Vehicle Data Hub

2021 Audi Q5 E problems

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Audi Q5 E. Drivetrain & axles is the most reported problem area, at 15% of complaints. After that come electrical system (13%) and engine (11%).

At a glance

Complaints
46 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Drivetrain & axles 15% of complaints
Crashes and fires
0 and 0
Injuries and deaths
1 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Drivetrain & axles 15%
  • Electrical system 13%
  • Engine 11%
  • Forward collision avoidance 11%
  • Fuel system 7%
  • Backover prevention 4%
  • Cruise control 4%
  • Lane departure 4%
  • Steering 4%
  • Wheels 4%

What the data shows

Safety-related details: 1 injury reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 92% of model years in our database.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

The vehicle automatic emergency braking has engaged over 6 times when no vehicle or other object was in front of the vehicle. The aggressive hard braking has nearly caused rear ending accidents and has also caused a neck injury. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership to address. The dealership indicated they reduced the sensitivity/distance of the system. This has not resolved the problem, and Audi has indicated they have no other actions they can take.

November 2021 Injury

When I powered on the car, I got a message "Electrical system failure", and was unable to start the car. After multiple tries, the car started, but had the check engine light on. Had this failure happened while the car was moving, this could have been a very dangerous situation. We live in Arizona, and could have easily been stranded in the desert without cell service, creating another life threatening situation.

May 2021

The incident occurred on a busy road during evening rush hour. I was in the middle lane of three lanes, and the lane to the right of me was closed due to construction. The phrase “electrical malfunction” flashed across my dashboard, there were beeping sounds, and about 5-10 later the steering froze up and the car would no longer accelerate. There were no other prior warning indications. I was unable to steer over on a side road or shoulder. I blocked traffic in the middle lane.

July 2021

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle came to a sudden halt as the malfunction indicator light illuminated the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after approximately 15 minutes and drove the vehicle to a dealer(Audi of Quad Cities-1777 E 53rd St, Davenport, IA 52807) where they discovered a defective switch on the vehicle's battery pack which was linked to TSB-9321462062953/1. The contact had the switch repaired by the dealer.

Reported at 2,000 miles, June 2021

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions. The dealer inspected the tires while the warning light was illuminated, and the dealer informed the contact that no failure was found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

Reported at 13,000 miles, January 2024

Other model years of the Q5 E