← New search

2020 Audi A5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all A5 years →

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: 1 of 60 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Back Over Prevention. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Lane Departure. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

41 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2025
Electrical System

Audi USA sent me a recall letter/service action for Infotainment System Software. The system reboots and shuts down unexpectedly while driving. Took the car to a local Audi dealership and they informed me that they cannot repair the recall because they now want to change my SOS module in order for both to work. They are asking m…

Read full complaint

Audi USA sent me a recall letter/service action for Infotainment System Software. The system reboots and shuts down unexpectedly while driving. Took the car to a local Audi dealership and they informed me that they cannot repair the recall because they now want to change my SOS module in order for both to work. They are asking me to pay them $1,500 for that. Meanwhile they informed me that my SOS system is not working either because of that, and I cannot use.

NHTSA ODI #11694280

Mileage unknown · Aug 5, 2025
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) randomly reboots and poses a safety hazard. Several times while reversing using my backup camera, the MMI has rebooted which causes the camera to go blank. This poses a risk to back up into an object or a person during this time. Also during this time, the Rear Cross Traffic Warning system is d…

Read full complaint

The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) randomly reboots and poses a safety hazard. Several times while reversing using my backup camera, the MMI has rebooted which causes the camera to go blank. This poses a risk to back up into an object or a person during this time. Also during this time, the Rear Cross Traffic Warning system is disabled until the system reboots. Also, while using navigation, the MMI has rebooted on me several times. It has occurred during critical times such as exiting freeways at high speeds. When this occurs it is terribly distracting and could cause an accident. The problem has been re-produced by my dealer. They said it needed a software upgrade and performed that. It worked better for a couple days but is now back to rebooting spontaneously. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating the fault will be occurring. It just reboots and the MMI goes totally blank for about 20 seconds while the system reboots. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it will reboot. I can drive for 20 minutes and it may happen 4 times and then another time drive for an hour and never have it happen. Lately, it has gotten so bad I drive my son's car if it is available due to the safety concerns.

NHTSA ODI #11678628

Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 2025
Electrical System

The MMI which controls back up and 360 cameras, parking sensors, collision avoidance system, navigation, bluetooth, radio, etc reboots randomly without warning. There is no predictability and I have not been able to identify a trigger. There is no warning indicator on the dash or MMI before it happens. When it reboots the screen…

Read full complaint

The MMI which controls back up and 360 cameras, parking sensors, collision avoidance system, navigation, bluetooth, radio, etc reboots randomly without warning. There is no predictability and I have not been able to identify a trigger. There is no warning indicator on the dash or MMI before it happens. When it reboots the screen goes black and all associated MMI functions become inoperable for seconds to minutes. It then restarts and often makes me log back in before I am able to use it again. It happens multiple times, sometimes over a dozen in a short drive and often happens just several minutes apart. It has rebooted while I am pulling into my garage, parking, or backing up and actively using the cameras which poses a serious safety issue. It also occurs often when using bluetooth which can be a distraction, pulling my eyes off the road to grab my phone. This seems to be a widespread problem with Audi MMI which has not been addressed and is a safety concern for all models affected. The dealerships know it is happening due to the amount of complaints, but will not update software and want me to pay a diagnostic fee + upgrade + labor.

NHTSA ODI #11678080

Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2025
Electrical SystemLane Departure

Hello, I am writing today to inform you about the safety concerns I have over My Audis MMI issues. The MMI is the multi media infotainment which is operates my back up camera, proximity sensors and navigation. The MMI is stuck in a loop and reboots every 60 seconds. I was backing up and the MMI rebooted on me which abruptly stop…

Read full complaint

Hello, I am writing today to inform you about the safety concerns I have over My Audis MMI issues. The MMI is the multi media infotainment which is operates my back up camera, proximity sensors and navigation. The MMI is stuck in a loop and reboots every 60 seconds. I was backing up and the MMI rebooted on me which abruptly stop streaming what was behind me, my neighbor was also backing up and thankfully I spotted them on my rear view mirror and stop in time before we collided.

