Reliable Auto DB

2018 Audi S5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Audi S5 has 26 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 4 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 S5 years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Inflator.

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

26

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (9 of 26), then Air bags (3) and Visibility and wipers (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 S5 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 6 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more 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 S5. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

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.

Complaints by component (26 total)

Engine
9
Air bags
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Electrical system
2
Parking brake
2
Powertrain
2
Seat belts
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Lane departure
1
Seats
1
Service brakes
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

52018520191202022022420233202462025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "An Audi dealer has just diagnosed my 2018 S5 Cabriolet Prestige with vacuum system contamination caused by water pump failure. I had requested the diagnostic due to small coolant leaks on the engine and loss of coolant…"
    Engine · filed 2025-12-14
  • "Component/System: Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) / Airbag system — Recall 74E3 / NHTSA 21V874. What Happened: The passenger airbag may switch off even when the seat is occupied due to a faulty PODS wiring…"
    Air bags, Seat belts, Seats · filed 2025-12-08
  • "VEHICLE Year: 2018 Make: Audi Model: S5 Prestige Trim: 3.0 TFSI (EA839 V6 Turbo) Mileage: 86,000 Engine Code: CWGD COMPLAINT TITLE Latent Engine Failure – EA839 Piston Skirt + Rocker Arm Defects – Dealer Broke Engine…"
    Engine · filed 2025-11-16
  • "Vacuum line has coolant due to water pump failure and over heating of engine. Whole water pump and coolant reservoir plus hoses need to be replaced before additional damage to vehicle."
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-08-05
  • "To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a mechanical issue with my 2018 Audi S5 Sportback. Around 57,000 miles, the engine began making a noticeable ticking noise, which I have been advised is…"
    Engine · filed 2025-07-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Audi S5 2 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Audi S5 C AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Audi S5 Sportback 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 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
S5 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S8) All-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $3300
S5 Cabriolet 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S8) All-wheel drive 20 29 23 MPG $3450
S5 Sportback 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S8) All-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $3300

Specs and fitment

B9 generation, 2018–present
Body styles Coupe, Convertible, Sportback
Oil 0W-20 (common US fills; ~7.6 qt with filter) , 7.6 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18 or 255/35R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V547000 covers certain 2018 S5 Cabriolet and S5 Sportback models (with RS5 Sportback and other B9 vehicles) for a passenger frontal air bag inflator concern. Recall 21V874000 covers overlapping B9 S5 variants with A4 Allroad and related models for a seats campaign on that list.

Compare

Next year 2019 Audi S5 See every Audi S5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi S5 reliable?

The 2018 Audi S5 has 26 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 4 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 S5 years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi S5?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (9 of 26), then Air bags (3) and Visibility and wipers (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2018 Audi S5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 S5 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 6 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Audi S5 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi S5 has 2 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 S5?

Owners have filed 26 complaints about the 2018 Audi S5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi S5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi S5 is 23.7 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.