2018 Audi Q5 engine problems

“While driving the vehicle after a bump in a pot-hole there was loud clunking noise from the engine compartment and car stopped suddenly. There was a risk of getting hit by the car from behind. Car was towed to Audi Service Center and found to have a Connecting Rod Bearing Failure damaging the whole engine. The act is still at the repair shop and should be available for inspection. It was inspected by the authorized Audi Service center. Insurance advisor will be taking look at it also. There was no warning, messages, or any other symptoms of any problem prior to the incident.”

“My 2018 Audi Q5 experienced significant water intrusion due to a failure of the panoramic sunroof drain system. Water entered the vehicle interior and traveled down into the electrical compartment, submerging the comfort module and damaging multiple wiring harnesses. This caused the vehicle to become inoperable and unable to start. Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletin 2075969/2 describing this exact defect. The bulletin states that the sunroof drain hoses can be kinked during factory installation of the headliner, which blocks drainage and causes water to enter the vehicle. This is a manufacturing defect affecting multiple model years of the Audi Q5. In my case, the water intrusion caused electrical failure, loss of vehicle function, and required thousands of dollars in repairs. Audi declined to cover the defect and stated the vehicle was not maintained on schedule, even though maintenance has no relationship to kinked or improperly routed sunroof drains. This defect poses a safety risk because water intrusion into electrical components can cause sudden vehicle failure, electrical shorts, corrosion, and loss of critical systems. The failure occurred…”

“I was driving home from the farmers market with my two young kids. I was turning left at a busy intersection when the engine died and an engine warning flashed on the dash (I don't recall the exact message; it sounded catastrophic). There were no "check engine" or any other warning messages prior to the incident. I was able to restart the car immediately and give it a lot of gas to get out of the intersection - thank goodness - but didn't feel it was safe to drive the full 1 mile home, as there are several inopportune locations for an engine to die along the route, so I parked it in a residential neighborhood and walked home with my kids. My instinct there seems correct as it would not start again thereafter. I got it towed on the Monday and the mechanic called me to tell me that a piston had broken off in the engine and there is complete engine failure. I've attached a photo he took. This is a car we've had for 5 months with only 47,000 miles on it, regular service according to Carfax, and full/clean oil. No error messages or warnings prior. It was really scary to be in a busy intersection with a dead engine and young kids in the car.”

“Vehicle: 2018 Audi Q5 Prestige Mileage: Approximately 34,000 miles On December 14, 2024, while driving at normal road speeds, my vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed multiple warning messages, including drivetrain and system malfunction alerts. The vehicle became unstable and unsafe to operate while I was in traffic, forcing me to carefully maneuver off the roadway. This occurred without any prior warning or abnormal engine behavior, it was just so sudden. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Audi dealership the following day. After inspection, the dealership diagnosed a catastrophic internal engine failure, identifying a cracked/chipped valve in cylinder 3. The dealership technicians and service staff stated that this type of failure is extremely rare on a vehicle with such low mileage and normal maintenance history. They also indicated that they had not encountered this type of valve failure on a similarly maintained Audi vehicle at this mileage. There was no evidence of carbon buildup or abuse, and no external contributing factors were identified. The failure resulted in sudden engine malfunction and loss of drivability while the vehicle was in…”

“My vehicle spontaneously began displaying emergency signals including engine malfunction, turn signal malfunction, parking brake malfunction, brake light malfunction. I would also turn the car completely off and brake lights would remain on asymetrically. Also, the related alert bells would go off intermittently. I have kept my car in good repair and on a regular maintanence schedule. I took the car first to my mechanic who evaluated and said I should take to the Audi dealership. After two days of diagnosis, they came back that the sunroof drains were clogged with debris which definitively caused water to enter and soak the "comfort module" After irrigating them, they did not find any damage and said they do not need replacement. However, the water soaked and heavily corroded the comfort module and say the entire module needs to be replaced along with a rebuild of the harness. They are quoting me $12,300. My safety was at risk in the malfunction of the engine system, and especially signalling capabilities and possible brake impact. The problem has been confirmed by two mechanics - mine and Audi I searched online and have discovered a number of other 2018 Audi…”

“Fuel pump has been recalled on other models but not mine. I have a 2018 audi q5. It had a warranty extension but the previous owner never claimed but if it would have been a recall then I wouldnt be having this problem . Now I have to replace the water pump and pay almost $2k for something that wasn't a recall.”