There are 3 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2016 Audi Q5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was pulling into a parking space at approximately 5 mph and the car unintentionally accelerated causing me to jump the curb, go over a grass median and land perpendicularly onto a one-way active road. There were trees and other items on the median I could've hit had I'd been pulling into a different parking space. I also could've hit cars on the road. I quickly got off the road and parked the car.
ON OCTOBER 15 2023 AT AROUND 5.30 PM ME AND MY WIFE ARE COMING BACK FROM MY DAUGHTER"S HOUSE IN BASKING RIDGE NJ ,TO MY HOUSE IN WARREN NJ WHICH IS ONLY about 7 MILES. ITS LOCAL AREA WITH SPEED LIMIT AROUND 35 MILES/HR Z0NE .I WAS DRIVING ON MOUNT AIRY ROAD , SAW A RED LIGHT AT A DISTANCE, AND ALSO SAW A COUPLE OF CARS STOPPED AT LIGHT, AND SLOWLY APPLIED BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. TO MY SURPRISE THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECELERATE, INSTEAD ACCELERATED VERY FAST, AND AT THAT MOMENT I STEERED THE CAR TO THE LEFT,TO AVOID HITTING ANY CARS IN FRONT OF ME,WHICH CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO THE SIDE BARRIER. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE AMBULANCES CAME, AND RUSHED ME AND MY WIFE WITH MULTIPLE INJURIES AND FRACTURES TO ICU MORRIST0WN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 35,000 MILES. WE SLOWLY ARE RECOVERING WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY . THIS INCIDENT DEFINITELY CHANGED OUR LIVES, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT VEHICLE"S UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSED ME TO CRASH.
I HAVE A 2016 AUDI Q5 AND RECENTLY WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS SINGLE-CAR ACCIDENT. I WAS PARKING MY CAR AND MOVED MY FOOT TO BRAKE WHEN THE CAR SURGED FORWARD OVER A COUPLE OF BOULDERS THROUGH THE TREES FLIPPING ONCE AND ROLLING DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. I, MIRACULOUSLY, CAME OUT OF THE INCIDENT UNSCATHED. THREE WEEKS EARLIER MY BROTHER-IN-LAW BORROWED MY CAR AND SAID I SHOULD HAVE THE CAR CHECKED BECAUSE IT SURGED FORWARD ON HIM ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHEN HE WENT TO BRAKE. I DISMISSED HIS COMMENTS, THINKING HE WAS NOT USED TO MY CAR. TURNS OUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A CONNECTION TO BOTH OF OUR EXPERIENCES AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED AUDI CORPORATE, BUT WANTED TO REGISTER THIS INCIDENT.
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 25, 2026