2021 Audi Q5 Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the windows independently rolled up and down, and the engine seized. While attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the failure had occurred three times within five days. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was purchased. The failure was diagnosed with a failed gateway control module. The contact was informed that the gateway control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that the plastic protective bag that covered the gateway control module was filled with water. In addition, the dealer informed the contact that the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V947000 (Electrical System, Structure); recall repair was performed prior to the contact purchasing the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 37,200.

The safety situation happened when my wife's car got stuck while driving at about 25-30 MPH in the middle of the road.Next day At the nearest Audi service center they found that water has gotten into the rear of the trunk and damaged the electronic module which caused the car to stall.The first repair was estimate at 4600 $ .After the repair the car was inoperable.The next repair was estimated at another 4 700 $.After the second repair the car was inoperable again and the service department told me that the car needed to replace the entire transmission .Which they estimated at another 20 000 $. So the total damage is around 30 000$ .I contacted Audi USA about the whole situation when I received a negative message regarding the solution . I would like to point out that up until the moment mentioned we had no problems with the car .After my personal investigation of the problem ,I found that there was a safety recall # 21V-947 for same problem .It was not issued for my car which meets all the criteria.It looks like it was hidden by the manufacturer. Audi distances itself from the whole problem and refuses to cover the costs of the damage.Thank good this happened on the city road where the speed is low .If this happened on the highway at 60 MPH it would have had tragic consequences .Where it would never have been figured out what caused the accident. From a safety perspective ,I m reporting this dangerous and unfair treatment of customers by AUDI USA regarding the hidden recall and denial of resposability that occurred and I request an investigation .

While driving on the highway (70mph) at night, my instrument panel went completely dark. I was not able to see the speed I was driving and my warning sounds/lights were not working. The dealer could not get me an appointment for 4 weeks so I took it to a mechanic who specializes in European cars. The diagnostics indicated a loss of power to the instrument cluster/panel. I was told there was an active recall for this issue, but my VIN was not included. As this is a safety issue that sounds very familiar to the current recall for other Audi models, I contacted Audi and after inspection they diagnosed it as a failing instrument cluster. Since it's not in the current recall, I'm having to replace it. I've had computer issues in the past which the current Audi dealership has checked and told me there was nothing wrong, but after speaking to the Audi service tech many of the recalled issues were solved by a software update. The loss of the instrument panel is a major safety issue and Audi refuses to resolve the issue.

Virtual dashboard where speedometer and safety warning are displayed has stopped working. Display has completely shut down. I cannot see any critical information to drive vehicle. I contacted the dealership to address a serious safety concern that mirrors an issue already under active recall for other models by the manufacturer. Despite this, the dealership has refused to perform any inspection or repairs, stating that my specific model is not currently included in the recall—even though the symptoms and risks are identical. This refusal raises significant concerns, as it leaves a known safety issue unaddressed solely due to recall limitations that may not yet reflect the full scope of the problem. In order to receive any resolution, the dealership is asking to cover diagnostic and service costs for the safety issue.

The instrument panel cluster assembly (screen behind steering wheel) needed to be replaced because it would intermittently stop working and I had no idea of how fast I was going, what gear I was in, how much fuel I had or whether the lane assist and other safety features were working. Without knowing speed, I may have followed cars too closely to safely stop or I could have run out of gas and left stranded somewhere. I thought it might have been software updates occurring but after a few days, I went to the dealer for service. Audi Naples was able to detect fault, replicate problem and replaced the assembly on 4/10/2025 for $3,391.96. The dealer kept the part and told me to keep my receipt in case there is a recall. My car currently has 31,489 miles and had a total inspection and was last serviced on 1/22/2025 with 31,487 miles. I find it outrageous that a part like that would fail in such a short period of time. I was lucky I wasn't on a long trip away from home when it occurred.

