The 2018 Audi A5 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 393,077 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS21V8740002021-11-10208,332 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…
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 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547…
AIR BAGS19V5470002019-07-24145,337 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…
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.
SUSPENSION18V8930002018-12-1736 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 40O2.
AIR BAGS18V8360002018-11-2712 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 recall is 69Y4.
AIR BAGS17V8220002017-12-208,037 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…
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 recall is 69T7.
STRUCTURE17V6750002017-10-2531,323 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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
SERVICE BRAKES
4
STRUCTURE:BODY
4
1injuries
VISIBILITY/WIPER
3
AIR BAGS
2
POWER TRAIN
2
STEERING
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
Total complaints46
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The mmi ( main screen) system randomly reboots every 5 minutes, even when using carplay, which is unsafe. Please check it out. Thank you!”
“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…”
“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 200â°f. Over time, these components…”
“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…”
“Engine shuts off occasionally whilst cornering at very low speed. No warning. Been happening for several years.”
“The contact owns a 2018 audi a5. The contact stated while driving 55-60 mph, the yellow message "steering malfunction - safe to drive" was displayed. The contact continued driving 40 mph, and the message turned red, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to pull…”
“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…”
“Passenger side safety seat belt buckle not fixing properly.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 Audi A5 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.