Owners have filed 10 complaints
about the 2015 Audi SQ5 with NHTSA between 2017 and 2026.
The largest single group is the body & structure.
Across this model's run it ranks 7 of 8 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 29
Against the median year of the Audi SQ5. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2015 Audi SQ5
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Body & Structure
440.0%
Median failure at 110,000 miles
Suspension
220.0%
Steering
220.0%
Median failure at 19,754 miles
Other & Unspecified
110.0%
Median failure at 21,847 miles
Brakes
110.0%
Median failure at 108,084 miles
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jul 2017peak 2Aug 2026
Recalls on the 2015 Audi SQ5
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 20153151,398 units in Canada
Steering
On certain vehicles, during cold ambient temperatures, the electric power steering assist system may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault. This would unexpectedly increase the steering effort force necessary to steer the vehicle at lower vehicle speeds, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will update the power steering control module software.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Saint Louis, MO
SUSPENSION
Component failed: The vehicle's structural front subframe assembly has suffered severe, catastrophic rust perforation and deterioration. Safety risk: The subframe holds the engine and front suspension. It is structurally compromised and at imminent risk of snapping or collapsing at highway speeds, which would cause a total loss of steering and vehicle control, risking a fatal high-speed crash. Dealer confirmation: An authorized Audi dealership inspected the vehicle on [Insert Date from 2 weeks ago] and explicitly determined that the vehicle is completely unsafe to drive. Availability: The vehicle and the failed component are currently held at the authorized Audi dealership and are fully available for federal inspection upon request. Symptoms: There were zero dashboard warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to this discovery. The failure was only found because the dealership lifted the vehicle for a separate service. This hidden danger is due to factory-installed plastic underbody covers that trap moisture and road salt directly against the steel frame, concealing the severe rust perforation until the vehicle becomes an active hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11755816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Louis, MO
STRUCTURE:BODY
Component failed: The vehicle's structural front subframe assembly has suffered severe, catastrophic rust perforation and deterioration. Safety risk: The subframe holds the engine and front suspension. It is structurally compromised and at imminent risk of snapping or collapsing at highway speeds, which would cause a total loss of steering and vehicle control, risking a fatal high-speed crash. Dealer confirmation: An authorized Audi dealership inspected the vehicle on [Insert Date from 2 weeks ago] and explicitly determined that the vehicle is completely unsafe to drive. Availability: The vehicle and the failed component are currently held at the authorized Audi dealership and are fully available for federal inspection upon request. Symptoms: There were zero dashboard warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to this discovery. The failure was only found because the dealership lifted the vehicle for a separate service. This hidden danger is due to factory-installed plastic underbody covers that trap moisture and road salt directly against the steel frame, concealing the severe rust perforation until the vehicle becomes an active hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11755816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Westbrook, CT
SUSPENSION
Rear subframe has extensive and significant rust affecting the structural integrity of the critical component…. Have been advised by a qualified certified mechanic that the vehicle should NOT be driven as doing so could result in catastrophic collapse of the vehicle suspension with potential loss of control of the vehicle without warning. This is apparently a known issue with this model vehicle and the manufacturer has not issued any formal warnings or recalls……
NHTSA complaint #11661723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Westbrook, CT
STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear subframe has extensive and significant rust affecting the structural integrity of the critical component…. Have been advised by a qualified certified mechanic that the vehicle should NOT be driven as doing so could result in catastrophic collapse of the vehicle suspension with potential loss of control of the vehicle without warning. This is apparently a known issue with this model vehicle and the manufacturer has not issued any formal warnings or recalls……
NHTSA complaint #11661723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Gambrills, MD
STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear subframe structure has rusted through in the same location on both sides of the car. Moisture is being trapped between a plastic pieces of molding and the subframe and causing it to rust out completely.
NHTSA complaint #11650932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 108,084 milesEl Cerrito, CA
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2015 Audi SQ5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, while the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes failed to engage; the contact had to initiate the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a halt. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to get a diagnosis however, the diagnosis was pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,084.
NHTSA complaint #11637365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 110,000 milesStephens City, VA
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2015 Audi SQ5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal scraping and dragging sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and observed that the plastic cover for the rear frame was loosened and was dragging on the roadway. The contact was able to remove the remaining piece of the plastic cover by hand. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear subframe was severely corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
NHTSA complaint #11604754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wind Lake, WI
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 AUDI SQ5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE BLIZZARD LIKE WEATHER IN HIS STATE, THE POWER STEERING FROZE AND A "POWER STEERING ERROR" WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INTERNATIONAL AUTOS OF MILWAUKEE (2400 S 108TH ST, MILWAUKEE, WI 53227, (866) 455-8708) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #11181960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 21,847 milesGreensboro, NC
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ON JANUARY 8, 2018; I TOOK MY VEHICLE (AUDI SQ5, 2015, 21847 MILES, WELL WITHIN WARRANTY) INTO FLOW AUDI SERVICE DEPT. IN WINSTON-SALEM, NC. FOR A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER'S WHEEL HITTING AS IF METAL TO METAL, WITH A LOUD BANG AN A HARD JERK AS IF THE WHEEL IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRONT AXLE AS THE VEHICLE GOES INTO TURNS AND CLEARLY UNSAFE. THE SERVICE DEPT. MANAGER ADMITTED(ON RECORDING) TO A HIGH INFLUX OF OTHERS CUSTOMERS COMING IN WITH SAME ISSUE. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S THE DIFFERENTIAL, THE STRUTS, THE TRANSMISSION, THE TIRES AND SO ON. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN MET WITH THREATENING HOSTILITY, AGGRESSION AND BULLING FROM UPPER MANAGEMENT TRYING TO MAKE ME TAKE MY VEHICLE WITHOUT IT BEING REPAIRED. I THEN, FILED A CLAIM WITH AUDI USA CORP. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN CALLED IN AN AUDI USA CORP. ENGINEER (FOR A DOG AND PONY SHOW) TO ONLY DRIVE MY CAR AND SAY WHAT HE THINKS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINEER NEVER EXAMINED MY CAR. HE DID WRITE A FACT SHEET PER MY REQUEST. (SEE ATTACHMENT). I MET WITH EXECUTIVE OFFICER(S) & WAS TOLD THEY WERE SORRY ABOUT THE THREATENING BEHAVIOR I RECEIVED AND TO TAKE MY CAR ELSEWHERE. AFTER REQUESTING THE ENGINEER TO SIGN OFF ON THE GUARANTEED SAFETY OF THE CAR WE'VE COME TO A COMPLETE HALT. IT'S NOW GOING ON 60 DAYS WITH NO RESOLVE. ITS CLEAR AUDI DOESN'T WANT TO EXPOSE THE REPAIRS THAT'S NEEDED OUT OF FEAR FOR ANOTHER MAJOR RECALL. SO, I CONTINUE TO BE MET WITH BULLING, UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AND DECEPTION. THE LENGTHY LAPSE, THE MEASURES TAKEN TO STRONG-ARM ME AND THE DEALERSHIP'S UNWILLINGNESS TO REPAIR THE CAR SHOWS POSSIBLE CORRUPTION, DECEPTION AND UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ON FLOW AUDI & AUDI USA CORP. PART.
NHTSA complaint #11075427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 19,754 milesGreenfield, MA
STEERING
POWER STEERING DISABLED WHILE DRIVING. WARNING ON DASH INDICATED THAT POWER STEERING IS DEFECTIVE. LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STEERING ASSIST WAS IMMEDIATE AND STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. DEALER INDICATED SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NO OTHER DETAILS PROVIDED.
NHTSA complaint #11011818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.