Reliable Auto DB

2020 Audi S5 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Audi S5 holds 25 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 1 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

25

Per year

1

Recalls

4

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 25), then Back-over prevention (11) and Forward collision avoidance (6). The most filings arrived in 2025 (22 of 25).

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 S5 has 6 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Audi S5. How we count. Data as of .

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 exterior lighting, tail lights 2020-11-25 · NHTSA campaign 20V737000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.

Complaints by component (25 total)

Electrical system
14
Back-over prevention
11
Forward collision avoidance
6
Lane departure
2
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202212023222025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "MMI - Multi Media Interface constantly reboots about every 90 seconds. This is a safety issue since if I am backing up and the MMI reboots I lose the backup camera and when the MMI reboots I also lose…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2025-08-02
  • "THE RADIO (MMI SYSTEM) IS REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING EVERY 5-10 MIN. DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIX AND IS AFFECTING SAFETY SYTEMS LIKE FRONT AND REAR CAMERAS/SENSORS."
    Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-07-30
  • "I am writing to report a critical and recurring safety defect concerning the Multi Media Interface (MMI) system in my Audi S5. The MMI system consistently restarts itself approximately every 90 seconds, regardless of…"
    Unknown or other, Back-over prevention, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-07-28
  • "Sudden reboot of the vehicle's infotainment system, which then repeats every 60-90 seconds consistently. The reboot has happened while reversing the vehicle, which results in losing view of the backup camera and parking…"
    Back-over prevention, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-07-26
  • "Audi MMI reboots constantly while the car is one. There is about 30 seconds between each reboot. This causes certain safety features like the backup camera to stop working when in use. I am not sure what the cause is…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-07-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Audi S5 2 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2020 Audi S5 Cabriolet C AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2020 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 20 27 23 MPG $3450
S5 Cabriolet 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $3650
S5 Sportback 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $3450

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 2019 Audi S5 Next year 2021 Audi S5 See every Audi S5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Audi S5 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Audi S5 holds 25 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 1 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.

What are common problems with a 2020 Audi S5?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 25), then Back-over prevention (11) and Forward collision avoidance (6). The most filings arrived in 2025 (22 of 25).

Is the 2020 Audi S5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 S5 has 6 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Audi S5 been recalled?

The 2020 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 2020 Audi S5?

Owners have filed 25 complaints about the 2020 Audi S5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Audi S5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Audi S5 is 22.7 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.