Yoshimura

Then, what wil prevent a dealer to simply put SQ5 badges on a Q5 and sell that as a SQ5 to my mom?

You think the cops will believe me when I will told them that my car is not a stolen vehicle with a switched VIN and that their system is wrong?

How would I prove to the DMV, to the insurance company and to Carproof that their system is wrong? Why would they care about this?

At the beginning, the lost of the S on my registration was just a small (ok, a big) deception. Now, I understand this could have big consequences.

Anyway, my seller is always helpful and I'm sure he will make sure to have that fixed. I will let you know how things go.

plat27265

If you want to confirm your Mom was sold an SQ5, look at the PR Label found in your vehicle's warranty booklet and in the spare wheel well. That PR Label will indicate whether the car is a Q5 or SQ5.

Another sign that your SQ5 is not a Q5 is its 3.0L Supercharged TFSI engine. Only the SQ5 is equipped with it.

I think you are over-reacting to Redd's response. The RCMP will not accuse you of switching VINs as long as your SAAQ registration papers and vehicle tag are legit and up to date. They'll figure out the mistake. But, if you have a prior criminal record then they might give it a second look.

Your dealer will be able to help you sort this matter out with AUDI Canada and make sure the Canadian vehicle database shows the correct model associated with your VIN #.

Yoshimura

This is what I also think.

sszyma

I have a SQ5 and state farm makes no distinction between the 2.0 to 3.0 in the SQ5. DMV is the same. Stated as a Q5

BarryT

I've seen a few listed for sale as Q5 S models.

A6forMoi

I've had the same issue with a Q5 TDI - the VIN didn't show it as a diesel. They've noted it in the records, so I'm confident I'm covered.

BlackSVT

?? Not true... I think that's part of the point of the OP's question. The Q5 3.0T and SQ5 use identical engines and other than badging (and maybe some non-enthusiasts would notice brakes and wheels), many casual buyers would not be able to tell the diff.

My $0.02 from a different perspective...I typically have bought some oddball-ish lower volume, but affordable cars. The SVT Focus and SVT/Cobra Mustang being 2 of them. In both cases, insurance coded them as non-SVT initially despite my question about it. No skin off my nose since I planned on keeping them a long time anyway. Insurance rates were good both times until someone at State Farm (for the Cobra) and Nationwide (for the Focus) figured out these were more enthusiast cars, fixed the coding, and in the Cobra case insurance went up ~200%. The Focus was less dramatic, but still irritating. If I'm remembering properly, the Cobra took ~2 years and the Focus ~12 months to be corrected.

In any case, I guess what I'm saying is there's little downside to your wallet to letting it be for now, but it likely will eventually be fixed.

Redd

"Then, what wil prevent a dealer to simply put SQ5 badges on a Q5 and sell that as a SQ5 to my mom?"
Nothing except the fear of prison.

Other than that, what plat and others have said. There's more than badges involved, although there are always some rubes dumb enough to fall for buying scams. [And my apologies to anyone who has an elderly relative with dementia that may have indeed been duped by a criminal, selling VW Golfs as "Audi Q4's".]

I've seen a coupe registered as a sedan, because some state laws make the classification based on whether there's a "B" pillar, regardless of the number of doors. And some liftbacks classed as "estate wagons" aka station wagons, even if they were 2+2 coupes. Then there's cars and trucks. Really, if the vehicle you are driving in was built in a truck factory, to federal truck safety standards, and taxed as a truck, isn't it a truck? No, it may be a "combination" vehicle, or even a car, depending on whether there's a rear window and rear seats or seat belts.

It is quite common for DMVs, states, feds, and manufacturers to disagree on what "is is" as Slick Willie said.

Any classic car collector can tell you that they can tell a real Shelby Cobra from something else that's been extensively reworked to look like one. Regardless of the paperwork, or the claims made for it.

Even easier with a new car. Audi knows what they made, and sold. If your DMV decides that you are driving a grocery cart, that's their option. They're allowed to reclassify things that way.