AUDI Complaints

Severe corrosion of the rear subframe crossmember on a 2014 Audi Q5 Premium Plus, purchased with 65,464 miles. Two independent inspections in South Carolina confirmed structural failure. Audi of Greenville, an authorized Audi dealership, marked the condition as VERY DANGEROUS on the service invoice and quoted $4,711.52 for subframe replacement. They were unable to perform a wheel alignment due to the severity of the corrosion. Yoder's Automotive in Westminster, SC independently confirmed the subframe was rusted beyond repair on both sides. Fist-sized holes have corroded through the structural metal on both sides of the subframe. The vehicle has plastic stone guard covers bolted over the subframe from the factory. These covers trapped road salt and moisture against unpainted mild steel, accelerating concealed corrosion that was invisible until the covers were removed during inspection. The vehicle is undriveable and has not been driven since the defect was discovered in approximately March 2026. This defect pattern is documented in at least 16 prior NHTSA complaints for Audi Q5 models spanning model years 2010 through 2018. Audi has revised the subframe part number at least five times (8R0505235F through 8R0505235N) but has issued zero recalls and zero consumer notifications.

After dealership service and recall-related calibration work, my vehicle developed multiple safety-related issues that did not exist prior to service. The dealership documented a diagnostic trouble code for “Hybrid/EV Battery Thermal Runaway Detected” (P29FF00), a critical high-voltage battery safety fault. Instead of diagnosing and repairing the root cause, the dealership cleared the fault code and returned the vehicle to me, stating it was operating as designed. Following this, the vehicle has exhibited abnormal and unsafe behavior, including significant and inconsistent loss of driving range, irregular energy consumption, regenerative braking issues, and braking concerns such as squealing, mechanical drag, and rotor heat buildup affecting stopping performance. Additionally, multiple control modules associated with the recall and calibration work are affected, including systems related to driver assistance and vehicle operation. These systems required recalibration, and the vehicle’s behavior changed following this process, raising concerns about improper calibration of safety-critical systems such as lane keeping and stability functions. The dealership’s documentation confirms fault codes were erased without confirmed repair or root cause resolution. No clear diagnostic explanation was provided for the battery fault or related system issues. Audi of America has been notified and has refused further escalation or assistance, directing all responsibility back to the dealership despite unresolved safety concerns. I am concerned the vehicle is operating with unresolved high-voltage battery and system faults that pose a serious safety risk, including potential battery failure, loss of braking performance, and malfunctioning driver assistance systems

My Audi Q4 Etron has had this issue since it was new. The car has a sensor as part of the drivers seat. Once you sit in the seat the car turn on and you can start driving. The problem is if you make any movements, like turn to look back while your backing the car up or you reach over to pick up something off the passenger front seat the car will abruptly stop and turn off. It can take up to two minutes for the car to start again, twice i was left in the middle of a four lane intersection stranded. The second time it nearly caused an accident as multiple cares slammed their brakes. The dealership said that its a common complaint but there in nothing they can do, i was told to stay seated and to not move while driving. My wife also got stranded blocking an intersection and it also almost caused an accident, she was so scared that she will not drive the car or ride in it when im driving. Audi need to fix this before someone gets killed. I hope you can help.

Component: Backup camera Issue: Recall cannot be completed Status: Manufacturer requires customer-paid repair before completing safety recall (90TV), leaving safety defect unresolved.

The vehicle repeatedly disengages critical safety features, including Distance Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Assist, Emergency Assist, and Active Front Assist, and displays a malfunction alert. Additionally, the vehicle has abruptly stopped without any identifiable cause while traveling on a straight roadway with no surrounding traffic. The dealer provided me with a brand new 2026 Q3 two weeks ago. The vehicle exhibited the problem described, and the dealer replaced it because they were unable to resolve the issue. However, after I received another new vehicle, the same issue also ap

I’m reporting a serious safety issue with my 2018 Audi Q7. Both rear suspension springs failed suddenly while I was driving at highway speeds 70 MPH, with no warning at all. This was extremely dangerous—I almost lost control of the vehicle when it happened. The rear of the car dropped and handling became unstable immediately. There were no prior signs, noises, or issues leading up to the failure. This kind of failure should not happen under normal driving conditions, especially on a vehicle like this. Having both springs fail at the same time creates a major safety risk not only for me but for others on the road. I had to replace both rear springs at my own expense. Based on what I’ve seen, this may be a known issue and not just a one-time occurrence. I’m asking NHTSA to look into this problem and determine if there’s a defect with the suspension system on the 2018 Audi Q7 that could require a recall or further action.

USB-C ports found on the front center console and second row center console have a defective design that leads to frequent "push in" of the USB connector. This is leading to shorts, circuit boards overheating, and potential fire risk. It is a frequent issue reported in online forums affecting a wide range of Audi models that include the SQ7 and Q7 among many others. Dealers and Audi of America are infrequently taking responsibility for the poor design and are suggesting repair fees in the 1000s of dollars. One of the USB-C ports in my center console was pushed in before I purchased it, and the dealer is unwilling to help repair it. Their initial quote was $3000 to repair this defectively designed part.

The first time, while driving at 50-55mph, the engine decelerated suddenly. After about 10-15 seconds struggles with the gas pedal and brake pedal, the car accelerated normally. I pulled safely to side of the road to shut off the engine and start again. Things seemed to work like normal. The control panels did not show any warning signs. The second and third times (couple weeks later), while driving around 40-45mph, the engine decelerated suddenly again. After some struggles like I did the first time, the engine accelerated like normal. Like the first time, the control panels did not display any warning signs. I took the car to the Audi dealer garage and they couldn't identify the problems. They performed two "engine software updates" and said hopefully it should address the engine decelerate issue. I was charged $299 for the diagnostic tests. I am worried what would happen if I was driving on a busy and highspeed Freeway!

This vintage 2014 Audi A5 has a well known serious rust perforation issue with the rear subframe. The corrosion / rust through of two major holes, approx 3 inches in diameter, causing structural failure of the sub frame. This is a major saftey concern with these cars from model year 2009 thru 2017. The only remedy is replacement of the sub frame under Audi's 12 year rust perforation warranty or good will.

Since I purchase my vehicle I have had to continuously replace my tires on the front. Going through my carfax acct I came across some recalls that showed up that I had no idea of the car may had which was prior to purchase from the dealers. I would think that these issues were fixed prior to reselling. I recently had to pull over on the freeway due to the tire making noises then realized that the tire wear was uneven again but this time shredded apart. I could feel metal poking out which the tires hadn’t been on for long. The loss pressure warning light went off. I later found the missing tire that has came off wrapped around the rotor which the tire shop near me hadn’t seen while replacing with new tires again. The wear on the brake pads were off as well as the rotors which I also ended up having to replace just recently. I’ve made an appointment with a dealer which is out of my way to hopefully have this resolved but needed to make a report of this safety issue.