2018 Audi S5: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
26
Complaints
2
Recalls
2
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
1
Injuries
61.5
Severity index
Severity index 61.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 9 | 34.6% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 30.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 3 | 11.5% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 3 | 11.5% |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | 7.7% |
| PARKING BRAKE | 2 | 7.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 2 | 7.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 7.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 9 of 26 complaints (34.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 6 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.6x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V547000 | 24/07/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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 Sy |
| 21V874000 | 10/11/2021 | SEATS | 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.