Reliable Auto DB

2012 Audi S5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Audi S5 has 10 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Fuel rail.

2012 Audi S5
Photo by Matti Blume, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

10

Per year

0

Recalls

1

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (8 of 10), then Electrical system (1) and Powertrain (1). The most filings arrived in 2017 (6 of 10).

Next to 2013

The 2013 S5 has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

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 2012 Audi S5. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall gasoline fuel system, fuel injection, fuel rail 2015-01-20 · NHTSA campaign 15V019000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers.

Complaints by component (10 total)

Air bags
8
Electrical system
1
Powertrain
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201662017120201202112022
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I am affected by recall 69R6 for this vehicle. I moved to Germany in 2012 and took my car with me. Audi in Germany refused to honor the recall claiming that it is not applicable to Germany due to different "climate…"
    Air bags · filed 2022-05-25
  • "THE CAR'S BACKUP CAMERA FEED HAS A LOT OF ISSUES FOR MANY OWNERS, MYSELF INCLUDED. THERE IS A PROBABLY 10% CHANCE OF THE BACKUP CAMERA NOT TURNING ON WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR EACH TIME. LOTS OF OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING…"
    Electrical system · filed 2021-03-22
  • "I GET THE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION AND TPMS LIGHT FLASHING AND THE CAR JERKS AND STUTTERS ESPECIALLY FROM START AND COMING TO A STOP. WHEN STOPPING, IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HIT YOU FROM BEHIND. RAN THE CODES AND IT IS A…"
    Powertrain · filed 2020-06-24
  • "FT. COLLINS DEALER SAYS REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS NOT AVAILABLE"
    Air bags · filed 2017-11-01
  • "TAKATA RECALL.SAFETY RECALL 69N2. I CONTINUE TO GET DEFECT NOTICES FROM AUDI BUT NO ONE AT AUDI HAS ANY IDEA WHEN THE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE REPAIR PARTS BE AVAILABLE IS…"
    Air bags · filed 2017-08-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Audi S5 2 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2012 Audi S5 C AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2012 Audi S5 C FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

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
S5 4.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 16 24 19 MPG $4200
S5 4.2L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 14 22 17 MPG $4700
S5 Cabriolet 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (7-speed) All-wheel drive 17 26 20 MPG $4000

Specs and fitment

B8 generation, 2012–2017
Body styles Coupe, Convertible
Oil 5W-30 or 5W-40 (common US fills; ~7.2 qt with filter) , 7.2 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18 or 255/35R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 15V019000 covers certain 2011-2012 Audi S5 models (with S4, Q7, and 2012 A6/A7) for a fuel rail concern that can leak fuel as stated in NHTSA's summary.

Compare

Next year 2013 Audi S5 See every Audi S5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Audi S5 reliable?

The 2012 Audi S5 has 10 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Fuel rail.

What are common problems with a 2012 Audi S5?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (8 of 10), then Electrical system (1) and Powertrain (1). The most filings arrived in 2017 (6 of 10).

Is the 2012 Audi S5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 S5 has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Audi S5 been recalled?

The 2012 Audi S5 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Audi S5?

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2012 Audi S5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Audi S5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Audi S5 is 18.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does an Audi S5 use?

B8 S5 models commonly use 5W-30/5W-40 (~7.2 qt); B9 models commonly list 0W-20 (~7.6 qt).

What tire sizes does an Audi S5 use?

OEM sizes commonly include 245/40R18 and 255/35R19 depending on wheel package.

What fuel-rail recall covers certain early S5 models?

Recall 15V019000 covers certain 2011-2012 Audi S5 models (with S4, Q7, and 2012 A6/A7) for a fuel-rail concern that can leak fuel.