AUDI SQ5 · model year

2020 AUDI SQ5

10 NHTSA complaints, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2020AUDISQ5 carries 10 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 Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/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 2020 SQ5 is forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking with 3 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and vehicle speed control (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. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2020 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.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 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: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
STEERING1
SERVICE BRAKES1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS1
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS1

Recalls (4)

20V50500026/08/2020

SEATS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.

21V29500026/04/2021

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe,

22V03400026/01/2022

TIRES

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7,

21V94700008/12/2021

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM

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, caus

Recent Complaints

20250108UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My sunroof spontaneously imploded while driving my vehicle on the highway. I was going to speed limit in the middle lane, very little traffic, no semi-trucks near and did not drive under an overpass.

20230821FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I recently purchased this vehicle 8/5/23 and since then the pre sense function has activated it’s jarring emergency breaking three times. Once it happened to me backing out of my driveway without any obstruction, another with my husband backing out of a parking spot, and then most recently today with me as a driver going about 35 mph where it “sensed” a vehicle next to me about to change into my lane but changed their mind. Even if the vehicle next to me changed lanes to go in front of me, there was plenty of space and having the emergency pre sense braking created a more unsafe situation with the vehicle behind me potentially rear ending me. I contacted the local Audi dealer and they said there is no way to have this feature turn off as a default. Instead, I have to manually turn it off every time I turn on the ignition. I love the car but the pre sense feature has placed me in more unsafe situations than without it. I wish the manufacturer would allow having this system turn of

20230328UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The sos emergency system continues to fail. It alarms that it failed. Warning light on the dashboard continues to be on. The car was brought to the dealer. emergency calling unavailable while driving.

20221219FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I have had multiple instances of the emergency breaking applying improperly. On at least two occasions the rear backup/parking sensors detected some sort of object when one didn’t exist and abruptly engaged the breaks despite there being no object behind me. On one occasion I had a passenger who witnessed the behavior. On another instance, and the one that concerned me, the front collision indicator detected something non-existent and abruptly slammed on my breaks while I was driving 70mph on a 3 lane highway. There were no objects or car in viewable distance at all. The abruptness, lack of warning, and breaking power sent my car out of control across all three lanes and nearly into a barrier before I was able to regain control and the breaks released. I was on the phone (hands-free) when this occurred and my fiancé could hear the whole thing. In both instances no sensors or alarms were activated in advance to give warning, and activated only in concert with the breaks being auton

20221219FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I have had multiple instances of the emergency breaking applying improperly. On at least two occasions the rear backup/parking sensors detected some sort of object when one didn’t exist and abruptly engaged the breaks despite there being no object behind me. On one occasion I had a passenger who witnessed the behavior. On another instance, and the one that concerned me, the front collision indicator detected something non-existent and abruptly slammed on my breaks while I was driving 70mph on a 3 lane highway. There were no objects or car in viewable distance at all. The abruptness, lack of warning, and breaking power sent my car out of control across all three lanes and nearly into a barrier before I was able to regain control and the breaks released. I was on the phone (hands-free) when this occurred and my fiancé could hear the whole thing. In both instances no sensors or alarms were activated in advance to give warning, and activated only in concert with the breaks being auton

20221219BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

I have had multiple instances of the emergency breaking applying improperly. On at least two occasions the rear backup/parking sensors detected some sort of object when one didn’t exist and abruptly engaged the breaks despite there being no object behind me. On one occasion I had a passenger who witnessed the behavior. On another instance, and the one that concerned me, the front collision indicator detected something non-existent and abruptly slammed on my breaks while I was driving 70mph on a 3 lane highway. There were no objects or car in viewable distance at all. The abruptness, lack of warning, and breaking power sent my car out of control across all three lanes and nearly into a barrier before I was able to regain control and the breaks released. I was on the phone (hands-free) when this occurred and my fiancé could hear the whole thing. In both instances no sensors or alarms were activated in advance to give warning, and activated only in concert with the breaks being auton

20220415FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The contact owns a 2020 Audi SQ5. The contact stated while reversing in her driveway, the automatic braking system activated and the vehicle stopped abruptly. The contact stated that there was a vehicle at a stop sign 500 ft. away from her vehicle when the failure occurred. The contact shifted the vehicle into park. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while reversing and while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal sound while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer approximately 3-4 times however, the mechanic diagnosed that no issues were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer and inquired about buy back. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 150.

Mileage: 150

20220415SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2020 Audi SQ5. The contact stated while reversing in her driveway, the automatic braking system activated and the vehicle stopped abruptly. The contact stated that there was a vehicle at a stop sign 500 ft. away from her vehicle when the failure occurred. The contact shifted the vehicle into park. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while reversing and while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal sound while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer approximately 3-4 times however, the mechanic diagnosed that no issues were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer and inquired about buy back. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 150.

Mileage: 150

20200826VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN USING THE LANE-DEPARTURE AND 'STEERING CORRECTION' SYSTEM THIS VEHICLE WILL ATTEMPT TO SUDDENLY, SHARPLY, AND DANGEROUSLY CHANGE LANES. THIS MORNING (8/26/20), WHILE TRAVELING ON A FOUR LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND LANE DEPARTURE ACTIVE, THE VEHICLE JERKED LEFT INTO A TURN-ONLY LANE, OVERRIDING MY MANUAL STEERING OF THE CAR IN THE STRAIGHT TRAVEL LANE. HAD ANOTHER CAR BEEN IN THE TURNING LANE WE WOULD HAVE NEARLY CERTAINLY COLLIDED, AS MY CAR WAS AT LEAST 30% INTO THE LANE BEFORE I COULD REACT AND BRING IT BACK INTO THE CENTER LANE.

Mileage: 12,000

20200826STEERING

WHEN USING THE LANE-DEPARTURE AND 'STEERING CORRECTION' SYSTEM THIS VEHICLE WILL ATTEMPT TO SUDDENLY, SHARPLY, AND DANGEROUSLY CHANGE LANES. THIS MORNING (8/26/20), WHILE TRAVELING ON A FOUR LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND LANE DEPARTURE ACTIVE, THE VEHICLE JERKED LEFT INTO A TURN-ONLY LANE, OVERRIDING MY MANUAL STEERING OF THE CAR IN THE STRAIGHT TRAVEL LANE. HAD ANOTHER CAR BEEN IN THE TURNING LANE WE WOULD HAVE NEARLY CERTAINLY COLLIDED, AS MY CAR WAS AT LEAST 30% INTO THE LANE BEFORE I COULD REACT AND BRING IT BACK INTO THE CENTER LANE.

Mileage: 12,000

Compare 2020AUDISQ5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2020 AUDI SQ5 have?
The 2020 AUDI SQ5 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2020 AUDI SQ5?
The 2020 AUDI SQ5 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2020 AUDI SQ5?
Yes, the 2020 AUDI SQ5 has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is SEATS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 AUDI SQ5?
The most-complained component for the 2020 AUDI SQ5 is FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2020 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 2020 AUDI SQ5 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/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.