Woman Tries To Return Her Brand-New Audi. Then They Give Her A Repurchase Agreement: 'I Am Gonna Lose Several Thousand Dollars'

The promise of a luxury vehicle isn’t just that it’s beautiful, comfortable, and quiet. It’s also a promise of reliability. 

But one Baltimore woman alleges she bought a luxury lemon. Cardiac surgery PA and fitness expert Tina (@lonti_1) detailed her Audi experience in a series of six TikTok videos spanning five months. 

What Went Wrong With Her Audi Purchase?

Audi's tagline is “Progress Through Technology.” But Tina asserts that her 2025 Audi SQ5 fell far short of the technological mark—thoughtful or otherwise. 

She bought the vehicle in another state but had to deal with the malfunctions in Maryland.

In her first video, Tina says that within the first two weeks of owning it, she’d had multiple sensor alarms, trouble getting it into park, and an inability to link her digital key. What followed was seemingly endless back-and-forth with Audi, a total of five weeks in the shop, and an outcome that she acknowledges is legal but disappointing.  

Though Tina was "obsessed with the aesthetics of the car,” it couldn't be fixed. 

Several explanations were given for the vehicle’s problems. An update that would not take was blamed, then a faulty battery. Less than 24 hours later, the SQ5 was back in the shop. At that point, a module was replaced, and again, the next morning, the vehicle’s sensors and alarms went off. By the beginning of April 2026, in addition to emails and calls, she’d initiated Lemon Law proceedings for the state of Maryland and sent a certified letter to Audi. 

But that is not the end. In April, she alleges that she was on the highway when the emergency assist tried to take over. It happened again when she was backing out of a parking spot. 

By June, she’d been notified of Audi’s intention to buy back the vehicle. In her final update, Tina said the repurchase agreement was “less than favorable,” but it did align with Maryland's Lemon Law. Two attorneys reviewed it, and both advised her it was a good offer, even though she alleges she’s losing several thousand dollars on a vehicle that hasn't worked since the day she bought it. 

“It’s kind of unfortunate that Audi did not go above and beyond the restrictions of the law,” she said. 

Audis: Beautiful But Riddled With Problems

There’s a fair amount of snark and assumptions happening in the comments section. But many users also allege—across all of her videos—that they've had serious, ongoing issues with newer Audis. 

Megan Fabi (@meganfabi) offers anecdotal confirmation of Tina’s troubles: “I have the same issue with my new 2025 Audi sq5 sportback. Yesterday my entire screen, including my digital cockpit, turned off in the middle of the highway so I couldn’t even see my speed. Audi did answer my email but told me my car doesn’t qualify for a buy back since it hasn’t been in the shop 3 times for the same issue or 10 days total. It is wild that there are so many specificities when the vehicle hasn’t been working properly since day one, especially since these cars are so expensive. The seatbelts were also just recalled.”  

Then, Lorynn (@sold.by.lo), a current Audi employee, offers verification of the software problems: “Hi! I work at an Audi dealer - unfortunately all of the new A5/Q5’s have had all of these same problems since coming out - so frustrating , the KD2 software update that you probably had done already Audi is VERY aware that it’s not 100% fixing these cars! I recently heard there will be a software update of some kind coming out this month that is supposed to finally fix all of these issues!”

While multiple other users detail problems as varied as a transmission replacement at 22,000 miles, oil leaks, and overall horrible electronics.

What Is A Buy-Back Agreement? 

A vehicle buyback is exactly what it sounds like: one party buying back a car from the purchaser. In Tina’s case, it happened because the problems with the SQ5 could not be reasonably remedied. 

Therefore, the car met the requirements of Maryland’s Lemon Law, which stipulates that vehicles must be “registered in Maryland, less than 24 months old, and have fewer than 18,000 miles. If repair attempts fail to fix a serious problem, the consumer may be entitled to a refund or replacement.”

Stylishly appointed and garnering good reviews, including one from this publication, weren’t enough to offset unresolved software problems. And even if a patch works, it may arrive a few thousand dollars too late for buyers already stuck in a repair cycle. 

Motor1 reached out to Tina via TikTok direct message and with a comment on the post. We emailed the media contact for Audi. We will update this story if either party responds.