2021 Audi Q5 problems & reliability
71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q5, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Audi Q5 vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 26 | 37% |
| Engine → | 17 | 24% |
| Power Train → | 12 | 17% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 10 | 14% |
| Unknown / Other | 8 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 6% |
| Steering | 3 | 4% |
| Structure | 3 | 4% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 22 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“VIN number: [XXX]. Audi Q5 Prestige 2021 Mileage 48,540 I have contacted Audi Corporate regarding a catastrophic Transmission Failure while driving. The dealership investigation discovered that bolts had loosened and the fluid was not getting to the transmission and it stopped dead while I was driving. I was on…”
Power Train · filed Aug 28, 2026
“On 8/3/26, my 2021 Audi Q5 began throwing numerous different malfunction/error alerts and the engine turned off while driving after a bottle of water had partially spilled onto our backseat behind the drivers side. The vehicle was towed to a nearby mechanic who determined that liquid damaged the gateway control module…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 20, 2026
“I was driving at highway speeds when a "Transmission Malfunction" warning appeared, and the vehicle lost the ability to accelerate. Once I was able to pull over and put the vehicle in Park, it completely lost the ability to engage Drive or Reverse, leaving me stranded. Important to note pulling over was difficult as I…”
Engine · filed Jun 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,130 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q5. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides general information about the current tpp issues for Audi connect.
TSB_2082976_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 27, 2026
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
A particularly noticeable factor is the vibration of the air column in a tire. When a tire starts to vibrate because of the road contact, this can lead to cavity resonances inside the tire that are transmitted via the…
TSB_2079696_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a wheel/tire imbalance.
TSB_2074843_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
TSB_2069904_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 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 corrosion on the friction survace of steel brake discs.
TSB_2067132_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is an issue with wireless charging/wireless charging is not working.
TSB_2064681_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 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
The 2021 Audi Q5 has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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?
- · 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.