AUDI SQ5 · model year

2016 AUDI SQ5

6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016AUDISQ5 carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 SQ5 is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by steering (2) and visibility/wiper (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2016 SQ5. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
2016 AUDI SQ5 — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2016 AUDI SQ5. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

6 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
STEERING2
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20210429ENGINE

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.

20210424STEERING

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.

Mileage: 53,000

20190611STEERING

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

Mileage: 38,000

20180222UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Mileage: 25,000

20170407UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

Mileage: 15,550

20160324VISIBILITY/WIPER

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

Mileage: 3,000

Compare 2016AUDISQ5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 AUDI SQ5 have?
The 2016 AUDI SQ5 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 AUDI SQ5?
The 2016 AUDI SQ5 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 AUDI SQ5?
The most-complained component for the 2016 AUDI SQ5 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2016 AUDI SQ5 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 AUDI SQ5 has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.