Owners have filed 10 complaints
about the 2025 Audi SQ5 with NHTSA between 2025 and 2026.
The largest single group is the fuel & propulsion.
Across this model's run it ranks 8 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 2025 Audi SQ5
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Fuel & Propulsion
220.0%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
110.0%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
110.0%
Median failure at 800 miles
Lights
110.0%
Acceleration & Cruise Control
110.0%
Steering
110.0%
Electrical System
110.0%
Transmission & Drivetrain
110.0%
Engine & Cooling
110.0%
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.
Nov 2025peak 3Jul 2026
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Sammamish, WA
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.
Sammamish, WA
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.
Sammamish, WA
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.
Bryn Mawr, PA
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.
Bryn Mawr, PA
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.
at 800 milesNeponsit, NY
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.
Houston, TX
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.
Greensboro, NC
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.
Greensboro, NC
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.
Greensboro, NC
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.