2018 Audi A5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Audi A5 has 9 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most A5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Seats, Inflator, and Front.

2012 Audi A5 — Photo by Lothar Spurzem, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 de

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (2 of 9), then Engine (2) and Powertrain (2).

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 A5 has 2 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 12 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Audi A5. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall Seats 2021-11-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V874000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-07-24 · NHTSA campaign 19V547000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall suspension, front 2018-12-17 · NHTSA campaign 18V893000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-11-27 · NHTSA campaign 18V836000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, side and window 2017-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 17V822000

Summary 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."

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.

Recall structure, body, door, hinge 2017-10-25 · NHTSA campaign 17V675000

Summary 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.

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.

Complaints by component (9 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Powertrain

Air bags

Engine and engine cooling

Suspension

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Without warning or alerts from vehicle, car became disabled while partially into a left turn at a four way intersection. Car engine would rev, but not move. Gear selector worked, but wheels would not turn. Front wheels…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-15
"2018 Audi A5 Sportback has 16,500 miles only on it. Used for city driving only; never off road. Recently went in for annual inspection and was told that my right rear coil spring had snapped in two and vehicle was…"
Suspension · filed 2026-08-28
"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…"
Air bags · filed 2026-08-10
"The MMI ( main screen) system randomly reboots every 5 minutes, even when using CarPlay, which is unsafe. Please check it out. Thank you!"
Electrical system · filed 2026-02-18
"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…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-02-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Audi A5 2 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2018 Audi A5 C AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2018 Audi A5 Sportback 4 DR AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
A5 Cabriolet quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	All-wheel drive	24	34	27 MPG	$2950
A5 Sportback quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	All-wheel drive	24	34	27 MPG	$2950
A5 quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	All-wheel drive	24	34	27 MPG	$2950
A5 quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	All-wheel drive	24	33	27 MPG	$2950

Specs and fitment

F5 A5, 2018–present

Body styles Coupe, Cabriolet, Sportback

Oil 5W-40 (Audi/VW-approved; 2.0T) , 5.5 qt capacity

Tire size 245/40R18, 255/35R19

Known issues for this generation

Recall 17V-822 covers certain 2018 A5 Coupe vehicles built with head curtain air bag assemblies that may not unfold properly, increasing injury risk if the air bag does not deploy correctly; dealers modify the head curtain air bags. Recall 18V-893 covers certain 2018 A5 Sportback vehicles where front suspension fasteners may not have been sufficiently tightened, possibly resulting in a loose front wheel; dealers inspect and replace fasteners as needed. Recall 21V-874 covers certain 2018-2020 A5 Coupe, Cabriolet, and Sportback vehicles (with A4/S4/S5/RS5 also listed) where a seat-heater cable to the passenger occupant detection system may fault and disable the passenger air bag; dealers replace the cable and heating mat or seat cover.

Compare

Next year 2019 Audi A5 See every Audi A5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi A5 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi A5?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (2 of 9), then Engine (2) and Powertrain (2).

Is the 2018 Audi A5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 A5 has 2 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 12 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Audi A5 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi A5 has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Audi A5?

Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2018 Audi A5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi A5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi A5 is 27 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What body styles does the F5 Audi A5 offer?

Coupe, Cabriolet, and Sportback depending on market and year.

What oil does an Audi A5 take?

8T 2.0T uses Audi/VW-approved 5W-40/5W-30/0W-40/0W-30 (~4.9 qt); F5 2.0T commonly lists 5W-40 (~5.5 qt).

What does recall 18V-229 cover on the A5?

Certain 2013-2017 A5 Cabriolet and A5 Sedan vehicles (with Q5, A4, and A6 also listed) with 2.0L TFSI engines—see the NHTSA campaign for the defect and remedy.