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2011 Audi A5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 10 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

6 reports
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81,000 miles · Sep 25, 2017
EngineUnknown Or Other

WAS LEAVING HOUSE, CAR STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY SO I DROVE BACK HOME, ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. HAVE BEEN WAITING LONG BEFORE THIS HAPPENED TO HEAR BACK FROM AUDI ABOUT OIL CONSUMPTION WARRANTY RECALL, CAR WAS UNDER 80K MI AT THE TIME I MADE REPORT, HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REQUIRED TESTS THEY NEEDED, TOOK THEM 4 MONTHS TO FINALL…

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WAS LEAVING HOUSE, CAR STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY SO I DROVE BACK HOME, ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. HAVE BEEN WAITING LONG BEFORE THIS HAPPENED TO HEAR BACK FROM AUDI ABOUT OIL CONSUMPTION WARRANTY RECALL, CAR WAS UNDER 80K MI AT THE TIME I MADE REPORT, HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REQUIRED TESTS THEY NEEDED, TOOK THEM 4 MONTHS TO FINALLY GET BACK TO ME. RECEIVED SPECIAL CASE SINCE IT WAS A PRE OWNED VEHICLE & COULD NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SERVICE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SINCE I HAD JUST PURCHASED VEHICLE, NOT THE DEALERSHIP NOR AUDI HAVE BEEN HELPFUL WITH OBTAINING THAT INFORMATION. NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX IT OR BUY BACK.

NHTSA ODI #11025410

63,148 miles · Jun 6, 2017
Engine

AUDI OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGED ON 2015 THAT 126,000 VEHICLES PRESENT EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO ON MAY 16, 2017 WHERE VARIOUS REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. DEALER INDICATED THAT OIL SERVICE NEEDED TO BE DONE PRIOR TO START OIL CONSUMPTION TEST PHASE 1(PCV VALVE) WHICH I AUTHORIZED. A…

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AUDI OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGED ON 2015 THAT 126,000 VEHICLES PRESENT EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO ON MAY 16, 2017 WHERE VARIOUS REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. DEALER INDICATED THAT OIL SERVICE NEEDED TO BE DONE PRIOR TO START OIL CONSUMPTION TEST PHASE 1(PCV VALVE) WHICH I AUTHORIZED. AFTER THIS, LOW OIL LIGHT TURNED ON WITHIN LESS THAN 900 MILES. ON JUNE 5TH, 2017 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO PERFORM PHASE 2 OF THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. DEALER DOCUMENTED THAT THE VEHICLE CONSUMED 1.08 QT IN 1,000 MILES. HOWEVER, DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIR DUE TO TD1 FLAGGING BY AUDI OF AMERICA. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. I POINTED OUT THAT "AUDI OF AMERICA" DEFINES WARRANTY AS FOLLOWS "A GUARANTEE THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE ANY COMPONENT THAT FAILS AS A RESULT OF MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN MATERIAL OR WORKMANSHIP". AUDI OF AMERICA IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S FAILURE REGARDING THE PISTON RINGS, NEVERTHELESS IS LOOKING INTO ANY EXCUSE TO NOT HONOR WHAT WAS AGREED IN THE OIL CONSUMPTION SETTLEMENT. PER 13-CV-02529-MMM-VBK "THE SERVICE ADJUSTMENT WAS NOT PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO ABUSE, ALTERATION OR MODIFICATION, A COLLISION OR CRASH, VANDALISM AND/OR OTHER IMPACT.' THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE CAME SINCE IT ROLLED OUT OF AUDI'S MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND VEHICLES MODIFICATIONS ARE NOT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. AUDI PERFORMED THE VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS IN ONE OF THEIR PARTNER FACILITIES (GARAGE EUROPA) AS PART OF A SALES PROMOTION AT THE TIME IT WAS FIRST PURCHASED.

NHTSA ODI #10993546

145,000 miles · Feb 18, 2017
Engine

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONOR FAILED WITH NO WARNING CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. AUDIVW IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE PART THEY HAVE REDESIGNED MORE THAN 4 TIMES. REPAIR COST IS $10-12,000 WHEN IT FAILS. REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART WOULD COST $700.

