2020 AUDI A5 Complaints

MMI turns off about every 2-mins and restarts on its own. Everything(Radio+navigation+Airplay+Sound) restarts and its extremely distracting while driving(missing turns+Disconnect hans off calls etc).This has been going on for approximately 4 days.

The car has a very loud sequence of high pitched beeps accompanying a “SOS EMERGENCY CALL FUNCTION MALFUNCTION” warning light that comes on and stays on. It is a major driving distraction when the warning beeps suddenly come on (up to six sustained times in a row). The diagnosis of this was that the antennae needs replacing due to water ingress with an estimate from dealership of $2500. Additionally, the MMI randomly powers off and then reboots every couple of minutes. This again causes major safely issues as navigation is suddenly gone when the screen turns black, and then loud music starts playing on the radio (which was not playing previously) when it automatically reboots. I have to try and turn off blaring music and readjust navigation in the midst of driving. There are also a number of screens I have to navigate answering after the reboot which again causes driving distraction. The dealership said there were no fault codes so I would have to invest in a software update with an estimate of $700 which may or may not fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed, the entire MMI would have to be replaced with an estimate of $7000. All of these lights and warnings and screen changes and screen prompts essentially makes the car not drivable due to the extreme distractions implicating safely and focus

The MMI reboots 3-4 times while driving, a big distraction. It starts by checking remote access rights, then has a few other messages. It takes nearly 2 minutes to reset and often this occurs several times. If you select certain options, the MMI starts to change seat and other settings while vehicle is in operation. The dealer has no software updates/upgrades to resolve this potentially serious issue. This has happened several times recently (last few weeks).

Communication system: The telephone microphone works intermittently and fails while the seat belt is fastened. The car is equipped with telephone microphones in the driver's seatbelt and on the roof, under the rearview mirror. The microphone system works when the seatbelt is NOT fastened. If the belt is buckled correctly and the mobile phone answers a call, the driver must manually disconnect the Bluetooth to answer the call (or unbuckle the seatbelt). The dealer said it was an iPhone issue; however, this issue has been known since 2020. The driver's belt is not damaged in any way. The dealer says I am responsible for replacing the safety belt to remedy the issue, but it is not assured that it will fix the problem. I purchased this vehicle in 2023, and the telephone issue has been a persistent problem. NC is a hands-free state, and this issue causes me to disconnect my telephone and navigation maps or to handle my phone while driving to disconnect the Bluetooth. MMI Reboots While Driving: The MMI system turns off and restarts while driving. The screen goes black, and the system requires the driver to select User and sometimes enter a code. This issue will also cause a mobile device to disconnect. Particularly dangerous while using a CarPlay map application while driving. The dealer says I am responsible for paying for the software update. On Tuesday, [XXX] I was driving in Greensboro, NC, when the MMI system went black. My phone was connected using Maps, but I unplugged it from the car, and my maps would not load on my phone. It was dark, and I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood. This experience was frightening and very unsafe. Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletins on both problems without issuing a recall. Many owners of the 2020 model are experiencing these two issues. These are serious issues and should warrant recalls without any cost to the consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The MMI/ radio shuts off and reboots at least 4-5 times within a 30 minute drive. When it comes back up, I get the error “user hasn’t been detected for some time” or "A technical error has occurred. The user could not be loaded". I have had it go out while in reverse which is a safety concern. Every time it shuts off it is 30 seconds to a minute where nothing in my MMI is accessible. This began around April of 2025. No warning lights or error codes have been found. I have not taken it in for diagnosis, as it seems to be software related. It seems a lot of people are experiencing the same issue and how it may be related to software updates. It is very frustrating, and provides potential safety concerns as access to any GPS services, backup cameras, and any feature tied to the MMI go completely blank while driving or reversing.

The MMI/ radio shuts off and reboots at least every 5-6 minutes. When it comes back up, I get the error “user hasn’t been detected for some time”. Every time it shuts off it is 30 seconds to a minute where nothing in my MMI is accessible. This began around late June of 2025. No warning lights or error codes have been found. I have not taken it in for diagnosis, as it seems to be software related.I know a lot of people that are experiencing the same issue and how it may be related to software updates, as the current software I have matches what the others have. This is very dangerous as access to any GPS services, backup cameras, and any feature tied to the MMI go completely blank while driving.

Starting early 2025 with no changes or modifications or warning - the MMI system in my 2020 Audi A5 began spontanously rebooting. It appears to be rebooting regardless use or radio, CarPlay, or nothing - even after the recent factory reset. Reboots appear to occur at random - sometimes once in 40 mins, or every 3-4 mins. After some research, it appears other similar 2020 cars have recently started experiencing the similar symptoms something this year in 2025. Sudden loss of navigation aid, parking and warning collision, etc have almost resulted in crashes. It was inspected at a dealer, who did not note any other open issues. I suspect there must be a change in how Audi forces the car to call back to their service that resulted in software reboots.

The MMI/ radio shuts off and reboots at least 4-5 times within a 30 minute drive. When it comes back up, I get the error “user hasn’t been detected for some time”. I have had it go out while in reverse which is a safety concern. Every time it shuts off it is 30 seconds to a minute where nothing in my MMI is accessible. This began around April of 2025. No warning lights or error codes have been found. I have not taken it in for diagnosis, as it seems to be software related. [XXX] This link shows a lot of people that are experiencing the same issue and how it may be related to software updates, as the current software I have matches what is in the link and is incredibly outdated and old. Never once has it been addressed by the company. It is incredibly frustrating, and provides potential safety concerns as access to any GPS services, backup cameras, and any feature tied to the MMI go completely blank while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MMI spontaneously reboots numerous times while driving. When the reboots happen, the screen goes black and key systems such as the backup camera, rear obstacle detection, and navigation, become unavailable until the reboot completes and the systems reload. Restoring functionality requires user input to get through the loading screens. The issue started in February/March 2025 and I requested my the Audi dealer to investigate while performing a 50,000 mile service in May 2025. This appears to be a widespread issue based on the numerous reports found on user forums online, affecting the same model year vehicles (for multiple examples, refer to [XXX] ). This should be considered a safety issue, as the reboots can happen in the middle of a reverse parking maneuver, and they render the backup camera and obstacle detection sensors completely inoperative until the system reloads. They also impact safety on the highway, as the reboots completely disable the navigation screens, and require multiple user input to restore, while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The MMI which is the visual interface for screen controls including GPS continually resets and when it does the car loses all connection to these functions. Resets and comes back and then sometimes within minutes does it again over and over. Have communicated with other Audi owners who are having same issue and have had no resolution through Audi.