Audi Q5 Gearbox Malfunction – Symptoms and Ways to Fix

Audi Q5 is a great SUV that you will certainly love the moment you get into it. This is a luxurious car by one of the most popular German brands. And this vehicle is extremely popular in the US. But is it ideal in terms of technologies? What about the engines and transmissions? You may know that Audi-Volkswagen is known to have some problems with automatic transmissions.

Gearbox Malfunction message highlights

• Common reasons:clutch in DCTs, low fluid level, low 12V battery glitch
• How to fix:replace/recharge battery, add transmission fluid, replace the clutch kit (in DCT)
• Possible consequences:fatal transmission damage, car completely immobilized
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?No
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$150-$5000

What kinds of transmissions are used in Audi Q5?

Now, we'll be talking about the new Audi Q5 available in the American market in 2022. This vehicle can come in two standard versions - 45 TFSI and 55 TFSI. The latter is the hybrid version with some common problems with its powerplant. But we will take the more popular 45 TFSI version which is equipped with a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine. It's not bad, like in all Audi cars.

But this engine is coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission - similar to DSG in Volkswagen cars. Oh wait, it's not just similar, it IS the DSG transmission. And here some questions may start from potential buyers. We all remember how bad those DSG transmissions with the dry clutch system were in the Volkswagen Golf.

OK, we still need to start with good news:

• the DSG transmission works perfectly and shifts gears just like it should - without any jerking and other problems;
• the transmission is economical - the 2.0 TFSI engine equipped with the DSG shows just wonderful gas mileage;
• the transmission is really modern and filled with wonderful technologies that help drivers feel comfortable when driving the SUV;
• there are certain modes in the transmission - you can choose between sporty modes or more economical ones;
• the 4WD versions are also not bad, the transmission is set to provide you with all the needed functions for a four-wheel-drive vehicle;
• the DSG shifts quickly and you don't feel it on the go, at least until the transmission is OK and doesn't need repair.

Well, a lot of advantages we can see in the 7-speed DSG transmission that Audi now uses for the Q5 SUV. We have to admit that Volkswagen AG did a lot of work and made its transmission much better than they were 12 years ago.

But it's still a dual-clutch transmission that is known to have a lot of issues. And unfortunately, some of these common issues are still there and you will have to cope with them. It doesn't mean you will need to go to the dealer once you start driving this car. No, the longevity of the unit is now much better than it was before. But still, let's talk about problems.

How can the DSG7 malfunction in your Audi Q5?

Once you see the "Gearbox malfunction" message in your Audi Q5, you should get ready for an expensive repair. Unfortunately, the majority of the common issues are not so cheap to deal with. Especially, if you have high mileage on your vehicle. To tell you the truth, high mileage for the DSG transmission is anything higher than 60,000 miles.

So, together with the "Gearbox malfunction" message on your dashboard, you may feel some or all of the next problems:

• jerking of the car when the transmission shifts;
• the SUV doesn't want to go to reverse;
• the vehicle doesn't shift to a certain gear (usually to the 6th or 7th);
• the transmission skips one gear and tries to go to the wrong one;
• the engine stalls when the transmission tries to shift;
• the car doesn't react when you put the selector to a certain position;
• the gearbox goes to a "limited functionality" and works in one of two gears only;
• some other errors and fault codes may appear on the dash.

Well, it's not always a fatal problem with your transmission. Sometimes, some other problems will cause a "Gearbox malfunction" message and you will still be able to drive your car. We'll tell you how to check it and how to avoid paying insane money to your Audi dealer (because this is what they want you to do each time they hear about "Gearbox malfunction").

You need to have full information on what's happening with your car when you see this error message on your dashboard. If you don't describe the full problem, an Audi dealer will just recommend you some extremely expensive procedures with the transmission.

Why are DSG transmissions in Audi Q5 so faulty?

They are not worse and not better than other dual-clutch transmissions with the dry clutch system. These transmissions are decent in terms of driving emotions, but they can't live long. We've seen Audi Q5 owners complaining that their DSG transmission failed and started sending those ugly messages at 15,000 miles or 20,000 miles. And the worst part - the problems weren't covered by a warranty.

The DSG transmissions have two main problems: software and clutch. In 70% of cases, the software is in charge of all problems. And dealers earn a lot of money just by reuploading the software and taking thousands of dollars for transmission repair.

The other 30% of cases are connected to a clutch. This is a faulty clutch that is still used by Audi-Volkswagen for some reason. It can go bad at 15K miles or even sooner. But some owners drive their Q5 SUVs up to 100,000 miles with no problems.

Also, in very rare cases, problems with transmission happen because of different sensors in the selector system and in the mechatronics. These problems are relatively hard to locate, but the dealers can do this easily. They will just pretend to spend a lot of time and they will still take a lot of money from you.

What should I do when my Q5 says "Gearbox malfunction"?

Well, what we recommend is to check everything with a cold mind. Don't rush to the dealer and don't take your wallet out of your pocket to show your money to the Audi dealer. This will not make anything good.

Here's what we would do as soon as we see this bad message:

1. Register all changes that happen with your vehicle. For example, nothing changes and the car goes normally. Or the Q5 started going slower, some gears aren't engaged.
2. Turn off the engine. Find a safe spot to turn off the engine and let the car reupload its software the next time you start the engine. It takes 5 minutes.
3. Listen to any sounds. If you hear additional noise, grinding sounds, or metal sounds, you may be sure that the transmission is finished.
4. Try to drive in different gears. You may use manual shifting to see if all gears work and if nothing bad happens.
5. Go to a couple of dealers. Don't rely fully on the opinion of one Audi dealer only. You should check the information with two dealers or even with more companies.

If your vehicle is still under warranty, you should only go to official dealers. But if the warranty is over, you can go to different repair shops. Find a good shop that has good ratings and reviews and ask them to diagnose the vehicle. In most cases, they will be fair with you.

How much is it to repair the Q5 transmission?

Unfortunately, we can't tell you anything good in this section. The DSG transmission is really hard to maintain and repair, so even the local repair shop which is not an official Audi dealer will take a lot of money from you.

If it's something with the clutch, it will cost at least $2,000 to replace the clutch. If it's something with mechatronics, you will pay even more for repair. We've seen Audi Q5 owners who have paid over $5,000 for transmission repair.

But you should agree to such an expensive repair in that case only if you have checked the diagnosis and are sure that you are not being fooled by your dealer.

Final words

Audi Q5 dual-clutch transmission is something you will never forget. We believe this is the only bad unit in the vehicle. Usually, these cars last long and don't show a lot of problems. But during their lifetime, you will spend thousands of dollars to maintain and repair the gearbox. We don't know why Audi doesn't just use the simple automatic transmission that will not fail every 20K miles. But you just need to consider this if you buy an Audi Q5, especially a used SUV.