There are 4 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2012 Audi Q5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ENGINE DIES WITH OUT NOTICE WHILE IN MOTION .RECEIVING WARNING NOT TO EXCEED 4000RPMS ,LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING WITH FLASHING EPC. *TR
TIMING CHAIN JUMPED AT 63,000 MILES. AND VEHICLE ALSO NEEDED CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT.
MY VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL KEYLESS ENTRY/OPERATION CALLED AUDI ADVANCED KEY. I DROVE THE VEHICLE USING THE KEYLESS FEATURE FOR APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES TO PICK UP CHILD FROM SCHOOL. THE KEY WAS IN MY PURSE AND PLACED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. UPON RETURNING HOME, THE CAR WAS PARKED IN ITS USUAL OUTSIDE PARKING SPOT. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND UNLOCKED ALL DOORS USING THE BUTTON ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR (ALL DOORS ARE SET TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE ABOVE 5MPH). NEVER MOVING MY PURSE AND KEY FROM THE FRONT SEAT WHERE INITIALLY PLACED, I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND CLOSED THE DOOR TO RETRIEVE MY CHILD. UPON CLOSING THE DOOR, THE VEHICLE BEEPED AND LOCKED THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY - WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNUSUAL IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE EVEN IF THE KEYS WERE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. AUDI ADVANCED KEY SYSTEM SHOULD NOT ALLOW A VEHICLE TO LOCK WHEN KEYS ARE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED MY CHILD TO BE STRANDED, STILL STRAPPED TO HIS CAR SEAT (2-YEARS OLD) FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. A CALL TO 911 EMERGENCY SERVICES WAS MADE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED ONLY BY AN AUDI DEALERSHIP BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED SERVICE TIMELINE AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. POTENTIAL CAUSES MAY INCLUDE FAULTY CPU PROGRAMMING AND/OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. BASED ON INTERNET SEARCHES, PROBLEM APPEARS MORE FREQUENT THAN NORMAL - ESPECIALLY WITH TRUNK ACCESS. LUCKILY THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT DURING A HOT SUMMER DAY, BUT CAN POSE RISK TO SMALL CHILDREN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI Q5. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE "CHANGE KEY BATTERY" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART WHILE THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION; HOWEVER, IT RESTARTED WHEN THE KEY FOB WAS PRESSED. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE BATTERY INSIDE THE KEY FOB WAS NOT CHARGED. THE KEY FOB WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026