Most common 2019 Audi SQ5 problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi SQ5 complaints by model year
Best SQ5 years: 2022, 2015. Years to avoid: 2018, 2019. Compare all years →
2019 Audi SQ5 recalls (5)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wheels › Hub
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The wheel arch cover trim may loosen and detach.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the wheel arch trim with an additional screw and nut, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer at 1-800-253-2834.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake master cylinder casting may be too short.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 3, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
What 2019 Audi SQ5 owners say
Engine & cooling
There's a knocking noise coming from the engine that could lead to potential engine failure. There is a known manufacturers defect in these engines. Audi has extended a warranty, but not all cars are eligible. This should be a recall because if the engine fails on a high speed through a highway, it could be a highly dangerous situation
Piston skirt recall and warranty. Bulletin number AWA-25-08. Needs investigated. Based off average Audi owner statistics along with NHTSA statistics, when this bulletin was released in August of 2025, over 60% of vehicles with this 3.0T engine code EA839 would be disqualified from repairs for under 80,000 miles.
Brakes
Cars dash board go will go out while driving. Completely disabling all gauges until it resets. Bluegrass Audi can't seem to figure it. I asked several months ago to be contacted by Audi but I was never contacted. Audi bluegrass has had the car2-3 times now with no solution. This also includes one time where they drove over 400 miles on it. Picture I included is a just a guess. This has happened 3 or 4 times.
On a suburban street that I regularly drive on with no car nearer than 100 yards in front of me and fortunately no car behind me the Audi presense system actuated slamming on the brakes and flashing a red triangle in the driver information screen. If a car had been followed behind me I would've been rear-ended
Electrical system
The rear brake lights on my 2019 Audi SQ5 stopped functioning due to a failure of the Comfort System Central Control Module (J393). This defect is documented by Audi in Technical Service Bulletin 2055123/5 and earlier versions. The malfunction causes the "rear lighting warning" to appear in the instrument cluster, and the brake lights do not illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed. The issue is not related to bulbs or wear-and-tear; it is caused by a software defect in the vehicle's body control module, which results in loss of communication with the rear-lighting system. The failure occurred at approximately 73,000 miles, but the defect existed earlier and is acknowledged by Audi in the TSB. Because brake lights are a federally required safety system, the vehicle cannot be safely operated until this defect is corrected. …
The trunk lid has opened on its own while I was driving on the highway in the night time, some small cargo (made of plastic) fell out of the trunk and was destroyed by the traffic behind me and in adjacent lane while creating some minor road hazard. Instantly pulled over on a soft shoulder, put the hazard lights on and got out to check out what happened. The trunk was wide open but hazards were not visible as they are attached to the trunk lid which was open and facing upwards, effectively making the hazard lights invisible to the traffic in the night time behind me. Small reflectors on the bumper are so tiny that in the night time are practically useless and invisible to the cars behind you if they are cruising at highway speeds. A few cars behind me had to brake hard and change lanes. …
2019 Audi SQ5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Audi SQ5 a good car?
Based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 SQ5 rates use caution: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the SQ5 at the same age. It is one of the SQ5 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Audi SQ5?
The engine & cooling — 5 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (4) and electrical system (3).
How many recalls does the 2019 Audi SQ5 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2019 Audi SQ5, the most recent from December 8, 2021 (body). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Audi SQ5?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018 and 2019. See the full Audi SQ5 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2019 Audi SQ5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 10,000 miles; 75% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.