2018 AUDI A5 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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N/A

Safety Rating

46

Owner Complaints

2 Crashes

6

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

86

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2018 AUDI A5

The 2018 AUDI A5 has received a total of 46 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 8 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER, SEATS, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. 86 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (8 complaints), Unknown Or Other (8 complaints), and Electrical System (4 complaints).

Recalls for the 2018 AUDI A5

NHTSA has recorded 8 recalls for the 2018 AUDI A5, potentially affecting up to 746,746 vehicles.

Recall 21V874000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

| 208,332 vehicles affected

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...

Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

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...

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Recall 21V874000 — SEATS

| 208,332 vehicles affected

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...

Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

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...

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Recall 19V547000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

| 145,337 vehicles affected

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.

Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

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Recall 19V547000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

| 145,337 vehicles affected

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.

Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

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Recall 18V893000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT

| 36 vehicles affected

Defect: Volkswagen Group of North America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback vehicles. The front suspension fasteners may not have been sufficiently tightened during vehicle production, possibly resulting in a front wheel becoming loose.

Consequence: A loose front wheel may increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the front suspension fasteners, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is...

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Recall 18V836000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

| 12 vehicles affected

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback and 2017-2018 Audi A4 Allroad vehicles. A passenger air bag module mounting screw may not have been sufficiently tightened, possibly affecting the deployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the air bag does not deploy correctly in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag mounting screw, tightening or replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this...

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Recall 17V675000 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

| 31,323 vehicles affected

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad, and 2018 A5 Sportback vehicles. The aluminum trim on the front and rear doors can come loose from around the door speakers, leaving sharp edges exposed.

Consequence: The sharp edges of the speaker trim increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the speaker cover aluminum trim, free of charge. The recall began March 13, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 70G6.

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Recall 17V822000 — AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

| 8,037 vehicles affected

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Coupe vehicles. The affected vehicles were built with head curtain air bag assemblies that may not unfold properly. As such, these vehicle fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the head curtain air bag, if the air bag does not deploy properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will modify the head curtain air bags so that they deploy properly, free of charge. The recall began on January 18, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 11-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this...

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Owner Complaints for the 2018 AUDI A5

46 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 AUDI A5. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11718683 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | N/A miles
The MMI ( main screen) system randomly reboots every 5 minutes, even when using CarPlay, which is unsafe. Please check it out. Thank you!
#11717440 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | N/A miles
I turned on my car and several malfunctions came on the dash,and would not start and went in limp mode. A local mechanic stated it's the electrical component of the coolant pump causing malfunction. He also stated that could lead the car catching fire if overheats since the 5V is dipping below due to the faulty coolant /water pump. Ultimately forcing the car in limp mode for safety precautions. The problem is I purchase my car at 87,000 miles from the Audi dealership, and the extended warranty that covers the car is 80,000 miles
#11690455 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | | N/A miles
I own a 2018 Audi A5. Many critical cooling system parts — including the thermostat housing, water pump housing, radiator end tanks, breather tubes, and quick-connect hoses — are made of plastic and sit in constant exposure to coolant temperatures over 200°F. Over time, these components become brittle, crack, and fail prematurely. Recently, the plastic breather/return hose between the coolant reservoir and the radiator broke apart during routine service due to brittleness. When these parts fail, coolant leaks quickly, which can cause sudden overheating, engine damage, and potential vehicle disablement while driving. Based on owner reports and my own experience, this appears to be a widespread issue across Audi/VW vehicles of this generation. I request that NHTSA investigate whether the use of plastic in these high-heat, high-pressure components represents a design defect that creates a safety hazard.
#11685814 | POWER TRAIN | | N/A miles
The water pump failed on my vehicle. Initially reported 2/2025 at Authorized Audi Service Center. They claimed it was normal for coolant to dip. Audi USA Confirmed I have a settlement class vehicle in 03/2025. Mentioned an 80K Mileage limit. (Car only had 69K miles at the time) When the issue persisted I reached out for repair in accordance to Water Pump Settlement. McKenna Audi Service center initially stated the extended warranty expired 05/2025, and mentioned an 8 Year Limit (8/80K whichever comes first) 9/3 Reached out to Audi USA again and they initially provided an approval. Instructed to take to authorized service center for official diagnosis. 9/5 Audi USA recanted approval 2 days later. Instructed to Call Settlement Administrator. SA stated this is fully Audi responsibly warranty does not expire until 9/2025 unable to assist. Spoke to supervisor at Audi USA who stated extended warranty did not expire until 09/26/2025 09/08 Audi Beverly Hills confirmed water pump malfunction. Sent invoice to supervisor at Audi USA. $2338.25 Supervisor informed me later that warranty is expired after all. Stated a regional manager would look at it but no guarantees. At this point I have spent $350 for a diagnosis I did not need to satisfy the demands of the Audi warranty that is now being denied.
#11676163 | ENGINE | | N/A miles
The vehicle has 36000 miles on it and the oil cooler has failed. The car is meticulously maintained. This failure compromises the ability for the engine to cool properly. Because of the failure, coolant is then forced into the engine oil potentially destroying the engine. Engine replacements are 10,000 for these types of cars. Audi is aware of this issue and should repair all vehicles with this known issue

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Safety Rating for the 2018 AUDI A5

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 AUDI A5 in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 AUDI A5

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 86 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 AUDI A5. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

A3724272074804_2 — POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides informatino when there is droning/vibrations in tight bends - 0CL gearbox.

A5124282061754_4 — STRUCTURE

This bulletin provides information for when water sloshing can be heard while driving.

A4224552058459_2 — STRUCTURE

This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the rear shock absorber mounting.

A6923902051242_7 — AIR BAGS

This bulletin provides instructions for when the airbag light is illuminated in the DIS, and may also be illuminated in the overhead console, and it is accompanied by DTC B122551.

A7223482048311_7 — SEAT BELTS

This bulletin provides a software update for instances where the seat belt positioner is intermittently inoperative.

A5023122062633_2 — SERVICE BRAKES

This bulletin provides instruction for when there are noises heard during steering or braking maneuvers.

DC_91CD — EQUIPMENT

3G Turndown (91CD) Activation Support

Circular91CDREV3 — COMMUNICATION

AT&T has announced its plan to discontinue its 3G network in the U.S. starting in February 2022. This will impact the Audi connect services in certain 2017-2019 model year Audi vehicles. Added reminder that the customer should be asked if they want the retrofit kit installed (if the vehicle is...

DC_3Gturndown — COMMUNICATION

Communication: 3G Turndown – motion for Audi connect to launch next week

A6421812049956_2 — VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

This bulletin contains a software update to address one or more various malfunctions of the motor for the window regulator with DTCs; B148713, B14874B , B148754 and/or B148701.

Showing 10 of 86 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 AUDI A5

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the AUDI A5

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Other AUDI Models

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