2025 Audi SQ5 problems

POWER TRAIN

On at least five occasions since we purchased this vehicle brand new in January 2026, the digital transmission system has failed to switch into park and would not switch into park -- producing an error message. To resolve the issue, it required multiple restarts of the car, and there is no clear step to resolve the issue. It feels like luck. We've taken it to the dealership multiple times, they've done digital updates to the car -- which supposedly fixed the problem -- but it continues to recur. We will take it to the dealership again. This is a major safety issue, because the car is susceptible to rolling and movement if it cannot be placed into park (and it's very frustrating).

NHTSA complaint #11762667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On at least five occasions since we purchased this vehicle brand new in January 2026, the digital transmission system has failed to switch into park and would not switch into park -- producing an error message. To resolve the issue, it required multiple restarts of the car, and there is no clear step to resolve the issue. It feels like luck. We've taken it to the dealership multiple times, they've done digital updates to the car -- which supposedly fixed the problem -- but it continues to recur. We will take it to the dealership again. This is a major safety issue, because the car is susceptible to rolling and movement if it cannot be placed into park (and it's very frustrating).

NHTSA complaint #11762667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Ive experienced multiple unexpected braking events while driving on essentially open road using adaptive cruise control. When this first happened it scared me significantly and caused a car behind me to run up on me. Upon further investigation I found that this braking occurs every time I go by these two specific places on [XXX]. When this occurs, the dash display shows an intersection/crossroads icon as if it thinks Im approaching a 4 way stop. There is no 4 way intersection at the points where it happens. There are side roads entering the highway which are marked by signs. I can override the braking with accelerator pedal but the braking resumes if I release the pedal. If I dont do anything, the car decelerates to about 10-15mph and then reaccelerates back to cruise speed. I reported this to the dealer and they say no issue found and wont do anything unless they can replicate and they wont come the 50 miles to my home area to witness it. My concern is that this behavior could result in a road rage event as the driver behind may interpret the deceleration as a brake check. It could also result in me being rear ended by a driver not expecting a brake application on open road. I can provide a video file of the event if you like. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11760631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rendering the vehicle completely invisible to surrounding traffic. Prior to this complete shutdown, the vehicle had been brought to an authorized Audi dealership on 3 previous occasions soon after purchase for progressive electronic communication failures and transient dashboard warning lights, which the service department dismissed as false alerts and did software updates to remedy the alert. It is unclear if those really were false alerts or some precursor to this future problem. The total loss of primary propulsion combined with the complete failure of the secondary emergency backup hazard lighting created an immediate, life-threatening traffic hazard to myself, my passengers and those in vehicles and pedestrians around me. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Audi dealership for diagnosis.

NHTSA complaint #11753278 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rendering the vehicle completely invisible to surrounding traffic. Prior to this complete shutdown, the vehicle had been brought to an authorized Audi dealership on 3 previous occasions soon after purchase for progressive electronic communication failures and transient dashboard warning lights, which the service department dismissed as false alerts and did software updates to remedy the alert. It is unclear if those really were false alerts or some precursor to this future problem. The total loss of primary propulsion combined with the complete failure of the secondary emergency backup hazard lighting created an immediate, life-threatening traffic hazard to myself, my passengers and those in vehicles and pedestrians around me. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Audi dealership for diagnosis.

NHTSA complaint #11753278 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rendering the vehicle completely invisible to surrounding traffic. Prior to this complete shutdown, the vehicle had been brought to an authorized Audi dealership on 3 previous occasions soon after purchase for progressive electronic communication failures and transient dashboard warning lights, which the service department dismissed as false alerts and did software updates to remedy the alert. It is unclear if those really were false alerts or some precursor to this future problem. The total loss of primary propulsion combined with the complete failure of the secondary emergency backup hazard lighting created an immediate, life-threatening traffic hazard to myself, my passengers and those in vehicles and pedestrians around me. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Audi dealership for diagnosis.

NHTSA complaint #11753278 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

1–2 second delay in throttle response from pedal input, followed by sudden uncommanded surge/jerk forward. Occurs when vehicle is on hold mode in a slope or in plain flat conditions at a light or a stop sign. It happens when the car is cold or warm. I consider the vehicle unsafe to drive. The cruise control also has a major problem. When activated the lane departure feature also gets activated automatically but instead of making the car more stable it moves the card left and right all the time without any major interaction from the driver. I have to deactivate the lane departure function all the time in order to feel safe.

NHTSA complaint #11743621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

1–2 second delay in throttle response from pedal input, followed by sudden uncommanded surge/jerk forward. Occurs when vehicle is on hold mode in a slope or in plain flat conditions at a light or a stop sign. It happens when the car is cold or warm. I consider the vehicle unsafe to drive. The cruise control also has a major problem. When activated the lane departure feature also gets activated automatically but instead of making the car more stable it moves the card left and right all the time without any major interaction from the driver. I have to deactivate the lane departure function all the time in order to feel safe.

NHTSA complaint #11743621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

The contact leases a 2025 Audi SQ5. The contact stated that the driver's side exterior rear-view mirror position was blocking the driver's view while making a left turn. The manufacturer was contact and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for it to be test-driven. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 800.

NHTSA complaint #11741553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I was driving out of a parking lot into the feeder road of a highway with the intent of immediately getting on the highway. When I attempted to accelerate the car would not go any faster. I was traveling perhaps 5-10 miles per hour as cars on the feeder road were approaching at 45-50 miles per hour. The lag time before the car would accelerate was about 20 seconds. Luckily, I had not entered the feeder road right as the feeder road traffic was near me, otherwise I would definitely have been hit. This lack of acceleration happened two other times but the lag time was shorter. I took the car to the dealer but they could not find the problem.

NHTSA complaint #11736430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

We bought the car today at Audi South Atlanta brand new and were driving back home. The car suddenly showed the engine light, showed drive system malfunction please safely stop, and then the car slowed down and stopped on the highway. The steering stiffened up and almost caused a car crash. It was very dangerous. The Audi dealership said that software issues were all resolved before allowing the purchase of the vehicle today, but this dangerous malfunction still happened.

NHTSA complaint #11700198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

We bought the car today at Audi South Atlanta brand new and were driving back home. The car suddenly showed the engine light, showed drive system malfunction please safely stop, and then the car slowed down and stopped on the highway. The steering stiffened up and almost caused a car crash. It was very dangerous. The Audi dealership said that software issues were all resolved before allowing the purchase of the vehicle today, but this dangerous malfunction still happened.

NHTSA complaint #11700198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

We bought the car today at Audi South Atlanta brand new and were driving back home. The car suddenly showed the engine light, showed drive system malfunction please safely stop, and then the car slowed down and stopped on the highway. The steering stiffened up and almost caused a car crash. It was very dangerous. The Audi dealership said that software issues were all resolved before allowing the purchase of the vehicle today, but this dangerous malfunction still happened.

NHTSA complaint #11700198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.