76 of the
226 complaints filed about the Audi E-Tron
are about the electrical system —
34% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2019.
My 2019 Audi e-tron will not charge. The charging indicator turns red after a few seconds and charging stops. The issue happens with both my home charger and Electrify America public chargers. The vehicle does not make the normal charging connection/clicking sound. This appears to be a charging system or high-voltage electrical issue. I am concerned about a potential safety defect because the vehicle cannot reliably charge and may leave the vehicle unusable. We have had a lot of heavy rain recently, and I am concerned that moisture or water intrusion may be related to the charging failure. The vehicle will not charge and the charging light turns red after a few seconds. The issue occurs with both my home charger and Electrify America chargers.
NHTSA complaint #11753477 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2021 Audi e-tron with approximately 58000 miles. Beginning in March 2026, the vehicle developed intermittent Virtual Cockpit/instrument-cluster problems with blank display. I reported the condition to Audi dealer of Princeton NJ. The vehicle subsequently experienced two dead 12-volt battery incidents and became inoperable. The second 12 volt battery was new. Following the most recent incident, the Audi dealer diagnosed the Virtual Cockpit/instrument cluster as causing a drain on the 12-volt battery and recommended replacement at a cost of approximately $3,500. The replacement part is unavailable, and Audi has provided no estimated delivery date. The vehicle has remained out of service since July 03rd 2026. This condition presents a potential safety concern because failure of the instrument cluster may prevent the driver from reliably viewing speed, warning indicators, vehicle status, range, and other safety-related information. The recurring 12-volt battery discharge may also leave the vehicle unexpectedly disabled. The vehicle is additionally showing an indicated range of only approximately 160 miles at 100% charge. Audi has not established whether this is related to the instrument-cluster failure, high-voltage battery condition, battery-management system, software, or another electrical defect. Audi has not provided documentation of a comprehensive high-voltage battery health and capacity evaluation. Audi issued a recall or service campaign affecting other 2021 Audi vehicles for substantially similar Virtual Cockpit/display problems. However, Audi states that my VIN is excluded and has not provided a technical explanation identifying a different component, part number, software version, supplier, or failure mechanism. I request that NHTSA evaluate whether the recurring instrument-cluster failure and 12-volt battery discharge constitute a broader safety defect and whether the existing Audi recall or service-campaign population should include this car.
NHTSA complaint #11752046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent experience with the service department at Audi of Cherry Hill concerning my Audi e-tron. My vehicle remained at your dealership for approximately four weeks, during which time no repairs or meaningful progress were made. Instead, I was informed that I would need to approve approximately $13,000 in diagnostic fees before the vehicle would even be inspected or touched. I find this completely unreasonable and unacceptable, particularly given that my vehicle sat idle at your facility for an extended period without any justification. In addition, I am extremely dissatisfied with the customer service and conduct of an employee named Khern. He explicitly identified himself to me as a manager; however, after speaking with other staff members, I discovered he is not a member of management and works at the service intake desk. Furthermore, when I requested to speak with the actual service manager or another member of leadership to discuss my concerns, Khern actively refused to contact them or allow me to escalate the matter. As a customer, I expect honesty, transparency, and the ability to speak with management when a situation cannot be resolved at the front desk. Instead, I was misled, ignored, and left without assistance while my vehicle sat unrepaired for weeks. I request the following actions in response to this letter: A written explanation as to why my vehicle remained at the dealership for four weeks without any diagnostic progress or work being performed. A detailed, line-item justification for the approximately $13,000 diagnostic estimate presented to me before repairs would begin. An explanation regarding why frontline staff denied my explicit requests to speak with a dealership manager. A direct response from the actual Service Manager or General Manager addressing these concerns and outlining how this matter will be resolved.
NHTSA complaint #11749145 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving, my vehicle recieved multple warning messages at the same time. The first message was that my brake was malfunctioning, and when I went to brake, the brakes did not work. Thankfully, I wasn't going too fast when this happened and I was able to bring it down to a slow and turned into a lot. I could've easily hit another vehicle or totaled my car because the brakes simply stopped working. The problem seems to be at the maker level for Audi eTrons - I've read this has been happening. There were no prior warnings or issues whatsoever, in fact, I had a full service in February (3 months before this incident). Audi had a tow truck take it. The code for this is TSB 2072977/3. Their notes say "vehicle checked and found no communication with ABS module U012100 TSB loosened and fastened earth strap. Performed sleep cycle and softward update 30TU."
NHTSA complaint #11742294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Moisture build-up in the high-voltage electrical system through a faulty seal on the charging socket, which can cause a short circuit and significantly increase the risk of a vehicle fire. If you get a warning light saying "electrical system: fault," you should stop driving immediately, park outdoors away from structures, and not charge the vehicle. Braking problems caused by sub-standard welding within the ABS rotor and shaft. High-voltage battery modules that may overheat, also increasing the risk of fire. An infotainment unit that can become internally damaged when the vehicle is shut off, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera display a federal safety standard violation. This clearly shows the vehicle was badly manufactured, during a chip shortage in 2020. This vehicle is a complete failure by Audi and puts so many innocent peoples lives at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11738208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Airbag detection system continues to malfunction. When driving at random times it states the detection system is currently unavailable as well as all the function buttons on the steering wheel.
