Engine rocker arm failed, per audi tech metal shavings in oil.
The worst 2019 Audi SQ5 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine5
- Brakes4
- Electrical3
- Lights3
- Airbags2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine5
- Brakes4
- Electrical3
- Lights3
- Airbags2
- Body2
- Visibility2
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
- Transmission1
Recalls 5
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, 2018-2022 Q5, and SQ5 vehicles. A liquid spill in the rear seat, or water ingress from an insufficient body seam underneath the vehicle may allow liquid to penetrate the gateway control module, causing it to shutdown.
- Risk
- A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.
Recall number 21V947000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.
- Risk
- The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 66K8.
Recall number 19V737000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. In the event of a crash deploying the passenger's frontal air bag, the instrument panel carrier may break due to incorrect welding. If the carrier breaks, there may be damage to the passenger frontal air bag.
- Risk
- A damaged frontal air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of an injury.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel and the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began August 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90N1.
Recall number 19V473000 · Recall details
Wheels: hub
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach.
- Risk
- The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the wheel arch trim with an additional screw and nut, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66K6.
Recall number 19V416000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake master cylinder casting may be too short.
- Risk
- A short casting can cause a sudden loss of brakes, increasing the risk of crash. The electronic parking brake and its emergency brake function are not affected and will still function.
- Remedy
- Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 47O9.
Recall number 19V277000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2019 Audi SQ5 832
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin provides information when the air spring symbol is illuminated; DTC U112100 or C1260F0.
- This bulletin provides information when DTCs P00B700, P011600, or P268100 is stored; engine temperature...
- This bulletin proides service information when there is a prompt to take over the steering wheel (hands...
- This bulletin provides information when the starter battery is discharged or malfunctioning.
- This bulletin provides information when there is an Audi pre sense warning, warning jolt, or brake...
- This bulletin provides information when therea re functional issues with the connectivity box (low).
- This bulletin provides information to aid in diagnosing the vehicle locking system.
- This bulletin provides information when the engine is not runing smoothly; all gas engines.
- This bulletin provides information on VIN plates, Safety Certification labels, and ordering procedures.
2019 Audi SQ5 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | AWD | 19 | 24 | 21 |
What 2019 Audi SQ5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Piston skirt extended warranty calls for replacement of the pistons. This does NOT fix the issue if the vehicle was driven long term with damaged pistons. In my case the vehicle started knocking 1000 miles after replacement. Unsafe to drive and I now how to pay for a new engine on my own.
Brake booster issue
There’s a knocking noise coming from the engine that could lead to potential engine failure. There is a known manufacturers defect in these engines. Audi has extended a warranty, but not all cars are eligible. This should be a recall because if the engine fails on a high speed through a highway, it could be a highly dangerous situation
Piston skirt recall and warranty. Bulletin number AWA-25-08. Needs investigated. Based off average Audi owner statistics along with the federal safety agency statistics, when this bulletin was released in August of 2025, over 60% of vehicles with this 3.0T engine code EA839 would be disqualified from repairs for under 80,000 miles.
The rear brake lights on my 2019 Audi SQ5 stopped functioning due to a failure of the Comfort System Central Control Module (J393). This defect is documented by Audi in Technical Service Bulletin 2055123/5 and earlier versions. The malfunction causes the “rear lighting warning” to appear in the instrument cluster, and the brake lights do not illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed. The issue is not related to bulbs or wear-and-tear; it is caused by a software defect in the vehicle’s body control module, which results in loss of communication with the rear-lighting system. The failure occurred at approximately 73,000 miles, but the defect existed earlier and is acknowledged by Audi in the TSB. Because brake lights are a federally required safety system, the vehicle cannot be safely operated until this defect is corrected. The dealership confirmed the issue and advised that the required repair is a software update to the control module. Audi has declined responsibility, leaving the vehicle unsafe to drive. This is a safety-critical defect involving a known software failure that disables brake lights, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions.
The contact owns a 2019 Audi SQ5. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel flare detached. The driver’s side wheel flare was loosened. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Panoramic roof glass exploded outwards while driving on the highway. No sign of rock damage or debris hitting. The glass is deformed outwards. The glass was sent towards the interior of the car. The sunroof shade was closed and many pieces of glass were caught by this otherwise the driver would have been hit by glass shards.
No warning lights or fault codes. Took it to Audi of Dallas and without a code they said they couldn’t troubleshoot it. The car makes a whining noise only while under acceleration and is prominate between 20-50 mph. Also the fuel gauge (electric) does not show the correct amount of fuel. I have already ran out of fuel and it still showed 200+ miles left and the gauge was still around 1/2. Also while at the dealer they replaced my motor mounts through my extended warranty and said i needed to replace the rear shocks but it wasn’t covered (3rd party extended warranty) that i purchased from the dealer i bought the car from in Austin.
The Adaptive Cruise Control erroneously detects things such as shadows when going under bridges as stationary objects positioned in front of the vehicle, and aggressively applies the brake, causing an unsafe situation. If this occurs on wintry roads or icy conditions, this could create a safety hazard, especially at highway speeds. There is also no known way to disable the adaptive cruise control during periods where this could be a likely scenario, such as certain times of the day when the sun can cast shadows into the lane of traffic.
Compare the 2019 Audi SQ5
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Questions about the 2019 Audi SQ5
Is the 2019 Audi SQ5 reliable?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2019 Audi SQ5, 2.5 times a typical SQ5 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Audi SQ5?
Engine and cooling, with 5 complaints. Next is brakes (4).
How many recalls does the 2019 Audi SQ5 have?
5 recalls, covering structure, air bags and wheels.
What gas mileage does the 2019 Audi SQ5 get?
Official estimates for the 2019 Audi SQ5 range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, AWD) gets 19 city and 24 highway.
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