There are 63 stored owner reports matching the electrical system leading-label group for the 2018 Audi Q5 in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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Loaded 50 of 63 matching reports. This is a limited sample of up to 50 reports, ordered by incident date when available, not the complete group. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)XXX My wife drive her 2018 audi q5 2.0 on express way with mother([XXX]),the car suddenly stall and lost all power ,because car bcm2 module has suffered liquid damage due to known vehicle design defect, towing to nearest repair shop change new bcm2 module and fix wire spend near $4000.00 dollars . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 without warning. I am reporting this because the issue appears to be widespread, documented by Audi, and has the potential to disable vehicles unexpectedly.
The dashboard displayed a solid red brake light with a flashing warning “stop vehicle safely” light. A professional diagnostic scan confirmed a permanent hard fault on the ABS control Module (J104) and Hydraulic Unit (N55). The vehicle has only 66,755 miles. Independent repair shops cannot service this unit because it requires highly restricted, specialized Audi factory programming and coding software, forcing consumers to face massive dealership replacement costs for a premature electronic failure ona critical safety system.
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact replaced the battery. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, however the vehicle was not diagnosed. The independent mechanic attempted to start the vehicle, however the vehicle failed to start. The independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and noticed that the gateway control modular was moist. The contact was informed that the gateway control module had become moist because of the broken seal, the vehicle shut down. The contact stated that the contact's wife had spilled a liquid substance into the vehicle. In addition, the contact was provided pictures of the corrosion. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the unknown recall only covered the seal. The contact was informed that the recall did not cover the replacement of the gateway control modular. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair of the corroded seal was covered under the recall. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000. VIN was unavailable.
Unpublished costly catastropic electrical failure Audi of America reviewed the case and declined assistance solely because the vehicle was already totaled and unavailable for dealer inspection. Audi did not dispute the presence of water intrusion, the technical findings, or the cause of failure. This failure occurred without warning under ordinary environmental conditions and resulted in sudden loss of vehicle function. I am submitting this complaint to document a potential defect related to the protection and placement of electronic systems vulnerable to water exposure. I am submitting this complaint to report a potential safety-related defect involving water intrusion and catastrophic electrical failure in a 2018 Audi S5. After a heavy rain event with no roadway flooding or submersion, my vehicle experienced complete electrical failure and would not start. Inspection revealed water intrusion into the trunk area where critical electronic components—including the battery and electronic control modules—are located. The damage was extensive and rendered the vehicle inoperable, resulting in a total loss determination. Attached documentation includes photographs, video evidence, and a technical inspection summary prepared by an independent automotive service facility and reviewed in consultation with Audi-trained technicians. The findings indicate water intrusion consistent with design vulnerability rather than misuse or lack of maintenance.
My car randomly rebooting while driving. The whole MMI goes down
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and the vehicle was able to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the body control module(BCM) was floating in water. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V947000 (Electrical System, Structure), and the additional repairs were at the contact's expense. The contact stated that the recall remedy was inadequate for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while pulling into a business at an undisclosed speed, there was an unknown warning light illuminated, and the message "Left and Right Rear Signal and Center Rear Brake Light Malfunction" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the key warning light and engine malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that there was water intrusion into the rear cargo area of the vehicle, due to a clogged drain. The contact was informed that the drain tube needed to be cleaned, the module needed to be replaced, and the vehicle needed to be rewired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
BCM
A coil that is attached underneath the sunroof is attached to the BCM. There is not a drain plug at the end so there was 5 inches of water there and the BCM was made to sit in that spot. The electrical wires and BCM were burned out because of this. The BCM controls the entire system not limited to the start button and everything that runs the car. I have only had the vehicle less than 1 year and it costs 4000 dollars to fix. My car has been at the dealership since June 9th.
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 Q5 owner accounts of the same and similar defect and result. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Turns out numerous complaints about water finding its way onto the computer comfort module. It is well known. Audi techs admitted it is due a bad design by Audi. There are no indications or warnings something is going wrong. Module gets fried and vehicle shuts off. Can't even shift or take out of Park. Insurances do not want to cover due it being water related. Audi does not want to repair due to no recall. They want approx $10,000.00 per occurrence when this happens. Definitely not fair to consumers to have to pay this or total their vehicles. My car only has 50k miles.
