2019 Audi S5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (3) · Wheels (1) · Fuel/Propulsion System (1)
🧭 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 (4)
Tires 2022-01-26 · campaign 22V034000 · 31,058 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
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.
Suspension:rear:axle:non-Powered Axle Assembly 2021-04-26 · campaign 21V295000 · 40,993 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:shock Absorber 2019-02-20 · campaign 19V114000 · 34 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Loose shock absorbers may impair vehicle steering, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (874)
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.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2065871_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides informaiton when dtc b200ff0 is stored.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 874 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-20 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 75,600 mi“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 registration. the carfax report, bill of sale and title showed the mileage as 47, 796. it was discovered that the mileage was 75,600 …”
2026-01-20 · Engine“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 and q8 (model years approximately 2017 onward). this engine has a well-documented issue with piston skirt wear and failure, which i b…”
2025-12-05 · Engine“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 switching valve n649 on cylinder head bank 1, indicating water pump internal seal failure allowing coolant to leak into vacuum control…”
2025-01-25 · Engine“water pump failure due to coolant migration.…”
2024-10-22 · Fuel/Propulsion System“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 the road. the only way to fix it is to replace the entire gas tank at great expense. we were quoted $3500-$4000. we only hav…”
2021-03-23 · Wheels · 11,000 mi“the tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) did not function as required, and pressure was dangerously low which significantly damaged the tires over a very short period of time (2-6 weeks). i am concerned going forward if the tpms utilized on the s5 does not function as should be expected per federal regulations. per 49 cfr 571.138 when pressure of…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.