2023 Audi Q5 SPORTBACK: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
1,030 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2023 model year. Data updated: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 6 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Braking behavior
1
16.7%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1; Power Train: 1; Service Brakes: 1; Steering: 1; Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate: 1; Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate:Support Device/Strut: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
3
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
3
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
2022
2
2023
4
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2022
2
2023
4
2022: 2; 2023: 4
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Once the car is programmed to open/close your garage door, the car must be running in order to use this feature. This means that you must start the car BEFORE opening the garage door when you want to pull out and likewise you need to close the garage door before turning off the motor when you pull into the garage. I consider this a safety defect. The garage door should always be open before you start the car and the car should be off before you close the door.
Brand new vehicle with less than 1000 miles. Whenever I take an exit from highyway vehicle's rear wheel slips and shakes. It shakes and slips when I change lanes in a curvy highway such as Hardy Toll Road in Houston. Happened several times. I am taking it to the dealer this week to have it checked out. I suspect that a recall may be needed here!
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH over a speed pump the driver pressed the brake pedal while approaching a stop sign when suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into a fence and brick wall. During the crash, the driver sustained a fractured nose, head and face lacerations, neck and lumbar pains, and a right arm laceration which required stitches. The front passenger sustained neck, lumbar and chest injuries. Both occupants required immediate medical t…
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that after opening the trunk door and reaching into the trunk, the trunk door inadvertently released, and the door struck the contact on the neck. No medical attention was sought. The contact stated that the trunk door was difficult to manually raise up. The contact heard a beeping sounding and was able to get out of the way before the trunk closed independently. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The failure mileage was 1,820.
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
22V753000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical
Reported: 2022-10-07 (October 7, 2022)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Consequence: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Q5 Quattro and Q5 Sportback Quattro vehicles. The cylinder head cover screws may have been improperly tightened.
Consequence: The screws can loosen, allowing oil to leak and increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the screws as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 15ZK.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
6 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
50.0%Usable mileage3 / 6 records
100.0%Valid incident date6 / 6 records
100.0%Valid filing date6 / 6 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates6 / 6 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2022
2023
2024
2025
Engine
730.4%ODI 11473456
Car jerks strongly when slightly accelerate on an incline. This jerking happened 2 more times. After 10 minutes driving on highway, car dashboard shown Electrical System: Malfunction and forced immediate exit off highway. We were on road trip and have to disable hybrid system and hoped no more car malfunction for the next 600 miles home. Took car to 2 service dealers and none could find error codes. Similar experience from this user that also took their Q5e to same McDonald Audi Denver https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-sq5-mkii-discussion-218…
We were driving home on the interstate when suddenly we got an “Electrical system malfunction. Safely stop vehicle!” notification. We pulled over to the shoulder and were able to restart the vehicle but the check engine light was on. We were able to get to the nearest exit when the error appeared again. This time as I was pulling over, the screen went blank and I completely lost power to the vehicle. Thankfully this occurred in a very remote area and there were not a lot of cars around. If this had happened at a place without a shoulder (ex a …
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
Incident happened on 4/24/2022 ~ 10:00 AM. Stopped at a red traffic light. An error message 'Brake malfunction' showed up on the dashboard screen. After traffic light turned green, vehicle was unresponsive when gas peddle was pressed. After the engine was restarted twice, vehicle started to move but engine light was on.
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH over a speed pump the driver pressed the brake pedal while approaching a stop sign when suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into a fence and brick wall. During the crash, the driver sustained a fractured nose, head and face lacerations, neck and lumbar pains, and a right arm laceration which required stitches. The front passenger sustained neck, lumbar and chest injuries. Both occupants required immediate medical t…
Once the car is programmed to open/close your garage door, the car must be running in order to use this feature. This means that you must start the car BEFORE opening the garage door when you want to pull out and likewise you need to close the garage door before turning off the motor when you pull into the garage. I consider this a safety defect. The garage door should always be open before you start the car and the car should be off before you close the door.
