2019 Audi S5 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Audi S5 over 8 years — 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S5 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Tires, Seats, and Rear non-powered axle assembly.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (3 of 6), then Electrical system (1) and Fuel and propulsion system (1).

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 S5 has 26 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2020 has 25 complaints, 1 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

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 2019 Audi S5. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall Tires 2022-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000

Summary 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.

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.

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 Rear non-powered axle assembly 2021-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 21V295000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall suspension, front, shock absorber 2019-02-20 · NHTSA campaign 19V114000

Summary 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.

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.

Complaints by component (6 total)

Engine

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Wheels

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-05-20
"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…"
Engine · filed 2026-01-20
"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…"
Engine · filed 2025-12-05
"Water pump failure due to coolant migration."
Engine · filed 2025-01-25
"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…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2024-10-22

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 Audi S5 2 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2019 Audi S5 C AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2019 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 (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	30	24 MPG	$3300
S5 Cabriolet	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	29	24 MPG	$3300
S5 Sportback	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	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

Previous year 2018 Audi S5 Next year 2020 Audi S5 See every Audi S5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Audi S5 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Audi S5?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (3 of 6), then Electrical system (1) and Fuel and propulsion system (1).

Is the 2019 Audi S5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 S5 has 26 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2020 has 25 complaints, 1 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Audi S5 been recalled?

The 2019 Audi S5 has 4 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 2019 Audi S5?

Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2019 Audi S5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Audi S5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Audi S5 is 24 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.