Gateway control module shutdown. After a rain storm vehicle had electrical issues such as rear light turning off, and engine start malfunction alarm on dashboard. To vehicle automatically stoping with no vehicle nearby, seat belt tightening and to engine seized while driving to the dealer for the “engine start malfunction alarm”. The Audi dealer is quoting us $17,000 to repair for damages. Multiple people on this post have also had this issue with one going on 4 months waiting for parts to repair this issue.

Warning lights came on and car completely stopped. Towed to dealer where we were told that Gateway control module part no 80C907468F has failed due to water damage. Dealer informed us that this is not covered by warranty for this reason. We do not believe we spilt any water there as it is located under the back passenger seat. We asked dealer to proceed with repair when we were informed that the part is on back order. We assumed this would be a matter of days or perhaps few weeks. It has been 3 and half month and no ETA yet. I found on Audi World user group that this is a common problem with this model and others have suffered similarly. I believe the OEM is responsible for making parts available within a reasonable time. In dealing with Audi America and the dealer they offered no remedy for this problem. And I am with out a car now going into 4 months. Surely they must be responsible to consumers for providing the services to maintaining the purchased vehicle operating!

Several electrical system malfunction lights came on the dash. Audi says it is the starter generator. Car almost stopped in the road.

All warning lights flashing…brakes and steering not working. Engine would not shut off,all screens /dash went black.mange’s to get in bike lane(still partially in road),emergency flashers worked fortunately.towed to dealer to be inspected and fixed …waiting for results. Was previously scheduled for recall fix .disablement happened about a week before scheduled recall fix, due apparently to water spillage in backseat

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated and the windows started to go up and down. The contact lost power steering functionality however, the brakes was functional and she was able to safely stop the vehicle. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle but the vehicle would not restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed and determined that water had entered the vehicle and short circuited the gateway control module. The failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V947000 (Electrical System, Structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The electronic system failed while we were driving 40 mphs. The vehicle completely stopped. A recall notice was generated but never sent even though Audi has email, phone, etc. for information. If this would have happened the prior day while driving 75 mphs this could have killed my entire family. I was without a car for 2 months and Audi did nothing to rectify the situation. My car was towed to another city, with supply chain issues it took 6 weeks to fix. I have lost significant money as a result of this. Audi has been unaccountable for all of that. I had no idea the long history of electrical problems with Audi. Consumers need to know this!

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V947000 (Electrical System, Structure). The dealer was contacted and informed her that an appointment for service would not be available for two months. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact was informed that the protective cover used to repair the failure was a plastic cover which the contact did not believe was adequate for the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The failed component is the gateway module that sits underneath the rear seats below the cup holders. In my case approximately 5 oz of water seeped out of my briefcase via a leaky water bottle and it shut down the gateway module and rendered the car inoperable.. losing all power and engine on the highway at approximately 60 mph. Fortunately I was successful in navigating the car to the side of the road by coasting and other than the fear was not harmed. Car was towes to Audi service where they confirmed that the gateway module failed.. they did not notice any water on the module and replaced it next day ..I was surprised that they had 5 in stock.. just googling Audi Q5 gateway module I noticed many similar incidents like mine I am worried that a family unknowingly with children in the back could have a similar incident and create serious risk. This needs to be communicated immediately to all Audi owners that are impacted and a recall needs to be initiated once a solution is developed and tested.

