2018 Audi S5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (8) · Visibility/Wiper (3) · Power Train (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi S5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2021-11-10 · campaign 21V874000 · 208,332 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-07-24 · campaign 19V547000 · 145,337 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (817)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2083409_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2074846_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-22 · TSB_2020552_15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning.
Structure:body 2026-09-18 · TSB_2078648_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · TSB_2030471_9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
Showing the 6 most recent of 817 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-12-14 · Engine“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 in the expansion tank. no warning lights and no overheating yet. not yet aware of any loss of performance. i have been advised it …”
2025-12-08 · Seats“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 connection. the warning message “passenger airbag off” appears with a chime. this is an active safety recall that was issued before …”
2025-11-16 · Engine“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 cover, left wiring harness dangling – audi denies despite having diy receipts for maintenance description at 86,000 miles, my 201…”
2025-08-05 · Unknown Or Other“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.…”
2025-07-10 · Engine“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 due to failing rocker arms. this issue has raised serious concerns, as it can lead to engine misfires, reduced performance, and pot…”
2025-03-08 · Engine“while driving, my audi overheated randomly, started smoking, had to be towed. had 72,800 miles, was serviced by audi at 70k miles and all prior recommended services. towed to audi dealership, quoted 29k in engine repairs, audi could never tell me why engine overheated. would not cover any expense because “i didn’t buy it there”. insurance denied tw…”
2024-10-21 · Parking Brake“•parking brake issue: the parking brake failed to disengage after stopping, leading to an accident. •intoxalock device malfunction: the intoxalock device malfunctioned with incessant beeping and intermittent error messages, causing distractions. •previous complaints and lack of resolution: previous complaints about the parking brake and intoxalock …”
2024-07-09 · Engine“after driving for 7 to 8 minutes less that 45 mph, a yellow warning lamp and an audible warning indicating unsafe coolant temperature displayed on the dash. an overheating engine is unsafe for me and drivers near me. i immediately pulled over and turned off the a/c. i then turned on the heater, and after 15 minutes slowly drove 5 minutes to a r…”
2024-03-23 · Power Train“i received a coolant overheating message, pulled to side of road. let vehicle cool off although it just showed coolant warning and actual engine temperature showed normal along with oil temperature. started car back up and it was ok, drove about a mile, engine started steaming, white smoke out of exhaust, system failure had to pull off and be towed…”
2023-12-04 · Engine“i was returning home from visiting family. my drive was approx 140 miles home. the car was running/driving normally when i stopped at a gas station to get a snack. when i came back to my car and attempted to start it, it would not start and had camshaft and crankshaft sensor dtc's. i had to tow the car to my repair shop who determined that the issu…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.