2018 Audi Q5 air bags problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2018 Audi Q5 — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The Seat Occupancy Detection System is malfunctioning. The passenger airbag warning light activates when a passenger occupies the passenger seat and the passenger overhead reading light remains on when the seat is occupied including overnight. These are established symptoms of Seat Occupancy…”
filed Mar 18, 2026
“Car displayed a warning sign that safety system malfunctioned. Airbag indicator showed “passenger airbag off”. This error occurred sporadically and for a limited amount of time. It also kept sensing that passenger seat was occupied when it wasn’t. From what I understand , the issue is related to…”
filed Oct 10, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Q5 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q5 | 3 | 8% |
| 2023 Q5 | 3 | 7% |
| 2021 Q5 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 Q5 | 3 | 6% |
| 2017 Q5 | 3 | 7% |
| 2016 Q5 | 5 | 6% |
| 2015 Q5 | 2 | 2% |
| 2014 Q5 | 3 | 3% |
| 2013 Q5 | 1 | 1% |
| 2012 Q5 | 85 | 51% |
| 2011 Q5 | 67 | 47% |
| 2010 Q5 | 50 | 51% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Audi Q5
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.