Vehicle Data Hub

2018 Audi SQ5 problems

The 2018 Audi SQ5 has 41 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (20%) concerns electrical system. After that come engine (17%) and forward collision avoidance (12%).

At a glance

Complaints
41 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Electrical system 20% of complaints
Crashes and fires
2 and 0
Injuries and deaths
4 and 0
Typical mileage
4,000 miles 10 complaints with mileage

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%.

  • Electrical system 20%
  • Engine 17%
  • Forward collision avoidance 12%
  • Drivetrain & axles 10%
  • Brakes 7%
  • Lighting 7%
  • Steering 5%
  • Wipers, windshield & visibility 5%
  • Air bags 2%
  • Fuel system 2%

When problems show up

Complaints by mileage, 2018 Audi SQ5 Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 4,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 7 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 1 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 0 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 2 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 0 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 0 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 4,000 miles
Based on 10 complaints that include mileage. 80% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles7
20k to 40k miles1
40k to 60k miles0
60k to 80k miles2
80k to 100k miles0
100k to 120k miles0
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Among the 10 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 4,000 miles.

Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 4 injuries reported.

It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.

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 Forward Collision Warning system in my 2018 Audi SQ5 is meant to autonomously apply the vehicle's brakes in the event the car senses an oncoming forward collision. At least five different times over the past five months, my vehicle's Forward Collision Warning system activated and applied the brakes at seemingly random times when there was no possible threat of an oncoming forward collision because, in each instance, the vehicle was being driven on multi-lane highways with no other vehicles, barriers, or any…

June 2023 Injury

The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage with the garage door open and with the parking brake engaged. The contact was notified by a neighbor that the vehicle had rolled forward out of the garage down a small inclined driveway, crossed the street, and crashed into the corner of the neighbor's house. The vehicle then rolled back into the street and stopped. Prior to the incident, no warning indicators were illuminated. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed.

Reported at 500 miles, September 2017 Crash

Audi's mmi has a parking aid which includes a 360 degree top view mode. Top view mode reverts to "graphic view" with each restart of the vehicle. Top view mode should keep the user's last setting which in my case is "camera view." camera view is safer because the driver can actually see if there are any obstacles right up against the car (e.g. Children) which sensors could miss. To switch to camera view, the driver needs to take their eyes off the road and click through the mmi menus.

Reported at 10 miles, April 2018

While driving, the 'steering malfunction' warning light came on. The warning said that it was ok to drive. On the same day, the steering wheel became askew and was no longer aligned. This made it very difficult to drive the car. The dealer replaced the entire steering column in july 2020. I picked up the vehicle on 7/23/20. On 9/5/20, the same 'steering malfunction' warning light lit up. It is back with the dealer as if 9/8/20.

Reported at 28,000 miles, September 2020

Other model years of the SQ5

  • 2027
  • 2026
  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014