” by the dealership.
“My husband and my 3-year-old son were in the defective vehicle on the freeway when it malfunctioned. The engine burst into flames and began to lose function while driving in the carpool lane.” They were both injured and traumatized.
Just before the incident, the check engine light came on “and the vehicle began to smoke.” The engine burst into flames and began to lose function while he was trying to exit the freeway. When he got to the shoulder of the freeway, he turned the vehicle off … “Shortly after the engine exploded.”
The complaint states that the negligence of the dealership (which is named) “was reckless, dangerous, and displayed a complete disregard for human life.”
Another owner had the recall inspection done and “they found no evidence of metal in the engine.” About 1,000 miles later, while driving at 65 mph, suddenly “warnings flashed and black smoke started coming out the back. It was completely inoperable. This is extremely dangerous as someone could have run into me from behind.” Adding insult to injury, it took 5 hours for a tow truck to arrive.
“The recall ‘repair’ is not enough. You cannot just look to see if there are metal shavings, and if not, assume the car will not have them in the future. All the engines should be replaced unless they can develop a repair for the problem that guarantees this will not happen in the future.”
An owner from Indiana scheduled an appointment with a dealership in Chicago for a recall inspection. But he was told that they don’t know how much time they need to fix the issue. They think “maybe a month or longer if the engine needs to be replaced. And they cannot provide me with a loaner, because there isn’t one available.”
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As a luxury model, there’s every reason to assume that the electronics are up to par in the Q5. However, some customers are highly disappointed after getting inside the SUV.
A recall had already been issued in December 2021 because of the faulty electrical system. NHTSA Campaign Number 21V947000 states that 288,991 Audi vehicles, including the 2022 Q5, have a defect that allows spilled liquids in the rear seat to penetrate a body seam into the gateway control module. If liquid reaches this vital part, engine power is greatly reduced, leading to a higher chance of an accident. This isn’t a new problem at all. In fact, the same issues have occurred on models since 2018, with no resolution yet. With class-action lawsuits pending against Audi, it might not be long before 2022 customers join in.
Most of the NHTSA complaints are from drivers who report getting electrical system malfunction notifications.
An owner from Colorado describes an “electrical system malfunction that occurred in May 2022. Safely stop vehicle” notification. They pulled over and restarted the Q5, but the check engine light was on. When the error recurred, “the screen went blank and I completely lost power to the vehicle.” The dealer diagnosed the problem and said there was a TSB from Audi. However, they said the fix would only be available in the third quarter of 2022.
The dealer also said that 3 other 2022 Q5e had been brought in with the same issue!
An owner from Los Angeles had a similar experience. The 2022 Audi Q5 PHEV “abruptly stopped and displayed three warning lights on the dashboard.” These were an “electrical system malfunction, drive system malfunction, and check engine light.” He was unable to move the car. Eventually, after restarting the vehicle several times, the malfunction lights went off but the check engine light stayed on.
However, this time, the dealership was unable to diagnose the problem, stating there were no codes available for diagnosis.
And an owner from Texas states that they opened a case in April 2022 after the Q5 showed the electric malfunction message 4 or 5 times. In November 2022, it happened again, and was nearly in a serious accident.
In addition to the complaint about multiple issues that include faulty brakes, there are several reports of brake malfunctions.
A Florida owner tells how a combination of malfunctions, including brake failure, landed he and his wife in hospital after the Q5 crashed. Listed as an airbag, forward collision-avoidance, and brake problem, the complaint states that the Q5 suddenly accelerated while the owner was trying to park. The automatic emergency brakes didn’t work and the airbags didn’t deploy. The car hit into a building and “both my wife and I were hospitalized. The auto emergency system of the Audi Q5 is not reliable,” and there is a need for a recall, he said.
An owner from Pennsylvania was faced with a “brake malfunction” error while stopped at a red traffic light. After the traffic light turned green, the “vehicle was unresponsive when (the) gas pedal was pressed.” After restarting the engine twice, the vehicle started moving but the engine light stayed on.”
Another owner states that while driving at 65 mph the brake failure light came on. At the same time the doors locked on their own and the windows rolled down. He tried to depress the brake pedal but couldn’t. Fortunately, he was able to stop the Q5 and turn off the engine. After allowing the vehicle to cool down, he took it to the dealer who said there was no failure.
Of all the safety systems in place with today’s cars, the back over prevention camera is arguably one of the most important. Yet, in the 2022 Audi Q5, the system just doesn’t work.
An NHTSA complaint from an owner in North Carolina reads, “The rear view camera fails during use. Frozen images and black screens.”
It should come as no surprise to see that there’s already a recall on the back up camera that affects back over prevention. NHTSA Campaign Number 21V825000 shows that the Q5 and other Audi vehicles are dealing with a massive software error. Because of this fault, the rearview image doesn’t display correctly. With the reduction to the driver’s view, there’s a risk of accidents for Audi owners. Sadly, this problem seems to be occurring on the entire Audi lineup, showing that there’s nothing special about the Q5, good or bad.
If you suspect you might have bought a lemon, Lemberg Law is available to assess your case free of charge. The law makes Audi pay legal fees, which is why you won’t have to pay. Call our Helpline or fill out a contact form if you’d like us to help you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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This car is awful
Black control buttons below the silver buttons for the control screen. The printed icons on the buttons cannot be read in the daylight. These buttons should be a different color. The buttons are for parking aid, ESC, hold the vehicle on an incline, drive select, and the stop/ start function. These buttons need to have some kind of a colored decal do the can be seen. Very poor design. Audi needs to make decals so the owners can attach them to the buttons