2025 Audi Q5 brakes problems

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · VA

2025 Audi Q5 S Line (VIN [XXX]). Surrendered under binding repurchase order via BBB AUTO LINE Case #[XXX] (VA Lemon Law) due to uncorrected factory defects. Odometer locked at 855 miles. 1. POWERTRAIN FLUID DEFECT & SHIFT FAILURE: Delivered new (23 miles) with transmission critically low on hydraulic fluid. Caused gear actuator failures, DTCs P187C00, P086900, P270800, and a 20-minute failure to engage "Park" (Repair Order #[XXX]). Failure to engage Park creates an immediate unintended rollaway and collision hazard (FMVSS 102/114). The dealer had to add fluid and perform 10 consecutive sensor calibrations to restore basic operation. 2. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE & LIGHTING HAZARD: The vehicle suffered systemic bus communication drops, gateway control module crashes, and uncommanded exterior lighting turning on while parked, off, and locked. Scans revealed severe parasitic draw, gateway failure, and harness corrosion from delivery. Uncommanded exterior lighting creates a vehicle fire risk and drains 12V reserves, causing sudden complete electrical shutdown. 3. BRAKE ELECTRONICS FAULT & UNRESOLVED REMEDY: Extended diagnostic holds (>30 days) documented active DTC U041800 in Brake Electronics Control Unit 812C. Audi technical field engineering confirmed in writing that no software/hardware remedy existed for this communication failure and promised a fix by end of Q3 2026. Q3 2026 ended with zero factory remedy, recall, or campaign deployed. 4. ARBITRATED BLAME-SHIFTING: The dealer attempted to evade warranty liability by billing $1,502.69, claiming aftermarket window tint caused the harness corrosion. In binding arbitration, Arbitrator Stenlund ruled gateway crashes preceded any tint work, rejected dealer causation, and ordered a full statutory buyback and repair refund. The vehicle sat undriven at 855 miles post-service return until corporate surrender because it is unsafe to operate on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 17, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · SC

I bought a late model Audi Q5 2025 late February 2026. the one I bought was a loaner with 8K miles on it, list 60k, paid 48K for it. late April, we were in the mountains of western NC and were on a windy 2 lane mountain road after midnight with no cell service and nowhere to pull off. 7 warning lights came on, the most concerning was to immediately pull over and shut off the engine. We could not do this. The steering wheel was shaking and the climate systems shut off. All ABS were non functional. We drove the last half hour to the house, put the car in the garage and figured it would need to be towed the next day. The next morning, I turned it on and all was cleared out. I took it to the dealer when back in SC, but they could not find anything. it is now mid October, it has happened 4 other times since then. all in NC except for once on [XXX] but I was near exit [XXX] so made it home. It happened twice in a week late July. it was 98 outside the first time, I had an hour to go and it was incredibly hot in the car. with no ac. my two dogs were very stressed by the time we got to the house. Again, in the garage, all clear the next morning. It happened on the way home, now it's 99 out. I turned off the car in a parking lot, waited 15 minutes, turned it on, all clear and we got home fine. My service person said there was a "major software upgrade" coming out and that was all the car needed. they got me in early before it was released and had the car for 4 days. It took 5 tries to get the upgrade. I was told this was it, all was fine. next time I was on a steep downhill in NC. had to hold tightly to the wheel it was shaking so much, abs working, maneuverability seemed compromised. I was scared to death. This time it took over a week and because they could not find the fault code, nothing done. Given the research I have done, I am sure the dealer knew about these issues when I bought the car or certainly during the emails detailing the other incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

Filed Sep 12, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · VA

Brake Electronics Control Unit Failure (DTC U041800): Logged active diagnostic code U041800 (implausible signal in address 812C). Dealership records confirm no permanent remedy exists, with software patches delayed into Q3 2026, leaving active braking and electronic system faults unaddressed. Electrical Grid Collapse & Parasitic Battery Drain: Vehicle experienced exterior lights activating independently during sleep mode and cyclical 300mA to 2.0A parasitic draws. Required warranty replacement of the Central Electrical Control Module (J519), Low Voltage Power Distributor Module (J1282), and primary 12V battery (RO #AUCS214055). Powertrain & Transmission Engagement Failures: Experienced Check Engine Light cycling and a total failure to engage "Park" for 20 minutes. Scanned hard factory codes P187C00 (gear actuator 3 failure), P086900, and P270800, requiring ten consecutive distance sensor calibrations. Adaptive Cruise Control & Restraints Malfunctions: ACC fails to engage due to false occupant-detection logic errors, triggering phantom rear-seat belt warnings while driving solo and throwing error messages that compromise restraint safety architecture. Liftgate Architectural Failures: Rear trunk lid fails to open or latch fully due to software conflicts with the mobile key platform, causing the control unit to lose its calibrated position.

