Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2016 Audi SQ5 — assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its 17-character VIN to decode that exact car — its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment — alongside these records. Free, no account.
Run a VIN →Recalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Audi SQ5 year.
Rated configuration: 2016 Audi SQ5 SUV AWD
The parts named most often across 6 owner complaintsfiled with NHTSA for this make, model and year — the closest free answer to “what is likely to go wrong?”
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so treat this as where to look, not a defect rate.
THE ORIGINAL ENGINE WATER PUMP FAILED AT 18,313 MILES ON MAY 12, 2019. THE REPLACED ENGINE WATER PUMP HAS FAILED AGAIN AT 24,700 MILES ON APRIL 25. 2021. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE.
STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS A KNOWN DEFECT ON EVERY MLB-PLATFORM AUDI MODEL. MY SQ5, LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, HAS DEVELOPED A KNOWN DEFECT THAT CAUSES A SQUEAKING/CREAKING THAT CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. IT CAN ALSO BE FAINTLY HEARD. INSTEAD OF INITIATING A RECALL TO FIX THE ISSUE, AUDI HAS RELEASED TONS OF TSBS THAT ONLY COVER IN-WARRANTY CARS, EVEN THOUGH MAY CARS DEVELOP THIS PROBLEM WITH AS LITTLE AS 20,000 MILES. AT 53,000 MILES, MY CAR HAS THIS ISSUE NOW AND I'LL BE FORCED TO PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR A REPAIR THAT EITHER INCLUDES REPLACING PARTS OF THE STEERING SHAFT OR DISASSEMBLING PART OF THE STEERING SHAFT AND LUBRICATING IT. IT IS A BIT SHOCKING THAT 10 YEARS LATER AUDI IS STILL NOT RECALLING THESE CARS TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE ONCE AND FOR ALL. AS THIS ISSUE PROGRESSES, THE STEERING CAN PROGRESSIVELY GET HARD AND HARDER FOR THE DRIVER TO TURN POTENTIALLY INCREASING CHANCES OF AN ACCIDENT.
THE AUDI SQ 5 LOSES POWER STEERING IF THE RACK/PINION POWER STEERING UNIT IS EXPOSED TO WATER. THIS DOES NOT REFER TO FLOODING OR SUBMERGED CAR AUDI CONSIDERS WEATHER AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE AND DOES NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY THE CAR RETAINS FULL PROPULSION BUT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE ELECTRICAL MECHANISM ON THE POWER STEERING IS DANGEROUSLY EXPOSED , AND APPARENTLY NOT WEATHER PROOF I MADE A LEFT HAND TURN IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM UP THE APRON OF A DRIVEWAY TO A PARKING LOT. I DROVE THE CAR 100-150 FEET TO A SECURE SPOT TO WAIT OUT A HEAVY HOUSTON RAINSTORM . THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR CAME ON SIGNALLING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS THE CAR SAT IN THE SPOT FOR OVER 1 MINUTE I ASSUME THE WATER I PUSHED UP IN FRONT OF ME AS I WENT UP THE APRON GOT UNDER THE CAR AND INTO THE MECHANISM THE CAR WAS NEVER STATIONARY IN ANY DEEP WATER, AND NEVER IN WATER DEEPER THAN 3 INCHES THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE CAR MAINTAINED FULL PROPLUSION
I HAVE A REPEAT OF MY ISSUE 10971202. WHILE IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG DEAL- THAT THE CAR LOCKS ITSELF AFTER I PLACE MY PURSE WITH MY KEYS ON THE BACK SEAT AND CLOSE THE DOOR- IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR A WOMAN IN A MALL. I GET LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR, AND SOMETIMES MY PHONE IS IN MY PURSE, LEAVING ME STRANDED. AUDI CLAIMS THAT NO ONE HAS REPORTED THE ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE CAR DOES NOT LOCK ITSELF IF IT DETECTS THE KEY INSIDE, UNLESS IT DETECTS A SECOND KEY OUTSIDE THE CAR. THIS WAS NOT MY CASE.
I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS MY EXTREME ANXIETY OVER MY RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH THE SENSOR-KEY. I TYPICALLY KEEP THE KEYS IN MY PURSE, OPEN THE REAR DOOR (BEHIND THE DRIVER DOOR), AND LEAVE MY PURSE ON THE SEAT OR THE FLOOR, CLOSE THAT DOOR, THEN OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR AND DRIVE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO (MARCH 8TH, 2017), THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I UNLOCKED THE REAR DOOR, PLACED ALL MY BAGS INSIDE, CLOSED THE DOOR. THEN I WENT TO PUT A BUMPER STICKER ON. MUST HAVE TAKEN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. I HEARD THE CAR LOCK ITSELF- WITH MY KEYS (CAR AND HOME) INSIDE. I MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT TOUCH THE DOOR HANDLE TO LOCK THE CAR! AND THE CAR DOES NOT LOCK ITSELF AFTER SOME TIME- I HAVE FOUND IT UNLOCKED WHEN THE DOOR HANDLE TOUCH SOMETIMES DID NOT WORK. LUCKILY, IN THIS INSTANCE, I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO MY HOUSE AND GET MY SECOND KEY- BUT WHAT IF I WERE ELSEWHERE? I CAN IMAGINE ME LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR (WITH KEYS AND PHONE INSIDE) AND COMPLETELY STRANDED! - WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT YOU CANNOT LOCK THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN THE KEYS ARE INSIDE- AND THIS IS TYPICALLY WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED (UNTIL MARCH 8TH.) - EVEN THOUGH MY DOOR LOCKS ARE SET TO 'UNLOCK ALL DOORS' SOMETIMES, I FIND THE DRIVER'S DOOR NOT UNLOCKED, WHEREIN, I OPEN THE BACK DOOR, BRING MY BAG OUT TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, AND THEN PUT IT BACK. AUDI CLAIMS THAT THE CAR LOCKS ITSELF AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF IDLE TIME- WHICH DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF THE KEYS ARE INSIDE THE CAR. AUTO LOCK AFTER A CERTAIN TIME WHEN THE KEYS ARE OUTSIDE THE CAR MAKES SENSE. NOT THE DESCRIBED BEHAVIOR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI SQ5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIZE AND PLACEMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS CAUSED A BLIND SPOT WHEN MAKING TURNS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT DUE TO THE FAILURE, HE NEARLY CRASHED INTO A PEDESTRIAN. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ROAD WAS UNABLE TO BE VIEWED WHICH COULD RESULT INTO A CRASH DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000. UPDATED 05/04/16*LJ *TR
Over 5 years this costs $8,750 more in fuel than an average new vehicle.
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