Audi Q5: High-Voltage Battery Overheat Risk (2021–2024)

What the evidence shows

Volkswagen Group recalled certain 2021–2024 Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid vehicles because a battery cell module may thermally overload, creating smoke or fire risk. NHTSA recall 25V080 states that no warning occurs before the defect presents.

What this means

An overheating high-voltage battery is a fire risk.

What may be happening mechanically

A defective high-voltage battery cell module can thermally overload. The official recall does not attribute the defect to the broader thermal-management system.

What owners may notice

• Your VIN is included in NHTSA recall 25V080 or an Audi recall lookup
• An Audi interim notice instructs you not to charge the vehicle externally
• Smoke, unusual heat, or a burning odor near the high-voltage battery

What to check first

Check the VIN in the official Audi/NHTSA recall lookup and follow the exact interim instructions Audi issued for that vehicle. Some affected owners were instructed not to charge externally; the recall report says there may be no advance warning.

What this does not prove

A safety recall confirms an identified defect and a required remedy for the specific vehicles covered by NHTSA campaign 25V080000. It does not establish how many vehicles ever actually experienced the described failure, and any symptom listed above can have other causes — a qualified inspection is still the way to confirm the cause on a specific vehicle.

For owners and buyers

If you own or are considering a 2021–2024 Audi Q5, check the VIN against NHTSA campaign 25V080000 (through the manufacturer or the relevant national recall lookup) to see whether the remedy has already been completed. An open recall is normally repaired by the dealer at no cost to the owner.