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Airbags, Brakes · NY · crash

Mileage at time of incident: Approximately 4,000 miles Date of incident: XXX Location: [XXX] Incident description: My vehicle was in neutral while going through an automatic car wash, as instructed. When the exit signal indicated it was clear to proceed, with my foot on the brake, I shifted into drive. The vehicle accelerated on its own, without corresponding accelerator pedal input, and struck the building adjacent to the car wash. The vehicle did not exit the building on its own, so I shifted into reverse. The vehicle again accelerated on its own and struck a structural beam. I applied continuous pressure to the brake pedal throughout the incident. The vehicle did not respond immediately, but the brakes eventually engaged and brought the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle's rear obstacle-detection and automatic braking sensors, which normally engage under similar low-speed reversing conditions, did not activate at any point during this incident. The airbags also did not deploy after the vehicle struck the building. Video footage of the incident shows the vehicle moving at low speed with no visible braking response until the vehicle came to a stop. Police and fire department personnel responded to the scene. No injuries were reported. Property damage occurred to a vinyl fence, an adjacent building, and an interior wall of a business inside that building. I requested that the vehicle's Event Data Recorder (EDR) be reviewed by the dealership/manufacturer prior to any repairs, to determine throttle position, brake switch status, and sensor activity at the time of the incident. As of this report, Audi sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle on XXX and has since provided me with a rental car. I am still awaiting the results of that inspection. Components involved: Engine/motor, electronic throttle control, service brakes, parking assist/sensors, forward collision/automatic braking system I am filing this report because I was genuinely afraid for my safety INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · NY

On XXX at approximately 5:00 PM, my 2025 Audi Q5 (VIN: [XXX]) initiated an unprovoked forward collision warning and emergency braking intervention while I was traveling at approximately 57–58 mph on [XXX]. Road conditions were clear and dry. Weather was sunny. Adaptive Cruise Control was not activated. I was the sole occupant of the vehicle. A vehicle was making a lawful turn onto the roadway from a T-intersection. There was substantial distance between my vehicle and the turning vehicle. No collision risk existed and no evasive action was required. Despite this, the vehicle's forward collision system overrode my control and initiated emergency braking without cause. As a result of the sudden braking and the force of the seatbelt restraint during the event, I sustained abdominal pain and lower back pain that began immediately following the incident and persisted thereafter. This incident did not occur in isolation. Prior to this event, the vehicle had already exhibited a documented pattern of electronic and driver assistance system malfunctions, including intermittent check engine warnings, repeated false-positive driver assistance alerts, power liftgate malfunctions, sunroof malfunctions, and additional electronic irregularities. All of these concerns were reported to Audi Albany prior to the emergency braking event. Following a service visit, I was told nothing further could be done. The vehicle is currently at Audi Albany undergoing inspection at the request of Audi of America, including a review of the Event Data Recorder. I am filing this complaint to ensure the incident is part of the federal safety record. A driver assistance system that initiates emergency braking at highway speed without a valid hazard present, on a vehicle with a prior history of false-positive alerts, represents a safety defect that I believe warrants federal documentation and review. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 30, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · CA

•XXX: Purchased new 2025 Audi Q5. •XXX Dashboard displayed "Check Tire Pressure" warning for all tires. •XXX: Service at Audi Marin - Reported hatch malfunction, tire pressure concerns, and repeated rollback after brake release during service visit. •XXX: Vehicle displayed "P Not Possible. Risk of Rolling Away" warning. Vehicle could not be placed into PARK, required roadside assistance (never showed after 2-hour wait), and could not be safely secured. •XXX: While stopped at a traffic light, both front seat belts tightened aggressively without warning. Passenger was a [XXX] child. •Late XXX: Collision avoidance/emergency braking warnings continued. Vehicle remained in use while awaiting loaner car availability. •XXX Oil service reminder displayed at approximately 5,000 miles. Electronic issues continue. Additional warning lights appeared. Despite multiple service visits, the vehicle continues to experience unresolved safety-related and electronic malfunctions. I have been without the vehicle since XXXdriving a loaner. Dealership reported there is a pending service solution that will be released in the 3rd quarter (maybe September). That is 2 months away - unacceptable- car is unsafe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Mar 17, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · FL

Check engine light is on almost constantly on my car. It might turn off and stay that way for a couple of days, but always comes on again. Dealership had made two attempts to "fix" it by just clearing the faults. However, according to the service department the reason why check engine light came on was "faults for loss of communication to powertrain electronics and brake electronics" which i think is a real safety concern. After my last trip to the dealership the check engine light came on after just two days of normal driving. There was also a situation when i was unable to shift to park with the risk of rolling along with some other error messages on the dash. I was unable to lock the vehicle because of that and of course there was a risk of it rolling.

Filed Dec 23, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · CA

On December 22nd i got into the vehicle and a few errors popped up which consisted of “loose wheel warning malfunction” “brakes: limited functionality drive with causation” “active front assist and emergency assist unavailable”. I called the nearest dealer and was told it’s ok to drive it’s just a software glitch and if i don’t feel comfortable driving i should take it to the dealer and come back tomorrow for a loaner since service was closed already. So i proceeded to drive home, about 10 minutes into the drive a warning for the coolant came up so i pulled off into a parking lot and as i went to park another warning came up saying coolant too high turn off vehicle and as i was approaching the parking spot the car started to overheat and smoke. This is a BRAND new car with BARELY 1000 miles on it.

Filed Dec 19, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA · crash

I moved into a parking spot and pushed the brakes to stop but the car accelerated and hit a tree. However when the police drove the car out of the parking spot the brakes were working properly.

Filed Dec 11, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · TX

This vehicle Misrecognizes intersections on two lane highways and causes the vehicle to unexpectedly slam on its brakes without warning in anticipation of an intersection that either does not exist or where my vehicle has the entire right way. this behavior has persisted since the date of purchase and has not been corrected at all. Audi has confirmed that the vehicle is operating as designed however, I have personally almost had two major traffic accidents when this system engaged in the process of overtaking a vehicle, slamming the brakes and almost causing a accident where he and I was rear ended. This is not a vehicle. I would let a child learn how to drive in.