Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11712558

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2021 AUDI Q5

Manufacturer

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Components

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

Dates

Incident: 10/10/2025
Filed: 01/21/2026

Owner complaint summary

Following a rear collision repair at an authorized dealer collision center, multiple ADAS safety systems were not properly calibrated despite insurance payment and shop representations that repairs were complete. WHAT FAILED: Lane Change Assist, Peripheral Camera System, Side Assist, 360-Degree Camera, Front Camera, and Adaptive Cruise Control were either not calibrated or calibrated in timeframes physically incompatible with manufacturer specifications. SAFETY RISK: Driver relies on blind spot monitoring and lane change alerts that may be non-functional or inaccurate. Without proper calibration, these systems may fail to detect adjacent vehicles, provide false alerts, or create blind spots in camera coverage, increasing collision risk during lane changes and merging. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes. Shop manager provided diagnostic logs as proof of calibration. Analysis shows 360-degree camera calibration executed in 18 seconds versus 40-60 minute industry standard, and zero calibration events logged for Lane Change Assist and Peripheral Camera systems explicitly claimed as completed. INSURANCE INSPECTION: Insurance company explicitly DENIED Lane Change Assist and Peripheral Camera calibrations on estimate. Shop admitted in writing these items were declined and blamed insurance for non-payment. No OEM calibration logs produced despite multiple written requests. WARNING SYMPTOMS: Systems may appear normal on diagnostic scan with no active fault codes, but this does not prove calibration was performed to OEM tolerances. Physical calibration requires target board positioning, laser alignment, and environmental verification that cannot be completed in documented timeframes. PATTERN CONCERN: This may represent a systemic issue where insurers deny ADAS calibrations, shops skip calibrations due to non-payment, vehicles are released as complete, and consumers unknowingly operate vehicles with compromised safety systems. Vehicle and documentation available for inspection.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11712558). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11712558. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.