NHTSA complaint #11733460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
“Electrical system malfunction- Please park vehicle safely”popping up on the dashboard. This is the second incident of such. Then “ a low battery charge “ warning while charging the car. Warning adds “ battery will charge while driving”. We called the dealer the first time and told to monitor but ok to drive. Then today while traveling almost 3 hours away from home, message pops up again. Dealer contacted and said ok to drive but bring the car asap in shop. Challenges - safety of travelers as issue limits ability to truly know state of charging battery , risk of crash as electrical system main part of EV car. Unsafe conditions putting lives at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11733081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - While on highway the vehicle loosed all Power indicating Electrical Malfunction How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It happened on I-35 Freeway twice putting me in danger of 18 wheelers around me. I am afraid to be in the vehicle even if they return it to me. Based on records this issue has been present on the car since it rolled off manufacturing. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes and Dealer has reproduced it and has the car with them for 5 Plus months. Have replaced many components and are not able to resolve it. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? South Austin Audi Dealer has been working with Audi Corporate Technical team and have replaced 5 parts to no resolution. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Electrical Malfunction - Red light flashing to pull the care over to the emergency lane but there is no acceleration - you are left to depend on whatever momentum is left on the car. Based on records this issue has been present on the car since it rolled off manufacturing. Based on records this issue has been present on the car since it rolled off manufacturing.
NHTSA complaint #11731663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Audi dealership charged fee for a repair that they the,selves acknowledged is under a technical service bulletin and despite my having extended warranty that is supposed to cover such repairs. This is for the main media interface going blank repeatedly every ~5 minutes or so while driving. Audi charged me for a repair that is a known safetyissue and is covered under warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11728247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had 93u9 criteria 04 recall done in February. As of March 6, I had a no power supply message. Without being able to charge it went to the dealer. They said it was the charge port assembly but not from the recall since that was software. Once that was fixed they charged the car and it immediately had the fault electrical malfunction. Now they say i need to replace the rear drive motor. Then thy called again and said the 12v battery needs to be replaced as well. This all happened while still at the dealer. I didn’t have those faults prior, yet they want to say none of its related. This appears all related. After I got the car back from the recall, I had two times the charging didn’t want to start, then I had ghost wiping with the rear wiper and the infotainment system rebooted several times while driving. Safety had gotten much worse and now there are cascading failures. Audi does not want to admit the recall was the cause, but the car had no issues prior and now a month later had $17000 in repairs. Audi has had the error code reports requested by me, but they have not provided them including the corporate office. I feel this recall caused a catastrophic failure of my battery and electrical system.
NHTSA complaint #11725413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Audi E-Tron. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently switched to SAFE Mode and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the mileage range was reduced, and the battery recharging time increased. The failure started after the vehicle was repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V867000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but no failure was found with the vehicle. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic who reported that the amperage of the battery had been reduced from 400 amps to 130 amps. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 16,000.
NHTSA complaint #11719794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tied with NHTSA Recall 25V900 - Review Camera Software. Dealer was unable to complete the recall due to internal malfunction of USB Interface on vehicle. Dealer quoted a non itemized Repair Estimate of $1,045.50 to replace the interface in order to be able to complete the open recall. No visible user caused damage to interface and prior Technical Support Bulletin (2066315) for issues with USB covering specific vehicle. Given the dependence on software within our vehicles, the USB interface used to perform required recall work should be covered when failure is internal to the interface module.
