CSR

Audi · NHTSA safety record

2018 Audi A5

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

36

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Audi A5 have filed 36 safety complaints with NHTSA between June 2017 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 8 of them (22%). The typical failure was reported at 7,000 miles, the median across the 13 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 6 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (6)

SEATS

21V874000 · November 10, 2021

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
The risk
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 208,332 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V547000 · July 24, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
The risk
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 145,337 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:FRONT

18V893000 · December 17, 2018

The defect
Volkswagen Group of North America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback vehicles. The front suspension fasteners may not have been sufficiently tightened during vehicle production, possibly resulting in a front wheel becoming loose.
The risk
A loose front wheel may increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the front suspension fasteners, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40O2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 36 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

18V836000 · November 27, 2018

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback and 2017-2018 Audi A4 Allroad vehicles. A passenger air bag module mounting screw may not have been sufficiently tightened, possibly affecting the deployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
The risk
If the air bag does not deploy correctly in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of an injury.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag mounting screw, tightening or replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y4.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 12 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

17V822000 · December 20, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Coupe vehicles. The affected vehicles were built with head curtain air bag assemblies that may not unfold properly. As such, these vehicle fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the head curtain air bag, if the air bag does not deploy properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will modify the head curtain air bags so that they deploy properly, free of charge. The recall began on January 18, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 11-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69T7.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 8,037 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

17V675000 · October 25, 2017

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad, and 2018 A5 Sportback vehicles. The aluminum trim on the front and rear doors can come loose from around the door speakers, leaving sharp edges exposed.
The risk
The sharp edges of the speaker trim increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the speaker cover aluminum trim, free of charge. The recall began March 13, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 70G6.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 31,323 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 36.

ENGINE 8 22%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 11%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 11%
STRUCTURE 4 11%
AIR BAGS 3 8%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 8%
POWER TRAIN 2 6%
STEERING 2 6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 10.

2017 2025 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · 30,000 miles

THE ELECTRONIC TRUNK OF MY AUDI A5 FAILED TO STOP CLOSING ONCE IT HIT ME ON THE HEAD. THE HATCH KEPT CLOSING IN UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO MOVE MY BODY OUT OF THE WAY HOWEVER AT THIS POINT THE HATCH ALREADY CAUSED A LACERATION TO MY SKULL WHICH RESULTED IN A VISIT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS ON.

NHTSA complaint 11361546. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

1 injured

Malfunctioning sunroof: I was the only vehicle on a flat paved road, partly cloudy skies and 65°. I had issues last summer, where when the sunroof was in the tilted position, it would not close securely. When I exited the vehicle to see what the issue was, I noticed the driver side corner was still in the tilted position, whereas the passenger side corner of the panoramic sunroof, was latched and secured. Causing the glass to warp. After messing with the switch a few times, it finally “popped* alarmingly loud, but closed completely. I informed Audi of this issue the next day, and had them add it to my upcoming service. The sunroof functioned normally up until the appointment. Audi could not

NHTSA complaint 11487743, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

crash · towed · 360 miles

CAR WAS IN PARK WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ON. WHEELS TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND TIGHT TO THE CURB. SOMEHOW THE CAR ROLLED DOWN HILL AND STRUCK A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE POLICE TOOK PICTURES OF THE INTERIOR SHOWING BOTH THE IN PARK LIGHT AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ON. THERE IS NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION.

NHTSA complaint 11000302. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

crash

On the dark evening of 23 January 2021 a deer from the side of the Ohio Turnpike came onto the edge of my lane of roadway, did a Uturn and kicked the front fascia of my car. I slowed but couldn’t avoid the collision because of NHTSA rule Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. I did not see the deer in time to slow further, which would have allowed emergency maneuvers. If I was driving this same car in Europe, or Canada or Japan, I would have Adaptive driving beams on my vehicle. There is often only seconds to act at night, at speed and the glare from oncoming drivers contributes to this lack of safety on American Roads. NHTSA has allowed Tesla to experiment with unproven

NHTSA complaint 11419800, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
My 2018 Audi A5 Sportback previously received Audi Safety Recall 74E3 on January 27, 2023. The recall repair documentation indicates a seat POD (Passenger Occupant Detection System) update was performed. Several years later, the vehicle developed another passenger airbag fault. The vehicle displays a message indicating the front passenger airbag is OFF even when an occupant is seated in the front passenger seat. Audi diagnosed fault code B12251B, "Passive Occupant Detection System Mat Resistance Too High," and determined that the seat POD occupancy mat and wiring are defective and require replacement. Audi has refused to cover the repair because more than 12 months and 12,000 miles have

NHTSA complaint 11755942, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The MMI ( main screen) system randomly reboots every 5 minutes, even when using CarPlay, which is unsafe. Please check it out. Thank you!

NHTSA complaint 11718683. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I turned on my car and several malfunctions came on the dash,and would not start and went in limp mode. A local mechanic stated it's the electrical component of the coolant pump causing malfunction. He also stated that could lead the car catching fire if overheats since the 5V is dipping below due to the faulty coolant /water pump. Ultimately forcing the car in limp mode for safety precautions. The problem is I purchase my car at 87,000 miles from the Audi dealership, and the extended warranty that covers the car is 80,000 miles

NHTSA complaint 11717440. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I own a 2018 Audi A5. Many critical cooling system parts — including the thermostat housing, water pump housing, radiator end tanks, breather tubes, and quick-connect hoses — are made of plastic and sit in constant exposure to coolant temperatures over 200°F. Over time, these components become brittle, crack, and fail prematurely. Recently, the plastic breather/return hose between the coolant reservoir and the radiator broke apart during routine service due to brittleness. When these parts fail, coolant leaks quickly, which can cause sudden overheating, engine damage, and potential vehicle disablement while driving. Based on owner reports and my own experience, this appears to be a

NHTSA complaint 11690455, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The water pump failed on my vehicle. Initially reported 2/2025 at Authorized Audi Service Center. They claimed it was normal for coolant to dip. Audi USA Confirmed I have a settlement class vehicle in 03/2025. Mentioned an 80K Mileage limit. (Car only had 69K miles at the time) When the issue persisted I reached out for repair in accordance to Water Pump Settlement. McKenna Audi Service center initially stated the extended warranty expired 05/2025, and mentioned an 8 Year Limit (8/80K whichever comes first) 9/3 Reached out to Audi USA again and they initially provided an approval. Instructed to take to authorized service center for official diagnosis. 9/5 Audi USA recanted approval 2 days

NHTSA complaint 11685814, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The vehicle has 36000 miles on it and the oil cooler has failed. The car is meticulously maintained. This failure compromises the ability for the engine to cool properly. Because of the failure, coolant is then forced into the engine oil potentially destroying the engine. Engine replacements are 10,000 for these types of cars. Audi is aware of this issue and should repair all vehicles with this known issue

NHTSA complaint 11676163. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi A5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 60 4 1
2019 12 3
2015 8 3
2014 28 3
2013 35 3
2010 34 0

Other 2018 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 147 vehicles, 216 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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