YearToAvoid

2019 Audi SQ5 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

58/100

#6 most-complained of 13 SQ5 years

The 2019 Audi SQ5 has a Complaint Index of 58, ranks 6th worst of 13 model years, and carries a Caution verdict. It has 19 complaints, 5 recalls, and no fires or deaths, with the top problem area being the Electrical System.

Complaints
19
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
19 city / 24 hwy

Top 2019 Audi SQ5 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System5 (26%)
  2. Brakes4 (21%)
  3. Engine4 (21%)
  4. Airbags2 (11%)
  5. Structure & Body2 (11%)
  6. Visibility & Wipers2 (11%)
  7. Collision Avoidance & Cameras1 (5%)
  8. Fuel System1 (5%)
  9. Steering1 (5%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (5%)

What owners report

  • Automatic emergency braking or the Audi Presense system triggers hard braking with no vehicle or obstacle nearby, sometimes on empty streets.
  • The instrument panel or dashboard gauges go dark and reset while driving, reported to dealers multiple times without a fix.
  • Airbag warning lights illuminate with no clear cause, and in one case a passenger airbag issue is tied to an instrument panel defect.
  • The rear sunroof shattered without impact while driving, described as sounding like a gunshot.
  • Tail lights and turn signals fail simultaneously due to a software error, then resolve on their own after about a week.
  • The adaptive cruise control misreads shadows under bridges as obstacles and applies the brakes unexpectedly.
2019 Audi SQ5 complaints: complaints filed per month3Oct 2019Feb 2020May 2022Aug 2023Apr 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2019 to Sep 2026; peak Jun 2020 (3).

2019 Audi SQ5 recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V947000Dec 8, 2021Structure & Body288,991 vehicles

    Structure:body

    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, causing it to shutdown.

    Risk: A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will install a protective cover on the gateway control module and seal an underbody seam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90S9.

  2. NHTSA 19V737000Oct 16, 2019Structure & Body174,278 vehicles

    Structure:body

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi SQ5 and 2018-2020 Audi Q5 vehicles. The rear wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach from the vehicle.

    Risk: The detached trim may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four clips securing the forward part of the rear wheel arch trim, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 66K8.

  3. NHTSA 19V473000Jun 19, 2019Airbags28 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. In the event of a crash deploying the passenger's frontal air bag, the instrument panel carrier may break due to incorrect welding. If the carrier breaks, there may be damage to the passenger frontal air bag.

    Risk: A damaged frontal air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of an injury.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel and the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began August 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90N1.

See all 5 recalls for the 2019 Audi SQ5 →

2019 Audi SQ5 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2019 compared with other SQ5 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2017Good335019
2018Avoid92245 !21
2019Caution5819521
2020Good428420
2021Caution6713520

All Audi SQ5 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Audi SQ5 reliable?
NHTSA lists 19 complaints and 5 recalls for the 2019 SQ5, giving it a Complaint Index of 58 and a Caution verdict, ranking 6th worst among the 13 model years with data.
What is the top problem area for the 2019 Audi SQ5?
The Electrical System is the top problem area, accounting for 26% of complaints (5 of 19), with a median failure mileage of 2,900 miles.
Does the 2019 Audi SQ5 have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2019 SQ5 covering the airbag/instrument panel, brake master cylinder, wheel arch trim, and structural water ingress issues. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2019 SQ5 compare to other years?
The 2019 SQ5's Complaint Index of 58 is worse than 2015-2017 and 2020, 2022 (Good or Best verdicts) but better than 2018 (92, Avoid) and 2024 (100, Avoid).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.