NHTSA complaint #11718481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The high-voltage charging flap assembly (Part 4KE810001) has failed, preventing the charge door from latching. Notably, this failure (DTC P31D000) occurred within 7 days of the vehicle being serviced at Audi Burlingame for a high-voltage battery software recall. This presents three safety hazards: 1. Driver Distraction: Triggers a continuous auditory chime and 'Warning! Please check the charging unit cover' message every 10 seconds. It cannot be silenced, creating a severe, persistent distraction. 2. Unintended Deployment: At highway speeds, the unlatched flap opens/flaps due to aerodynamics, creating a visual obstruction and distraction for the driver and traffic. 3. Moisture Ingress: Failure to seal the port exposes the high-voltage interface to pressurized rain/road spray. Per NHTSA 19V434 (Recall 93E8) regarding moisture ingress in this system, this failure represents a recurrence of a known safety risk. Evidence of Defect: Audi has iterated through three versions of this part (4KE810001, B, and C), confirming an inherent design flaw. This component is specifically identified in Service Campaign 93H6 for proactive replacement. Despite this, and the failure occurring immediately after recall service 93V2 on October 1st 2025, Audi Burlingame denied a 'goodwill' repair and quoted $1,100+ for a part already internally flagged as defective. Repair declined due to cost; safety hazard remains active. I am requesting that the NHTSA open an investigation into this component failure. Thank you,
NHTSA complaint #11716617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CATASTROPHIC ELECTRICAL FAILURE - SMOKE IN CABIN While driving with passengers, dashboard displayed "ELECTRICAL FAILURE - PULL OVER WHEN SAFE" followed by loud explosive POP and cabin filled with SMOKE. ROOT CAUSE: Prior undisclosed collision damage. Dealer (Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac) removed front bumper in June 2025 (Repair Order #78683), then sold vehicle as "no accidents" in August 2025. Subsequent inspection revealed cut wiring and improper repairs (Invoice #94609). CURRENT STATUS: Vehicle inoperable 3+ months. Audi corporate technicians have repaired major problem however vehicle still has charging issues that happened right before the catastrophic failure unable to repair. SAFETY CONCERN: Smoke-filled cabin endangered occupants. Potential fire hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11716739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
INCIDENT SUMMARY: On [XXX], I brought my 2019 Audi e-tron (VIN: [XXX] , 70k miles) to Audi Salt Lake City for Safety Recall 93U9 (High Voltage Battery Module). Vehicle was functioning normally with no warning lights or electrical issues. IMPROPER RECALL COMPLETION: The dealership's technician (Chris Miller, [XXX] ) documented in the service notes: "I FOUND THE GROUNDING STRAP FOR THE REAR MOTOR WAS NOT INSTALLED AND WAS TUCKED UP BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND THE COVERS." This proves the technician failed to properly reinstall the critical grounding strap during recall service, leaving it disconnected in the high voltage system. IMMEDIATE FAILURES AFTER RECALL: Following the recall service, multiple critical failures occurred: Voltage converter failure (part #4KE-907-171-C) Battery charging malfunction (limited to 100 miles range vs normal 200+ miles) Multiple stored fault codes and dashboard warning lights Rear drive motor faults Parking brake system failures All failures are consistent with loss of proper grounding in a high voltage EV system. SAFETY CONCERNS: The technician drove my vehicle 55 miles during service (odometer: 70,651 IN to 70,706 OUT). Why didn't they notice the warning lights during this excessive test drive? Operating a high voltage EV with improper grounding creates risk of electrical fire, shock hazard, and component damage. How many other vehicles at this dealership had recall 93U9 improperly completed? DEALER RESPONSE: Dealership attempted to charge me $2,089 for repairs caused by their incomplete recall work. When I disputed, the General Manager threatened to call police if I didn't return the loaner vehicle. No repairs were ever authorized by me. INVESTIGATION REQUESTED: Please investigate Audi Salt Lake City's recall 93U9 completion procedures and quality control. This is negligent completion of federal safety recall work that endangered my safety and may affect other e-tron INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11709462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Batery is giving electrical malfunction alert. Dealer diagnosed SX6 failed, replaced at 52,991 miles on Dec 22, 2022 (they agreed to replaced free of charge), at 104,741 miles on Jan 6 2025, dealer diagnosed sx6 failed again, needed to be replaced.thry refused to replace at no charge. During the research online I found that many audi EV cars owners reported the same problem which SX6 failure could potentially causes the car could completelystop while operating.
NHTSA complaint #11709560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2019 Audi E-tron has experienced two major issues during my ownership. At around 87k miles, I was driving into a parking lot and suddenly a “electrical malfunction” warning light appeared on my dashboard followed my many warning lights including 4wd, brake system, and battery. The vehicle was not moving properly and I had to slowly move it into a parking lot and had it towed to the dealership. The issue was that the front motor is toasted caused by coolant leaking into the motor. The second issue occurred around 109k miles. My vehicle couldn’t start in a parking lot and the same “Electrical Malfunction” warning light went on. The vehicle was towed to Audi dealership and the diagnosis was a failing SX6 battery control module, which costed me over $8000 to repair. Those two issues both make the vehicle unmovable and could be catastrophic if they occur at high speed. There are numerous complaints from Reddit and E-tron forum regarding the same two issues. Both issues involved moisture getting into critical electrical components and could put the safety of passengers and other vehicles on the road in danger. The Audi USA has extended the warranty for the motor issue but hasn’t done anything regarding the SX6 modules. The vehicle’s electrical motors and HV battery should be closely inspected since those issues are prevalent and could be related to serious design flaws from factory. Audi USA hasn’t addressed those issues properly and it didn’t have a proper fix for its self discharging battery as well, which puts this vehicle unsafe to operate on the road.
NHTSA complaint #11702624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle's central locking system does not properly communicate with the keyfob resulting in the doors not unlocking as intended. I have had my child in the car seat in the back and if i accidentantly touch the handle the wrong way the doors will lock and I am unable to use the unlock feature to get my kid out. This could be a serious safety issue if someone becomes trapped in the rear seat and the central locking system does not allow unlocking of the doors.
NHTSA complaint #11702257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicles software system regularly crashes and/or does not load leaving all camera functionality and safety alerts inoperable. I have had the vehicle in to address these concerns 5 times with no resolve from the manufacturer. Even with video evidence they claim the vehicle is functioning as intended. This is in direct violation of FMVSS 111 as the rearview camera is regularly not available. Sometimes the system reboots within seconds and sometimes it takes 10 minutes or more.
NHTSA complaint #11701360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.