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2018 Audi Q5: check engine light

5 of the 209 complaints about the 2018 Audi Q5 describe check engine light.

owner complaints
5
of this car's complaints
2%
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 73 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Check engine light by model year

What owners say

Filed Aug 17, 2026 · Acceleration, Body · MD · crash

I was pulling into (my usual) handicapped parking space, at a slow speed. As I approached the curb my brakes did NOT respond to stop my car. Not only did my brakes not respond, the car actually sped up - going up the curb and hitting the handicapped sign pole. The pole broke and stopped my vehicle! I was afraid my (out of control) vehicle would keep going through a store front - it did not. Folks gathered around- thinking I had put my foot on the gas . I DID NOT put my foot anywhere except on my BRAKES …which went ‘mushy’ . would not stop my vehicle. My research has found similar incidents reported by other drivers. I am NOT ALONE. Of course the dealership could not reproduce the incident. But they did suggest many other services for a car with 60,000 miles. The AUDI dealership took NO responsibility for the incident. There was a recall on the master cylinder that was supposedly handled before I took delivery of the vehicle in January 2019. Audi denied that anything was currently amiss with my master cylinder. There was a warning message when I tried to start my car about a week before. Because it made no sense - like your tires are low - I dismissed it as just a check engine light 🤷🏽‍♀️ I honestly can’t remember what that ‘odd’ warning said🤦🏽‍♀️ I’m not alone in reporting this - I’m almost afraid to drive my car😰

Filed Apr 27, 2026 · Engine · CA

I was driving home from the farmers market with my two young kids. I was turning left at a busy intersection when the engine died and an engine warning flashed on the dash (I don't recall the exact message; it sounded catastrophic). There were no "check engine" or any other warning messages prior to the incident. I was able to restart the car immediately and give it a lot of gas to get out of the intersection - thank goodness - but didn't feel it was safe to drive the full 1 mile home, as there are several inopportune locations for an engine to die along the route, so I parked it in a residential neighborhood and walked home with my kids. My instinct there seems correct as it would not start again thereafter. I got it towed on the Monday and the mechanic called me to tell me that a piston had broken off in the engine and there is complete engine failure. I've attached a photo he took. This is a car we've had for 5 months with only 47,000 miles on it, regular service according to Carfax, and full/clean oil. No error messages or warnings prior. It was really scary to be in a busy intersection with a dead engine and young kids in the car.

Filed Mar 25, 2025 · Engine · 49,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate abnormally with the message "Engine Fault Detected" displayed. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle stalled and was unable to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Filed Aug 7, 2024 · Body, Electrical · SC

The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, upon reaching the destination, the contact became aware that the headlights would not turn off. After which, the vehicle failed to restart, and the vehicle was towed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V947000 (Electrical System, Structure); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had already been repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Jul 10, 2023 · Engine · MI

The check engine light came on so I stopped at the nearest auto repair shop and the codes came back that the thermostat was sticking partially closed and the water pump was leaking.

Questions about the 2018 Audi Q5 check engine light

Is check engine light a common problem on the 2018 Audi Q5?

5 of 209 owner complaints about the 2018 Audi Q5 (2%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2011.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Audi Q5?

There are 0 recalls and 73 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2018 Audi Q5

Coil spring 14Loss of power 9Engine failure 8Water leak 8Airbag light 6Power steering loss 6Stalling 6Backup camera 5Grinding brakes 5Collision warning 5Sudden acceleration 5Wipers 5

All model years of the Audi Q5

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