2013 Audi S5 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2013 Audi S5 has a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst among 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. Transmission and powertrain issues dominate, making up 63% of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 83,500 miles.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 67/100
- #6 of 16 S5 years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 16
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 0
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 18 city / 26 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2013 Audi S5 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (63%)
- Engine3 (19%)
- Steering3 (19%)
- Fuel System2 (13%)
- Brakes1 (6%)
- Other1 (6%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Transmission goes into limp mode with a mechatronic fault code, sometimes leaving the car barely able to move in traffic.
- Drivers report jerky movements, hesitation at low rpm, and sudden loss of power on the highway tied to gearbox malfunction messages.
- DSG transmission bogs down between shifts and refuses to switch into manual mode.
- Electric power steering locks up mid-turn with a 'steering defective, do not drive' warning, sometimes requiring parts ordered from Germany.
- Steering shows a 'notch' feeling or resistance at highway speed that owners say dealers could not fix.
- Fuel odor and a fuel leak in the engine compartment were reported while driving at various speeds.
2013 Audi S5 recalls
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
2013 Audi S5 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2013 compared with other S5 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Audi S5 reliable?
- NHTSA data shows a complaint index of 67 for the 2013 S5, giving it a Caution verdict relative to other S5 years. It ranks 6th worst out of 16 model years tracked.
- What is the main problem with the 2013 Audi S5?
- Transmission and powertrain issues account for 63% of complaints, including mechatronic unit failures and limp-mode faults, with a median failure mileage of 83,500 miles.
- Does the 2013 Audi S5 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2013 Audi S5.
- How does the 2013 Audi S5 compare to other years?
- The 2013 model's complaint index of 67 is worse than the 2014 (33, Good) and 2019 (47, Good) model years, but better than 2018, 2020, and 2025, which are rated Avoid with indexes of 80, 87, and 100.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Audi S5?
- The 2013 Audi S5 gets 21 mpg combined (18 city / 26 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,800 according to the EPA.