Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 4 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
3
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Fuel/Propulsion System
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Instrument Panel › Speedometer/Odometer
1
0
0
0
4 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Tires22V034000
Filed Jan 26, 202231,058 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk. Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger21V874000
Filed Nov 10, 2021208,332 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
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.
Risk. A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
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.
Filed Apr 26, 202140,993 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk. A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Suspension › Front › Shock Absorber19V114000
Filed Feb 20, 201934 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Q7, Q8, S5 Cabriolet, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The front shock absorber forks may develop cracks allowing the shock absorbers to loosen.
Risk. Loose shock absorbers may impair vehicle steering, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy. Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the shock absorber forks, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 40O4.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System › Instrument Panel › Speedometer/Odometer
Filed May 20, 202675,600 milesNJ
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Audi S5. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 47,796 at the time of registration. The Carfax report, bill of sale and title showed the mileage as 47, 796. it was discovered that the mileage was 75,600 after changing the battery. The BBB and Consumer Protection Agency were contacted.
Engine
Filed Jan 20, 2026SC
I am writing to file a formal safety defect complaint regarding the EA839 3.0T turbocharged V6 engine installed in various Audi models, including but not limited to the B9/B9.5 S4 and S5, C8 A6 and A7, and 4M/4M.5 Q7 and Q8 (model years approximately 2017 onward). This engine has a well-documented issue with piston skirt wear and failure, which I believe constitutes a significant safety hazard due to the potential for sudden engine failure and loss of vehicle power while driving. As an owner of a 2019 Audi S5, I have experienced symptoms related to this defect, and I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter to prevent potential accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
Engine
Filed Dec 5, 2025TX
Upon starting the vehicle while parked on 10/18/2025, dashboard displayed warning: "Turn off engine and check coolant level. See owner's manual." Visual inspection revealed coolant residue on mechanical coolant pump switching valve N649 on cylinder head bank 1, indicating water pump internal seal failure allowing coolant to leak into vacuum control system. Component failed: Water pump (EA839 3.0T engine) - vacuum-actuated design with internal seal failure. Component available for inspection. Safety risk: This documented design defect in EA839 engines can cause sudden drivetrain malfunction and loss of power while driving. While discovered parked in this instance, the same failure mode has caused P0299 codes (turbo under-boost) and "Drivetrain Malfunction" warnings in other vehicles, creating dangerous loss of power situations. Dealer confirmation: Not yet inspected by dealer. Pending diagnostic appointment. Warning symptoms: Dashboard coolant warning message was first indication of problem. No prior symptoms observed. Known defect: This is a widespread issue affecting 2018-2024 Audi models with EA839 2.9T/3.0T engines (S4, S5, RS5, SQ5, A6, A7, S6, S7, A8, Q7, Q8). Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletins MC-10245526-0001 and MC-10172894-0001 acknowledging coolant pump leak issues. No recall has been issued despite documented failures across multiple model years.
Engine
Filed Jan 25, 2025NJ
Water pump failure due to coolant migration.
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Oct 22, 2024VA
Our gas tank fuel level sensor is faulty so we can no longer tell how much gas is in our car. The check engine and fuel light are permanently on. This fuel sensor malfunction caused me to run out of gas in the middle of the road. The only way to fix it is to replace the entire gas tank at great expense. We were quoted $3500-$4000. We only have 44K miles on the vehicle.
Wheels
Filed Mar 23, 202111,000 milesFL
THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) DID NOT FUNCTION AS REQUIRED, AND PRESSURE WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED THE TIRES OVER A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (2-6 WEEKS). I AM CONCERNED GOING FORWARD IF THE TPMS UTILIZED ON THE S5 DOES NOT FUNCTION AS SHOULD BE EXPECTED PER FEDERAL REGULATIONS. PER 49 CFR 571.138 WHEN PRESSURE OF 1 TIRE UP TO 4 TIRES IS < 25% BELOW COLD INFLATION PRESSURE, A LOW PRESSURE WARNING SHOULD ILLUMINATE AND REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE TPMS SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED AN ALERT WHEN ONE OR MORE OF MY TIRES WAS AROUND 30 PSI, YET ALL GOT TO UNDER 24 PSI WITH NO WARNING. THE AUDI SERVICE ADVISOR EXPLAINED THAT THE TPMS UTILIZED ON THE S5 IS AN INDIRECT SYSTEM THAT DETECTS CHANGE IN SPEED/CIRCUMFERENCE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TIRE THAT WOULD INDICATE LOWER PRESSURE, AND IT WILL NOT ALERT IF PRESSURE IN ALL 4 TIRES DECREASES SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, YET AUDI INSISTS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING LIKE THIS. THE OEM TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE VERY LOW PROFILE AND LARGE DECREASE IN PRESSURE IS NOT OBVIOUS FROM VISUAL INSPECTION. SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE REDUCTION OCCURRED MORE RAPIDLY WITH THIS VEHICLE THAN ANY SIMILAR VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED, SO A TPMS THAT CANNOT BE RELIED UPON IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Jan 26, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.