WATER SEEPED INTO COMFORT CONTROL MODULE VIA BLOCKED SUNROOF DRAIN HOSES AND DAMAGED ELECTRICAL. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE REGADING THE GATEWAY CONTROL MODULE WHICH ALLOWS SHOPS TO ADD A PROTECTIVE COVER. THIS SAME RECALL NEEDS TO BE ON THE COMFORT CONTROL MODULE SINCE THE WAY THEY DESIGNED THE SUNROOF DRAINS ALLOWS FOR WATER TO SEEP INTO THE CC MODULE. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS DESIGN THAT REQUIRES A 11K DOLLAR REPAIR FOR CUSTOMERS.
The rear view camera is not operating when shifting to reverse. I can demonstrate this malfunction at any time to anyone. Driver is unable to detect short objects or small children directly behind the vehicle. The problem was confirmed by the dealer during a service visit. At that time, the service technician checked power and ground to the control unit and verified good. Attempted calibration for camera, vehicle would not calibrate. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other agencies. There were no warning messages, or lamps or any other symptoms prior to the failure.
Water intrusion from sunroof floods electronics modules and shorting out, making the car unoperable
2018 Audi Q5 comfort System Control Module is faulty due to corrosion from water and or humidity. No incidents have occurred with my vehicle that has less than 70k miles. I purchased the vehicle as a certified pre-owned with 7700 miles on the car. The dealership claims that outside forces have cause the module to corrode and that I am responsible for the 10k payment to replace and/or repair.
The Audi Q5 sunroof drain that is intended to keep water out of the vehicle, leaked where water collected and pooled in the car beneath the car liner. The water collected on the "comfort module" and electrical fuse box resulting in immediate electrical failure of several vehicle features/systems including brake lights, turn signals, reverse lights, windshield wipers, etc. to name a few. In addition to repairs in excess of $10k, the vehicle will be totaled by the insurance company. After an exhaustive search, several Audi users of the same make, model and year have faced a similar issue. This issue must be addressed by Audi and should be reviewed immediately.
Roof drains clogged resulting in water filling the interior left rear wheelwell where ligting control modules are stored and are not waterproofed. Design defect allowing water incursion into an electrical connection system that is not waterproofed resulted in sudden and immediate multiple lighting system failure, road hazard.
2018 Audi Q5 (2.0, 40K miles, excellent condition) experienced severe electronic failure, due to sunroof drainage lines depositing water into the rear side wells where sensitive electronics are housed, impacting all tail-lights, wipers, sensors, internal dashboard sensors, etc., rendering the car highly unsafe and undrivable. The issue is a design and manufacturer defect that has allowed rainwater to leak into the rear side compartments destroying sensitive electronics & wiring, from faulty/kinked drain lines in the sunroof (according to the Audi Technician from my local Audi store), rendering the vehicle undrivable. It was obvious, repeatable, and avoidable. Worse this issue was misdiagnosed by the same Audi store, causing extra parts & labor expenses that didn't solve anything. It took my AUDI store OVER a MONTH to diagnose the issue correctly. There were also significant investigative/diagnostic charges from my Audi Dealership. There were also significant repair expenses to replace all water-logged equipment, including the Electronics Control Unit (ECU). This should be a clear recall item.
The comfort control module in the trunk of the car was sitting in water due to an ingress of water coming in the car. The car would not start due to this water ingress and could have shut off completely on the freeway or while driving. This caused my car to completely shut off and malfunction. There were no warning lamps or messages of the problem. I found out about the problem by taking the car to the Audi dealership. They originally thought the problem was the gateway module which has already been recalled due to the same problem of an ingress of water. The Audi dealership has claimed that the ingress of water is from a clogged drain pipe in the sunroof. They said there is nothing you can do to prevent this from happening.
Showing 1-20 of 50 loaded complaints
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
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Vehicle import recorded: Aug 31, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.