What years of the Audi S5 should I avoid?

Based on NHTSA complaint and recall data, 2018, 2020, and 2025 are rated Avoid, with complaint indexes of 80, 87, and 100 respectively, the three highest among the 16 model years covered.

What is the best year for the Audi S5?

2014 and 2019 are rated Good, with complaint indexes of 33 and 47. 2019 still has 4 recall campaigns on record despite its low complaint count.

Does the Audi S5 have a lot of recalls?

NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns across all Audi S5 model years covered, ranging from airbag wiring to seat belt assemblies and suspension lock nuts.

What are the most common Audi S5 problems?

Across all years, the top reported problem areas are Transmission & Powertrain (19% of complaints), Electrical System (18%), Engine (18%), and Airbags (18%).

Is the 2020 Audi S5 reliable?

The 2020 S5 is rated Avoid based on NHTSA data, with a complaint index of 87 and 25 total complaints, mostly involving electrical system and camera/collision-avoidance failures.

Audi S5 Best and Worst Years (2008–2025)

Across 16 model years of the Audi S5, 2018, 2020, and 2025 rate Avoid based on NHTSA complaint index scores of 80, 87, and 100, the three highest in the lineup. 2014 and 2019 are the Good years, with the lowest complaint indexes among rated years, though 2019 still carries 4 recall campaigns.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2018 Avoid 2020 Avoid 2025

Model years: 16; 2008–2025
NHTSA complaints: 141
Recall campaigns: 14
Crashes reported: 3
Fires reported: 0
Top problem area: Transmission & Powertrain

S5 Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Audi S5 problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2008	No verdict	27	3	0	0	Airbags	17.5	—
2010	Caution	73	20	0	0	Transmission & Powertrain	19	—
2011	Caution	53	8	0	1	Airbags	19	—
2012	Caution	60	10	0	1	Airbags	19	—
2013	Caution	67	16	0	0	Transmission & Powertrain	21	—
2014	Good	33	6	0	0	Engine	21	—
2015	No verdict	20	2	0	0	Engine	21	—
2016	No verdict	0	1	0	0	Brakes	21	—
2018	Avoid	80	26	2	2	Engine	24	—
2019	Good	47	6	0	4	Engine	24	—
2020	Avoid	87	25	0	4	Electrical System	23	—
2021	No verdict	7	1	0	5	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	23	—
2022	No verdict	13	1	0	2	Electrical System	24	—
2023	No verdict	93	3	1	1	Airbags	24	—
2024	No verdict	40	2	0	0	Airbags	23	—
2025	Avoid	100	11	0	2	Electrical System	22.5	—

S5 years to avoid: what went wrong

2025 Audi S5 Index 100 · 11 complaints · 2 recalls

The 2025 S5 tops the model's complaint index at 100, the highest of all years covered, despite only 11 total complaints logged so far. Electrical System, Collision Avoidance & Cameras, and Lane Departure each account for 45% of complaints, with owners describing safety systems that fail on startup and take hours to reset, plus an engine that lost power without warning at a median 8,577 miles. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this year, both involving seat belt assemblies.

2020 Audi S5 Index 87 · 25 complaints · 4 recalls

The 2020 S5 carries the highest-ranked complaint index among earlier years at 87, driven mainly by the Electrical System (56% of complaints) and Collision Avoidance & Cameras (52%). Owners reported repeated MMI infotainment reboots that knocked out backup cameras, lane sensors, and GPS mid-drive, plus a failed emergency call module that couldn't be reflashed. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this year, covering suspension lock nuts, airbag wiring, and rear axle alignment issues.

2018 Audi S5 Index 80 · 26 complaints · 2 recalls

The 2018 S5 has a complaint index of 80 out of 141 total complaints logged for the model, with Engine problems making up 35% of its issues, including oil dilution from gasoline entering the oil system. Owners also reported brake and parking-brake failures, including one case where the parking brake released and the car rolled into a barrier at 7,000 miles. Visibility complaints involved a rear camera that failed unpredictably while reversing. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this year, both airbag-related, covering wiring and seat heating mat issues.

Most common Audi S5 problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Other27 (19%)
Transmission & Powertrain27 (19%)
Electrical System26 (18%)
Engine26 (18%)
Airbags25 (18%)
Collision Avoidance & Cameras20 (14%)
Brakes11 (8%)
Fuel System10 (7%)
Lane Departure9 (6%)
Steering7 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What years of the Audi S5 should I avoid?: Based on NHTSA complaint and recall data, 2018, 2020, and 2025 are rated Avoid, with complaint indexes of 80, 87, and 100 respectively, the three highest among the 16 model years covered.
What is the best year for the Audi S5?: 2014 and 2019 are rated Good, with complaint indexes of 33 and 47. 2019 still has 4 recall campaigns on record despite its low complaint count.
Does the Audi S5 have a lot of recalls?: NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns across all Audi S5 model years covered, ranging from airbag wiring to seat belt assemblies and suspension lock nuts.
What are the most common Audi S5 problems?: Across all years, the top reported problem areas are Transmission & Powertrain (19% of complaints), Electrical System (18%), Engine (18%), and Airbags (18%).
Is the 2020 Audi S5 reliable?: The 2020 S5 is rated Avoid based on NHTSA data, with a complaint index of 87 and 25 total complaints, mostly involving electrical system and camera/collision-avoidance failures.