2018 Audi SQ5: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
23
Complaints
5
Recalls
1
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
87.0
Severity index
Severity index 87.0 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | 30.4% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 21.7% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 4 | 17.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 13.0% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | 13.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 13.0% |
| STEERING | 2 | 8.7% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 8.7% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 7 of 23 complaints (30.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.0x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V947000 | 08/12/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway |
| 18V369000 | 01/06/2018 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reduc |
| 19V416000 | 05/06/2019 | WHEELS:HUB | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach. |
| 19V737000 | 16/10/2019 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle. |
| 19V277000 | 08/04/2019 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake master cylinder casting may be too short. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.