NHTSA ODI #10955414

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2016
EnginePower Train

THIS VEHICLE WHEN I START IN THE MORNING FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS RUBBING ON THE WHEELS. IT MAYBE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. ALSO JUST LIKE THE OTHER AUDI OWNERS HAVE SAID THIS CAR CONSUMES AT LEAST A QUART OF OIL EVERY 800 TO A 1000 MILES OR SO. I DECIDED ON THIS VEHICLE BASED ON REPUTATION, I'VE HAD IT A YEAR AND I'M NOT HAPPY. I THO…

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THIS VEHICLE WHEN I START IN THE MORNING FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS RUBBING ON THE WHEELS. IT MAYBE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. ALSO JUST LIKE THE OTHER AUDI OWNERS HAVE SAID THIS CAR CONSUMES AT LEAST A QUART OF OIL EVERY 800 TO A 1000 MILES OR SO. I DECIDED ON THIS VEHICLE BASED ON REPUTATION, I'VE HAD IT A YEAR AND I'M NOT HAPPY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL. BUT I SEE ITS NOT. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI #10823625

70,600 miles · Apr 8, 2015
EnginePower Train

MARCH 21 MY LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON, AS IT HAS EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT MY CAR. AUDI ALWAYS TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL. I WOULD GO TO THE DEALER EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AND GET A QUART POURED IN. I'VE NEVER HAD ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND I HAVE SERVICED IT PERFECTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. …

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MARCH 21 MY LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON, AS IT HAS EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT MY CAR. AUDI ALWAYS TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL. I WOULD GO TO THE DEALER EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AND GET A QUART POURED IN. I'VE NEVER HAD ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND I HAVE SERVICED IT PERFECTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I GOT NOTICE OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR MY CAR AND IT'S OVERCONSUMPTION OF OIL. ON MARCH 21ST WHEN I HAD MORE OIL ADDED, WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE OIL OVERSCONSUMPTION PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. THAT NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. I STARTED MY CAR. DROVE ABOUT A BLOCK TO AN INTERSECTION. STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. AND THE CAR STOPPED. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. A TIMING CHAIN SHOULD NEVER BREAK. I AM LUCKY I WAS NOT DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. THE OIL OVERCONSUMPTION COULD DEFINITELY LEAD TO THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. AUDI REFUSES TO ADMIT THIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS DOCUMENTED. THERE IS A DOCUMENTED MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN MY ENGINE FOR THE 2011 A5S, BUT THEY REFUSE TO COVER THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. IT IS THEIR FAULT. I WAS SITTING ON A TIME BOMB AND AUDI WAS FULLY AWARE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND THEY NEVER CHECKED AND NEVER MENTIONED IT TO ME. NOW THEY EXPECT ME TO COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE WHEN IT WAS A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. IT CLEARLY STATES IN THE CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT THE DEFECT CAN LEAD TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. I AM OVER MY WARRANTY, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT MATTER. THIS DEFECT EXISTED FROM DAY ONE. THEY NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10704503

11,501 miles · Jul 2, 2014
Engine

THE AUDI 2.0T ENGINE IS KNOWN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH SIGNIFICANT OIL CONSUMPTION. DURING SERVICE VISITS I HAVE MENTIONED TO THE AUDI DEALER THAT THE CAR BURNS A QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000-1200 MILES. AUDI CLAIMS THAT THIS IS PART OF THE ENGINE DESIGN IN ORDER FOR IT TO GIVE BETTER FUEL ECONOMY. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT TRUE. I HAVE FR…

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THE AUDI 2.0T ENGINE IS KNOWN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH SIGNIFICANT OIL CONSUMPTION. DURING SERVICE VISITS I HAVE MENTIONED TO THE AUDI DEALER THAT THE CAR BURNS A QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000-1200 MILES. AUDI CLAIMS THAT THIS IS PART OF THE ENGINE DESIGN IN ORDER FOR IT TO GIVE BETTER FUEL ECONOMY. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT TRUE. I HAVE FRIENDS WITH AUDIS EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0T ENGINE AND THEY HAVE ZERO OIL CONSUMPTION. THERE ARE MULTIPLE ONLINE BLOGS WITH OTHER AUDI OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IT IS CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT AUDI SHOULD BE FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO RESOLVE THE MATTER. I HAPPEN TO WON TWO AUDI'S WITH THIS SAME 2.0T ENGINE, BOTH HAVE THE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10607755

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.