Audi Q5 taken out by DD water spill in rear seat

[Victamond1]

Dear all!
I leased a brand new Q5 back in April this year and last week my 7 year old DD spilled water from her water bottle in the rear seats.
The next day as my husband was taking the kids to running club the car started flashing up errors and died.

We called Audi and the engineer confirmed that the brain of the car is located under the rear seats and the water had gotten into the unit, therefore taking out the electrics of the car.

Is it me or is this a design issue?

What if the malfunction had occurred while were were in motion?

Is under the rear seats the right place for electrical components given the car is targeted at families and spills can and do happen?

We have been left with a heavy bill to rectify the issue and really don’t understand how this design hasn’t been raised as a safety issue in the past.

There is no warning or sign stating water should not be consumed in vehicle due to design - we would not have selected this vehicle if we had known.

Any similar experiences out there? As we are concerned by what could have potentially happened if the car had been in motion.

Blimey that seems crazy, especially in a family car. I would take it higher and also tweet etc.

That’s insane! I would def make a noise-would any motoring journalists be interested?

Use twitter to contact Audi,the Top Gear presenters, and Watchdog, and the company you have leased the car from. This will soon be sorted out.

How much water are you talking about?

I've spilt a pint of lemonade in the back of a Q5 - not on purpose! - it was a bugger to get out but it has no lasting issues.

This seems insane. Have they checked whether the seating is fitted properly?

I know! I was shocked when the seats were lifted and the component was just sat there..!

@AnchorDownDeepBreath It was after school. It’s s 650ml sistema bottle. And had about 2/3 left in it when we picked it up. Do not a huge amount as far as we could tell. Or so we thought!

@Teddybear45 thanks. I’ve exchanged multiple messages with AudiUKCustomerCare but it’s been a “it’s your fault” tone all through. I try not to go public to see if things can be sorted internally first. But the nonchalant attitude towards the situation has triggered my message here.

@Lightsabre thanks I have raised a formal complaint and also logged the details with the DVSA. We cannot be the first people this has happened to. And I’m just praying that no one gets hurt.

@moreismore I know I was do shocked when the engineer told me the computer was under the seat. No waterproof case or nothing.

The same thing happened with our 2021 Q5 Audi. Less than 2 ounces of water were spilled as I was pulling out of the gas station and the car started to act like it was possessed. All sort of error messages were displayed: engine failure, transmission failure, all wheel drive failure. Even the windows started to go up & down on their own. the gas pedal froze. the key fab won't work. I called Audi road side assistance and three hours later could not deliver a tow tow truck. Finally a cop pulled in and ordered a tow truck for us to tow back to dealer. I called the dealer service department to inform them that the car is on the way. Service manager asked me what was going on with the car. He seemed very familiar with the issue. His dealership as well as Audi are aware of the issue and they continue to sell the car.
I have called Audi customer care in Michigan (800)822-2834 and requested that they buy the car back. I told them what happened and asked what if this happened on the freeway going at 60 miles per hour and her answer was that they do not deal in hypothesis.
They sent me a long list of items that they need before they would review the file. They also emphasized that the car has to be in the repair shop for a minimum of 15 days and or three identical repairs to take place before they will review the file. The point I made to them is that they can replace the Gateway module J533 (the cause of the problem) but unless they can waterproof it, the problem is going to happen again and that I'm not willing to risk my family's life due to their negligence.
I escalated the call to a supervisor and his comment struck the most. he said and I quote "this happened due to an outside influence" and it is not covered. Spilling a little of water under where the cup holders in the back seat is an outside influence to Audi!!! who would have thought. I guess the car should come with a disclosure: DRINK WATER IN THE BACK SEAT AT YOUR OWN RISK. How crazy is that??

This is nuts. (We have an Audi - an old one and not Q5 ) but definitely escalate this and happy to retweet etc! It’s not fit to be sold as a family car with a flaw like that, and should be sold with warnings.

They have cup holders, they market to families, children drinking in the back seat is exactly the intended purpose so it’s not fit for purpose, not an unforeseen outside influence

Blimey. This has really put me off buying a Q5 (or any Audi due to their response).
I currently have a TT and must replace it soon, it won’t be with another Audi.

Good grief- What happens if a child has a toileting accident whilst asleep in the back? The same thing?! This is ridiculous!