2021 AUDI Q5 — Owner-Reported Problems
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 67 complaints · 8 recalls
Verdict & Safety Summary
Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (14 complaints · 20.9%)
Safety signals:
- Crashes 2
- Fires 0
- Injuries 2
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Component Problem Distribution
Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 | 20.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| ENGINE | 11 | 16.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 8 | 11.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| POWER TRAIN | 8 | 11.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 6 | 9.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| STEERING | 3 | 4.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | 4.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| VISIBILITY | 3 | 4.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 23 | 34.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Problem & Recall Timeline
Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time
- Campaign 21V947000 was reported 162 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V742000 was reported 50 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V753000 was reported 468 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V842000 was reported 897 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V080000 was reported 1,324 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V295000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V606000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V947000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V034000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V742000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V753000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V842000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V080000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 |
Safety Recalls (8)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 21V295000
- Report date
- Component:
- SUSPENSION
- Consequence:
- A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 21V606000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 21V947000
- Report date
- Component:
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Consequence:
- A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 22V034000
- Report date
- Component:
- SUSPENSION
- Consequence:
- Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 22V742000
- Report date
- Component:
- BACK OVER PREVENTION
- Consequence:
- A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 22V753000
- Report date
- Component:
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Consequence:
- A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 23V842000
- Report date
- Component:
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Consequence:
- An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 25V080000
- Report date
- Component:
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Consequence:
- A high-voltage battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will install advanced diagnostic software , free of charge. Volkswagen will monitor available online vehicle data and contact owners as necessary, to advise them not to charge the vehicle until the battery can be replaced. For vehicles in which online data is unavailable, owners are advised not to charge their batteries until the final remedy becomes available. Repairs will be performed free of charge. This will be a Phased recall. Phase 1 will include Interim letters 2022-2023 model year vehicles. Phase 2 will include Owner letters 2021-2024 model year vehicles, and Phase 3 will include Interim letters 2022-2023 model year vehicles. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed February 28, 2025, and May 7, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 93AA. This recall expands and replaces previous NHTSA recall number 24V898.
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Complaint Narrative Explorer
Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Showing 0 of 67 complaints · page 1 of 3
No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.