Car jerks strongly when slightly accelerate on an incline. This jerking happened 2 more times. After 10 minutes driving on highway, car dashboard shown Electrical System: Malfunction and forced immediate exit off highway. We were on road trip and have to disable hybrid system and hoped no more car malfunction for the next 600 miles home. Took car to 2 service dealers and none could find error codes. Similar experience from this user that also took their Q5e to same McDonald Audi Denver https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-sq5-mkii-discussion-218…
Brand new vehicle with less than 1000 miles. Whenever I take an exit from highyway vehicle's rear wheel slips and shakes. It shakes and slips when I change lanes in a curvy highway such as Hardy Toll Road in Houston. Happened several times. I am taking it to the dealer this week to have it checked out. I suspect that a recall may be needed here!
On June 1 2022, Driving at a speed of approx 20 MPH, the car brakes came on suddenly, 4 windows came down and the vehicle came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. A message came on to the effect that the electric system had failed. The vehicle was not driveable and was towed to the Audi Dealership (South Coast Audi, Santa Ana, CA) the same day. I was very concerned about this issue and so contacted both the dealership and Audi USA to request that it be investigated without delay given this issue could endanger lives or cause ser…
The issues all relate to Audi's "Pre-Sense" system. On several occasions the car has either pulled hard and caused me to swerve - apparently incorrectly sensing that I am veering out of my lane - or has stopped suddenly - apparently incorrectly sensing that I was about to hit (or be hit by) something. These incidents have happened on the freeway, narrow mountain roads and side streets. All of these incidents could have caused serious serious bodily injury or death to persons and/or damage to property. I have been in touch with Audi numerous tim…
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Electrical System
Too few reports for a range
856 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 11550997 · 856 mi
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH over a speed pump the driver pressed the brake pedal while approaching a stop sign when suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into a fence and brick wall. During the crash, the driver sustained a fractured nose, head and face lacerations, neck and lumbar pains, and a right arm laceration which required stitches. The front passenger sustained neck, lumbar and chest injuries. Both occupants required immediate medical t…
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that after opening the trunk door and reaching into the trunk, the trunk door inadvertently released, and the door struck the contact on the neck. No medical attention was sought. The contact stated that the trunk door was difficult to manually raise up. The contact heard a beeping sounding and was able to get out of the way before the trunk closed independently. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The failure mileage was 1,820.
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 21 complaints · 2023: 4 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2022
17
21
21
2023
4
4
4
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2022
21
0
2
2023
4
0
2
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
Brand new vehicle with less than 1000 miles. Whenever I take an exit from highyway vehicle's rear wheel slips and shakes. It shakes and slips when I change lanes in a curvy highway such as Hardy Toll Road in Houston. Happened several times. I am taking it to the dealer this week to have it checked out. I suspect that a recall may be needed here!
Brand new vehicle with less than 1000 miles. Whenever I take an exit from highyway vehicle's rear wheel slips and shakes. It shakes and slips when I change lanes in a curvy highway such as Hardy Toll Road in Houston. Happened several times. I am taking it to the dealer this week to have it checked out. I suspect that a recall may be needed here!
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while using the liftgate to load or unload the rear cargo compartment, the motion-sensor used to activate the liftgate would close or open the liftgate due to the slightest movement. The contact stated that he had been struck on the head by the liftgate after barely moving his foot near the sensor while loading the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informe…
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Brake response concerns
1 mentions · 16.7% of complaints
Median mileage: 1,030 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11530395 · 1,030 mi
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH over a speed pump the driver pressed the brake pedal while approaching a stop sign when suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into a fence and brick wall. During the crash, the driver sustained a fractured nose, head and face lacerations, neck and lumbar pains, and a right arm laceration which required stitches. The front passenger sustained neck, lumbar and chest injuries. Both occupants required immediate medical t…