Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi SQ5, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Forward collision avoidance3
- Unknown or other3
- Vehicle speed control2
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Back over prevention1
- Service brakes1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 Audi SQ5 failed the safety check 0.65% of the time — 44% less often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 29,887 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2020
4,174 new Audi SQ5 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2020; the largest markets were Germany (2,371), the United Kingdom (1,264), France (228).
- Average mass
- 2,055 kg
- Average CO₂
- 221 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 255 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
43 first registered in 2020 are on Dutch roads; 91% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €124,915.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde34
- Band onvoldoende profiel16
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm5
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld3
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage3
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt2
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk1
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,193 cars built in 2020 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 14 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 440 of these cars first registered in 2020 took their annual MOT test. 93% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2020 the figure was 88%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.3% | 4.9% |
| Visibility | 0.9% | 2.8% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Brakes | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0.5% | 3.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
8 2020 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Audi SQ5 SUV AWD | — | 16.3 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 11.8 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 276 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQ5 · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2020 Audi SQ5.
| 2021740 9 Dec 2021 | Electrical Issue: On certain vehicles, if you spill liquid on the rear seat, or drive through heavy rain or deep water, the gateway control module could be damaged. If t… |
| 2021249 26 Apr 2021 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the lock nuts for the rear trailing arm bolts may be defective. If a nut breaks, there could be sudden changes in rear wheel align… |
| 2020392 26 Aug 2020 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been properly welded. As a result, the backrest adjustment could … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2020 Audi SQ5: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011305 | This bulletin provides information when the camera for the Driver Assist Systems is coded incorrectly. |
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011296 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011274 | This bulletin provides information when the restricted function icon for Audi Pre sense is displayed after engine starts. |
| 11011270 | This bulletin provides informatoin when Audi pre sense restricted message appears in the instrument cluster, no DTCs. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011256 | This bulletin provides information when the DTCs B200FF0 to B200FF5 are stored in the J775 suspension control unit. |
| 11011253 | This bulletin provides infomraion when there are rumbling/knocking noises from the front suspension. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11011239 | This bulletin advises that fuel additives are not permitted. |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009967 | This bulletin provides information when there is an issue with wireless charging/wireless charging not working with Audi Phone Box. |
| 11009959 | This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians enter a record in the PSS Database when there is an Audi connect installation error. |
| 11009957 | This bulletin provides informatin on ordering replacement parts for vehicles with ConBox Low; applies to any customer complaint or DTC, including SOS malfunctions. |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009938 | This bulletin provides information when there are droning noises/vibrations in tight corners, vehicles with PR number GH4 (quattro with ultra technology). |
| 11009936 | This bulletin provides informatin when there is binding or vibrations in tight turns with quattro Ultra. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009927 | This bulletin provides information when oil is lost from the filler cap. |
| 11009920 | This bulletin states that the use of fuel additives is not permitted. |
| 11009390 | This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians enter a record in the PSS Database when there is an Audi connect installation error. |
| 11009387 | This bulletin provides information when there is an SOS Malfunction with ConBox Low, "Emergency call function: fault", (DTC U142100, U153E00). |
| 11009385 | This bulletin provides information about ordering ConBox Low replacement parts; applies to any customer complaint, or DTC, including SOS malfunction. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)