NHTSA ODI #11677655

Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2025
Electrical System

The vehicle's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system is reportedly shutting down randomly while the vehicle is in operation. This issue occurs without warning and is intermittent, making it unpredictable. Observed Symptoms/Events: Complete Loss of MMI Functionality: The screen goes black, and all associated functions (navigation, ra…

Read full complaint

The vehicle's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system is reportedly shutting down randomly while the vehicle is in operation. This issue occurs without warning and is intermittent, making it unpredictable. Observed Symptoms/Events: Complete Loss of MMI Functionality: The screen goes black, and all associated functions (navigation, radio, Bluetooth, vehicle settings, climate control interface, rearview camera, etc.) become inoperable. Random Occurrence: The shutdown can happen at any time, regardless of driving conditions (e.g., stationary, low speed, highway speed). There appears to be no consistent trigger. Duration of Outage: The MMI system typically remains off for a period ranging from a few seconds to several minutes before spontaneously restarting. In some cases, the system may not restart until the vehicle is turned off and on again. Impact on Other Systems: While the primary issue is with the MMI, the owner reports concern about potential impacts on critical vehicle functions that utilize the MMI display (e.g., rearview camera when backing up, warning messages displayed on MMI). No Warning Indicators: No specific warning lights or messages appear on the instrument cluster immediately preceding or during the MMI shutdown. Repeatability: The issue is not consistently repeatable on demand, but it has occurred multiple times since its initial manifestation. Potential Safety Risk: The random shutdown of the MMI system poses potential safety concerns due to: Distraction: Unexpected system failure can be distracting to the driver, potentially diverting attention from the road. Loss of Critical Information: The MMI displays crucial information such as navigation directions, rearview camera feed, and certain warning messages. A sudden loss of this information can compromise driver awareness, especially when maneuvering or in complex traffic situations.

NHTSA ODI #11676677

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2025
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

Beginning in mid July 2025, the MMI system (screen in the center of the dashboard) reboots every 1-2 minutes. In addition to the large distraction this causes while driving, the constant rebooting disables the back-up camera, parking sensors, rear-cross traffic alerts, collision avoidance assist, navigation, as well as everythin…

Read full complaint

Beginning in mid July 2025, the MMI system (screen in the center of the dashboard) reboots every 1-2 minutes. In addition to the large distraction this causes while driving, the constant rebooting disables the back-up camera, parking sensors, rear-cross traffic alerts, collision avoidance assist, navigation, as well as everything else that is controlled by the Audi MMI system.

NHTSA ODI #11676498

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2025
Electrical System

2020 Audi A5 started randomly rebooting (MMI software) around mid April 2025, It happens I’d say every 5-20 minutes and it repeats all the time. The fact that Audi/VW won't cover the cost to update their buggy software is very frustrating. I have notified Audi USA about the issue and am awaiting a response if they will cover t…

Read full complaint

2020 Audi A5 started randomly rebooting (MMI software) around mid April 2025, It happens I’d say every 5-20 minutes and it repeats all the time. The fact that Audi/VW won't cover the cost to update their buggy software is very frustrating. I have notified Audi USA about the issue and am awaiting a response if they will cover the labor cost @ Prestige Audi in Denver, CO

NHTSA ODI #11675609

Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2025
Electrical System

About 3 weeks ago, the MMI screen began restarting over and over again and at times would reset when backing up and using the rear view camera. I have attempted restarting the MMI multiple times to no fix. I have also reset the MMI to its original settings and still the system keeps restarting. Sadly, this seems to be an issue o…

Read full complaint

About 3 weeks ago, the MMI screen began restarting over and over again and at times would reset when backing up and using the rear view camera. I have attempted restarting the MMI multiple times to no fix. I have also reset the MMI to its original settings and still the system keeps restarting. Sadly, this seems to be an issue occurring to multiple 2020 models according to multiple complaints online. Audi seems to be aware of the issue and there is a mixed response from Audi dealers on a fix. Some seem to suggest expensive options while others “fix” the issue only for it to continue to happen.

NHTSA ODI #11674797

Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2025
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

MMI constantly shuts off, often in the process of moving into or out of a parking spot. This suddenly and unexpectedly disables the parking collision warning system, the rear cross traffic warning system, and frontal collision warnings. Very frustrating and unsafe. No solution currently exists. No symptoms prior to this happenin…

Read full complaint

MMI constantly shuts off, often in the process of moving into or out of a parking spot. This suddenly and unexpectedly disables the parking collision warning system, the rear cross traffic warning system, and frontal collision warnings. Very frustrating and unsafe. No solution currently exists. No symptoms prior to this happening; it is widely reported at online forums. No users have been able to have this corrected even at the dealer.

NHTSA ODI #11674776

Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2025
Electrical System

The computer of the car (the MMI) is constantly rebooting. Once I turn on the vehicle it’ll start up normally and after about 1 minute or two it’ll go black and everything will restart.

NHTSA ODI #11674684

Official recalls

4

22V034000 · SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED