2018 Audi Q5 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2018 Audi Q5 most often describe the Pre Sense driver-assist system braking or alerting on its own when nothing is in the way, and a separate cluster of complaints about water reaching electrical modules and causing warning lights, no-start conditions or dead systems. Engine and cooling problems, broken rear coil springs and brake noise also come up, with many reports filed at low mileage.

1. 1
   Forward collision avoidance

   Pre Sense brakes or alerts with no obstacle

   • 27 complaints (13%)
   • median 10,400 mi at 2.0 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the Pre Sense or forward collision system applying the brakes, tightening the seat belt or sounding an alert when no vehicle or object is nearby. The braking is often described as sudden and hard, at highway speeds, in parking lots and while backing up. Several say the dealer could not reproduce or diagnose it, and one owner was told the sensors were set too sensitive. Mostly reported under 15,000 miles, at both low speeds and highway speeds.

   What to check: Drive the car at highway speed and in a parking lot and ask whether any Pre Sense or front camera software updates have been applied. Ask the seller if the system has ever braked unexpectedly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle was stopped and I was intending to turn left at a signal light. When the signal changed for me to proceed I accelerated into my left turn when the car suddenly braked on its own and pulled me back into the seat. The Audi sense indicator came on being activated as if it sensed I was about to make impact with another vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11102227, filed 2018-06, 800 miles

   “I've had several issues with my vehicle when backing up and the presence going off without a reason. When backing up on several occasions, the sensors will beep and bring the vehicle to grinding stop. When I check the area, there are no vehicles, person, or objects in the path of the vehicle. Recently, when driving on the highway, the pre sense went off when no vehicles were around and slowed the vehicle down at a rapid rate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11323111, filed 2020-05, 31,900 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Water intrusion into rear electrical modules

   • 61 complaints (29%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 6.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $7,000 (median of 16 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe water reaching electrical components in the rear of the vehicle, from a clogged sunroof drain, a rear seat spill or a body seam, and then multiple warning lights, inoperative lights and turn signals, a no-start condition or a vehicle that shuts down while driving. Dealers are described as tracing the cause to the sunroof drain or a control module sitting in water, sometimes replaced at the owner's cost. One complaint references recall 21V947000 for the gateway module. Spread from roughly 6,000 to 190,000 miles, often after rain or a spill.

   Recall 21V9470003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for damp carpets and water stains in the rear cargo area and behind the rear side panels, confirm the sunroof drains are clear, and ask whether recall 21V947000 was performed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was about to get on the freeway when my car's electrical system failed and I got several warning lights. The braking/stop start system, lights and a few other lit up. I pulled off the road and had it towed. The dealership said water (rain) got in through my sunroof and shorted my system (warranty won't cover). There are several class action suits re. This issue already and Audi knows about it, but there's no recall and cars have stopped suddenly on the freeway. It's very dangerous.”

   NHTSA complaint #11416186, filed 2021-05, 30,000 miles

   “Car suddenly tied while driving in city; engine/all systems shut off. It took several hours for roadside assistance to arrive, and the 1st 2 towing companies could not disengage the braking system to load onto truck! Once vehicle towed to Audi dealer, their diagnosis was gateway control module j533, water in control module, corrosion in connector, causing fuse for gateway control unit to blow we were told by dealer that liquid must have spilled into area behind rear seats . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11350209, filed 2020-08, 24,498 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power, sometimes needing replacement

   • 49 complaints (24%)
   • median 25,879 mi at 2.9 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or losing power at speed, a vibration with an engine fault message, or a no-start after stalling. Dealers and shops are reported to have diagnosed failed fuel sensors, connecting rod bearing damage, and in some cases a replacement engine. A few complaints about overheating trace to a cracked coolant line. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles, with a few at very low mileage.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records covering engine work and oil consumption, check the oil level and look for warning lights on a cold start, and have a pre-purchase inspection scan for stored fault codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11508557, filed 2023-02, 55,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The message Shut off Engine, Check Cooling was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the engine temperate gauge was elevated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cracked coolant line. The vehicle was repaired twice however, the failure reoccurred. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11640813, filed 2025-02, 170,000 miles

Buying note. Check that the open recalls for this model year were performed, confirm the sunroof drains are clear and the rear electrical areas are dry, and have a shop scan for stored codes and inspect the rear springs before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.