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2021 Audi Q5 e problems, recalls and owner complaints

What the 2021 Audi Q5 e has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.

  • 0safety recalls
  • 29owner complaints
  • 0crash reports
  • 0fire reports
  • 1injury reported

The most complained-about Audi Q5 e year on file: 29 complaints, against an average of 9 for the other 2 model years.

Every Audi Q5 e model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.

What goes wrong with the 2021 Audi Q5 e?

The components named most often in the 29 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  1. Power Train7 (24.1%)
  2. Electrical System6 (20.7%)
  3. Engine5 (17.2%)
  4. Forward Collision Avoidance3 (10.3%)
  5. Fuel/Propulsion System3 (10.3%)
  6. Back Over Prevention2 (6.9%)
  7. Lane Departure2 (6.9%)
  8. Steering2 (6.9%)

What symptoms do 2021 Audi Q5 e owners describe?

Found by reading the text of all 29 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.

Has the 2021 Audi Q5 e been recalled?

NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2021 Audi Q5 e as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.

What do 2021 Audi Q5 e owners report?

12 of the 29 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.

Vehicle Information: 2021 Audi Q5 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) e-quattro Component: Engine (Engine Block, Connecting Rod Bearings, Cylinders)Description of Incident:My 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal engine failure. Upon professional diagnostic inspection at an authorized Audi dealership, technicians discovered destructive metal debris and fragments inside the engine cylinders and oil circuit.This exact mechanical failure, engine block damage, and presentation of metal shavings perfectly mirrors the known manufacturing defect described in NHTSA Safety Recall 22V753 (Audi…
EngineNHTSA complaint 11766043 · Sep 22, 2026
I and my wife were emerging from an intetstate highway entrance ramp when our car suddenly and completely lost power. A "Transmission Malfunction" warning suddenly (and for the first time) appeared on the dashboard.We had just completed a merge with heavy traffic going 70-75 miles per hour. Immediately behind our car was a very large tractor-trailer that hit its brakes but came within inches of the rear of our car before we could get on the highway shoulder--i.e., we came extremely close to suffering serious injury or death. The car was towed to the nearest Audi dealer, where it was determined…
Power TrainNHTSA complaint 11742774 · Jun 8, 2026
Vehicle has an issue with the transmission control, it will not reliably shift into the appropriate gears as it gains speed, often slipping & shuddering, sometimes even slamming into a higher gear. A few times it has stayed in first or second gear as I was pulling onto a busy street into oncoming traffic, I was unable to gain speed without taking my foot off the gas entirely and trying again. This creates a very dangerous situation as I was unable to get to speed, cars did have to slow & go around me as I was not able to speed up I did get a warning light a couple of times, dashboard read…
EngineNHTSA complaint 11738560 · May 18, 2026
While driving one day, several warning messages appeared on the dashboard, but would then disappear. The next day, the car engine would not start and the vehicle dashboard would not turn on. The car was inoperable and had to be towed to a dealer service center. Dealer confirmed that the issue was caused by liquid entering the gateway control module. A safety fix had been applied before during a 90S9 recall in 2022, but it appears that fix is inadequate or defective.
Power Train, EngineNHTSA complaint 11694136 · Oct 17, 2025
I have had three occurrences where the Automatic Emergency Braking system and Forward Collision system have been activated for no reason. In one case the Q5 braked suddenly, and the seat belts tightened to the point that it made my passengers back sore. Fortunately, no vehicle was following close behind to cause a rear end collision. I another case I was stopped at a traffic light with a car also stopped in front of me and the seat belts tightened for no reason. It was very startling. The third instance I was driving along a straight 2 lane road with no cars travelling in either direction and…
Forward Collision AvoidanceNHTSA complaint 11590726 · May 25, 2024
In several instances, my Audi Q5 has erroneously thought there was a road hazard and slammed on the brakes. It was terrifying. Luckily there were not cars close behind or they would have collided with my car. We took it to the dealer who adjusted the system they call “Pre-sense” but the car still slammed on its brakes for no reason a couple of months later.
Forward Collision AvoidanceNHTSA complaint 11590488 · May 23, 2024
Gas gauge stuck. Other Audi gas sensors have been recalled.
Fuel/Propulsion SystemNHTSA complaint 11579722 · Mar 27, 2024
Every possible warning light came on without notice and the car came to an abrupt halt. Ultimately the front tires locked and the car could not be moved out of park. This happened at Yosemite National Park and was very dangerous. Fortunately I was able to glide most of the car to the side of the road (not all) before the complete shutdown of all systems. The car was towed to our Audi dealer. Audi confirmed that it was the Gateway Module that had completely shut down due to "water ingress." This was perplexing because: 1) There had been a recall to fix this issue in similar Audi's about a year…
Steering, Vehicle Speed Control, WheelsNHTSA complaint 11525278 · Jun 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5E. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer due to an accident unrelated to a failure; however, the contact stated that while his vehicle was being serviced at the dealer, he was notified by the technician that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V742000 (Back Over Prevention) however, during the software update, the infotainment module became corrupted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
Back Over PreventionNHTSA complaint 11520086 · May 2, 2023
Charging socket lock errors out. Disables charging and inhibits the vehicle’s electric drivability. The vehicle displays the following error: Could not execute action. Locking error in charging system.
Electrical SystemNHTSA complaint 11519000 · Apr 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that when she purchased the vehicle the MMI (Multimedia Interface) system failed to load correctly. The contact stated that the dealer informed her that the system would upload later as the system was not communicating with Audi corporate and she would be able to finish the programming later. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer as messages that the navigation system was not loaded, the driver assistance was inoperable, the fuel gauge display was incorrect, and the Lane Assist feature had failed. The contact…
Electrical System, Lane Departure, Back Over PreventionNHTSA complaint 11503423 · Jan 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5 E. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle came to a sudden halt as the malfunction indicator light illuminated the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after approximately 15 minutes and drove the vehicle to a dealer(Audi of Quad Cities-1777 E 53rd St, Davenport, IA 52807) where they discovered a defective switch on the vehicle's battery pack which was linked to TSB-9321462062953/1. The contact had the switch repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that the failure recently occurred again while driving at 30 MPH…
Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion SystemNHTSA complaint 11488734 · Oct 11, 2022

2021 Audi Q5 e: questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Audi Q5 e reliable?

NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Audi Q5 e; the most common categories were power train (7, 24.1%), electrical system (6, 20.7%), engine (5, 17.2%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 1 injury was reported.

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Audi Q5 e?

Across 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are power train (24.1% of complaints), electrical system (20.7% of complaints), engine (17.2% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (10.3% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (10.3% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.

Does the 2021 Audi Q5 e have any recalls?

As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2021 Audi Q5 e. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Why does my 2021 Audi Q5 e stall, lose power or shut off while driving?

4 of the 29 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2021 Audi Q5 e (13.8%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Vehicle Information: 2021 Audi Q5 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) e-quattro Component: Engine (Engine Block, Connecting Rod Bearings, Cylinders)Description of Incident:My 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal engine failure." (NHTSA complaint 11766043, September 2026). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.

Why does my 2021 Audi Q5 e brake suddenly for no reason?

3 of the 29 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2021 Audi Q5 e (10.3%) describe sudden, unexpected automatic braking ("phantom braking"). One owner wrote: "In several instances, my Audi Q5 has erroneously thought there was a road hazard and slammed on the brakes. It was terrifying. Luckily there were not cars close behind or they would have collided with my car." (NHTSA complaint 11590488, May 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.

Check your own Q5 e

Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2021 only.

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