2021 Audi Q5 E problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q5 E. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 7 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 21% |
| Unknown / Other | 5 | 18% |
| Engine | 4 | 14% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 11% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 7% |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“On August 11th, 2026 right before noon, the sunroof on my Audi Q5 (hybrid, 2021 model) exploded without warning. Luckily noone was hurt but the explosion alone was enough to distract someone to run off the road. Luckily there were no pedestrians around otherwise they could have been hit by flying glass. And luckily…”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 13, 2026
“On August 11th, 2026 right before noon, the sunroof on my Audi Q5 (hybrid, 2021 model) exploded without warning. Luckily noone was hurt but the explosion alone was enough to distract someone to run off the road. Luckily there were no pedestrians around otherwise they could have been hit by flying glass. And luckily…”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 13, 2026
“I and my wife were emerging from an intetstate highway entrance ramp when our car suddenly and completely lost power. A "Transmission Malfunction" warning suddenly (and for the first time) appeared on the dashboard.We had just completed a merge with heavy traffic going 70-75 miles per hour. Immediately behind our car…”
Power Train · filed Jun 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
472 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q5 E. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
TSB_2074436_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2026
This bulletin provides informaitn when there is a warning messsage; "Instrument cluster: fault. Limited warning messages. Please contact workshop"; DTC B200096.
TSB_2069331_8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2026
This bulletin provides information on the zirconium insercts in the brake piston (ceramic brakes only).
TSB_2069078_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2026
This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.
TSB_2068999_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a paint issue on alloy wheels.
TSB_2079732_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is an ABS/ESC speed sensor implausible signal.
TSB_2072304_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2026
This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel.
TSB_2078648_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2026
This bulletin provides informatin when there is binding or vibrations in tight turns with quattro Ultra.
TSB_2059057_15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2026
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
TSB_2082846_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2026
This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.
TSB_2081573_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2021 Audi Q5 E in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Audi Q5 E?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.