What breaks most · 2008 to 2018 model years
Audi S5 problems by year
Owners have filed 52 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Audi S5 across model years 2008 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2010 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2011 for air bags complaints and 2012 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2008 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2008, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 522008 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201019 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 20 fires · 0 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (4) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (7) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | Unknown or other (5) |
What fails on the 2010 Audi S5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 53% |
10 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 37% |
7 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 16% |
3 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Audi S5 |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
1 | 0 | — |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2010 Audi S5 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Audi S5 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2010 Audi S5 |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2010 Audi S5 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While driving in traffic the car will lose power without warning. Which makes it very dangerous to pull over almost hitting upcoming traffic with no acceleration. Audi says it's a mechatronic unit.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Audi S5 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2011, 2012 carry the most filings on the Audi S5. The 2010 alone has 19 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Audi S5 problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 10 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Audi S5 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Audi S5 complaints that include mileage is about 59,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.