The 2021Audi Q5 has a gateway module under the middle back seat. Any fluid that contacts this module will cause it to fail shutting the car down completely. In addition, immediately above the module are 2 drink car holders. It only takes a small amount of spilled drink to cause this to happen. This happened to me on Sept. 7 causing my car to come to a complete stop immediately after passing thru and intersection. Eventually this will get someone killed on seriously injured. Audi has been aware of this issue but they don't inform potential buyers. This has happened numerous times before and I have attached other incidents posted on the internet. Please take action to make Audi take responsibility and corrective action. Electrical System problem #1 On August 19th, we drove our Audi through heavy rain early in the day on interstate 90 to go to mass general hospital. It was then parked in their covered parking garage. When we went to return home, we were on the entrance ramp to I 90 east and suddenly the car displayed messages of brake failure, electrical failure, steering failure, and then it died. It could not even be put in park. I was able to coast to the narrow shoulder. It was towed to brookline Audi. We are told by the service technician that the gateway module in the vehicle got wet and it is our responsibility as we drove through water. Although we certainly drove in pouring rain, we never drove through any flooded areas. The apparent fact that water somehow got into this new car and shorted out this all important device is terrifying. Electrical System problem #2 Driver was with 2 passengers (3 young females) driving in a new 2021 Audi Q5 (less than 5 months old and less than 6000 miles) at about 70 mph on garden state parkway in NJ. A brake malfunction warning light appeared on the dashboard and within 5 seconds the car completely shut down in the middle lane of the parkway (in a black car at 10pm). This was the first notification or warning--nothin

While driving the vehicle many warning lights suddenly turned on and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop in the middle of an intersection. Then the windows rolled down automatically. Vehicle would not start, posing a serious safety issue as it was in the middle of an intersection. Audi dealer indicated the gateway module malfunctioned. They said it had gotten wet, which I have no idea how it would’ve gotten wet. The gateway module is located under the backseat center console. The dealership indicated they had 5 cars brought in in 2 weeks with same issue. I have since read on Audi forums that this has happened to many others and left some stranded in the center-lane of highways.

Vehicle control module failed while driving. All car functions failed. Had a difficult time pulling off the road safely. Car towed to dealer. Found the module wet. However area around module was dry. They don’t know where the water is coming from. Audi is aware of the issue and is replacing the part free of charge. If we were on a highway when the module failed it could have been disastrous.

On August 19th, we drove our Audi through heavy rain early in the day on Interstate 90 to go to Mass General Hospital. It was then parked in their covered parking garage. When we went to return home, we were on the entrance ramp to I 90 East and suddenly the car displayed messages of brake failure, electrical failure, steering failure, and then it died. It could not even be put in park. I was able to coast to the narrow shoulder. It was towed to Brookline Audi. We are told by the Service Technician that the Gateway Module in the vehicle got wet and it is our responsibility as we drove through water. Although we certainly drove in pouring rain, we never drove through any flooded areas. The apparent fact that water somehow got into this new car and shorted out this all important device is terrifying.

Driver was with 2 passengers (3 young females) driving in a new 2021 Audi Q5 (less than 5 months old and less than 6000 miles) at about 70 mph on Garden State Parkway in NJ. A brake malfunction warning light appeared on the dashboard and within 5 seconds the car completely shut down in the middle lane of the parkway (in a black car at 10pm). This was the first notification or warning--nothing in the prior minutes or days. The driver was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts and was unable to drift to the shoulder of the parkway. The SOS button in the vehicle didn't work and hazards didn't appear to be working either. Several cars driving at or above the 65 mph speed limit were braking and swerving at the last second to avoid collision and several cursed at the vehicle (as they were unable to see the vehicle in the darkness). Passenger in front seat called 911 to request assistance to provide a roadblock as it seemed imminent that the vehicle was going to be hit. 911 operator said safest place was to remain in the vehicle given the vehicle location and the speed of other drivers. The radio briefly turned back on and then turned off. Nothing else was working. When the tow arrived, the driver notified the individuals that the front hazards were working but the back hazards were not. The vehicle was towed to the local Audi Service Center. Eleven days after Audi accessed the vehicle, a report was received which said that the vehicle had an "elec[trical] malf[unction]" and that they "found car would not turn on and no communication to any control units. [They] performed hard reset to gate way control unit[,] found fuse blown for control unit[,]  replaced fuse [and] still same concern found[.] [G]ateway control unit internally faulty causing car not to start[.] [R]eplaced and recoded control unit [and] cleared faults and test drove car[.]" The report also notes that 3 weeks after the car was leased, the vehicle owner indicated that the car was stalling out.