2018 Audi SQ5 problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Audi SQ5, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 Audi SQ5 vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. 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 | 7 | 30% |
| Engine | 5 | 22% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 17% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 3 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 13% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 9% |
| Steering | 2 | 9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving a 2018 Audi SQ5 with the EA839 3.0T engine, a coolant warning light activated and engine temperatures began rising to 210-215°F. The vehicle was pulled over immediately. Upon inspection the coolant reservoir was found to be nearly empty with dried coolant residue on the exterior indicating an active…”
Engine · filed Jul 5, 2026
“Heavy rain leaked into the cabin of my SUV,and damaged the module, no controls worked through the key fob, no start . I keep my SUV under cover 90% of the time. A recent wind storm damaged my car port that I usually keep it under, so lately it’s been outside more often, especially if wind is in the forecast. I still…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 29, 2024
“Car's electrical system fried overnight during a rainstorm. All systems unresponsive to keys or key faub. Car was towed to used dealership and they told me due to drainage system blockage a pool of water collected in rear battery compartment and submerged the battery.”
Electrical System · filed Nov 22, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
778 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Audi SQ5. The 10 most recent:
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
This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel.
TSB_2078648_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2026
This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing.
TSB_2073747_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.
TSB_2081573_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is increased oil consumption; >0.5ltr/1000 km.
TSB_2074640_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 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_7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the area around the instrument cluster.
TSB_2059335_7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.
TSB_2074729_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 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 2018 Audi SQ5 has 5 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 2018 Audi SQ5?
- · 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.