The affected Q5 vehicles were manufactured between January 2017 and August 2019 in Mexico, according to Audi Vietnam’s filing with Vietnam Register, the vehicle registration, inspection and quality control agency of the Ministry of Transport.

Due to errors in the assembly process, a piece of the rear wheel fender trim may loosen during use and eventually detach from the SUV, and could become a hazard to other vehicles on the road, Audi Vietnam said in its filing.

Audi Vietnam said it has so far not recorded cases of the piece falling off, but urged customers to take their vehicles to Audi Vietnam’s authorized dealers as soon as possible, who will secure the trim piece free of charge. This would take about 30 minutes, the company said. 

The recall program will take place from February 25, 2020 to February 25, 2023. Audi Vietnam said it will also service cars that were not officially imported but brought into the country individually (like diplomatic vehicles, for instance), upon receiving approval from the parent company.

Audi opened its first dealership in Saigon in 2008, and now possesses three dealerships, the other two in Hanoi and Da Nang. It does not publish official sales figures in Vietnam.