MODELYEARINDEX

Which Audi A5 years to avoid

No Audi A5 model year in 2013–2020 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2018 and 2013, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Audi A5 Full report
C
Grade 2013–2020
2018 vs model median 1.1×
Model median3× median
Lights & Visibility 4
Brakes 3
Engine 2
Weakest

2013 · 2018

Best

2019 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2013
1.19× 13 C
2018
1.06× 18 C
2019
0.94× 13 C
2020
0.85× 11 C
2023 P
0.47× 11 A
2024 P
0.72× 14 B
2025 P
0.64× 12 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 C 13 reports · median 26,000 mi

  1. Steering 6

    At 1500 miles I developed a notchy feeling in my steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position. This notchy feel creates a need for constant correction just to keep the vehicle traveling in a straight path. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 2

    The sun visor on my a5 has very little spring tension that allows it to freely move back and forth. I need to have it clipped when accelerating otherwise it will hit me in the face or hold it while making left turns… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 2

    The contact owned a 2013 audi a5. While parked at home, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. A police report was not filed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 2 fire · 3 injuries

2018 C 18 reports · median 15,750 mi

  1. Lights & Visibility 4

    I was driving my new 2018 audi a5 cabriolet (approx. 4500 miles) on a local road. The driver side sun visor was in the 'down' position when driving this morning headed into the rising sun. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 3

    Audi pre sense, the new technology audi uses for predictive safety. I have experienced several audi pre sense braking malfunctions. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 2

    Large coolant leak due to faulty plastic thermostat and water pump which can cause overheating, catastrophic engine failure, and fire, putting consumers at risk. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 crash · 2 injuries

The best year for the A5

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring A5 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 69.1 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2020 at 0.85× this model’s median, against 0.94× for 2019.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.94× 13 C
2020 0.85× 11 C
2013 1.19× 13 C

Recalls

14 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
17V002000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM 2013 342,867
18V229000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM 2013 342,867
17V622000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2013 216,913
21V874000 SEATS 2018–2020 208,332
19V547000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2018 145,337
21V295000 SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY 2019, 2020 40,993
17V675000 STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS 2018 31,323
22V034000 TIRES 2019, 2020 31,058
25V899000 SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR 2025 27,768
17V822000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW 2018 8,037
20V737000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS 2020 5,426
25V638000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR 2025 1,042

+ 2 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2018 were reported at a median of 15,750 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Audi A5 years should you avoid?
No Audi A5 model year in 2013–2020 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2018 and 2013.
What is the best year for the Audi A5?
2019 is the best-scoring Audi A5 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 69.1 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Audi A5 have?
14 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi A5 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2018 A5
Complaints in window
18
Severity-weighted
25
Model median (weighted)
23
vs model median
1.06×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
0
Score 58.4 C