Audi A5 Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 77.9% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 72 complaints, typically at 5.5 years.

Audi A5 years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Audi A5 — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2025	1.17	7	6	too new
2023	1.14	8	7	too new
2021	1.14	8	7	too new
2020	1.71	60	35	yes
2019	1.2	12	10	yes
2018	1	9	9	yes
2016	1	6	6	yes
2015	1	6	6	yes
2014	1.44	26	18	yes
2013	1.32	33	25	yes
2012	1.24	21	17	yes
2010	1.16	29	25	yes
2009	1.5	9	6	yes
2008	1	4	4	yes

ROWS 14·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2020 A5 asks a median $19,000, against $22,950 for a 2021, the next model year: about 17% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 6 Audi A5 years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2020, 2014, 2013; the three worth hunting are 2010, 2019, 2012.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Audi A5 — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	14	6%	covered
1 year	13	11.5%	covered
2 years	13	17%	covered
3 years	12	22.1%	covered
4 years	29	34.5%	you pay
5 years	70	64.3%	you pay
6 years	21	73.2%	you pay
7 years	14	79.1%	you pay
8 years	21	88.1%	you pay
9 years	10	92.3%	you pay
10 years	11	97%	you pay
11 years	4	98.7%	you pay
13 years	3	100%	you pay

ROWS 13·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 22.1% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 77.9% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (4 years / 50,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 22% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Electrical System at 5.5 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Audi A5 — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Electrical System	72	5.5 yrs	—	1
Engine	43	6.8 yrs	—	3
Unknown Or Other	41	5.5 yrs	—	1
Air Bags	33	5.5 yrs	1	—
Steering	23	4.7 yrs	2	—
Back Over Prevention	18	4.6 yrs	—	—
Engine And Engine Cooling	10	6.6 yrs	—	—
Structure	10	5.2 yrs	—	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the A5's vehicle class. Per production run, the Honda Civic draws 2.82 and the Ford Mustang 3.87, against 1.31 for the A5. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Audi A5 — rivals in the same class
Same class as the A5	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Honda Civic	15,962	413	1981–2026
Ford Mustang	10,680	315	1981–2026
Nissan GT-R	33	9	2009–2026
Chevrolet Camaro	3,457	204	1981–2026
Toyota Supra	109	35	1981–2026
Nissan Sentra	6,185	158	1982–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Audi A5

Recalls52 campaigns Fuel economy30 mpg best Common problems247 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build Cargo space23 cu ft Used prices874 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2008–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Audi A5 reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.31 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 2 class rivals we compared.

Which A5 years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2020, 2014, 2013. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2010, 2019, 2012. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do A5 problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 5.5 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover A5 problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 22.1% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 22% of the complaints here.

Is the A5 more reliable than the Honda Civic?

Yes: 1.31 complaints per production run for the A5 against 2.82 for the Honda Civic.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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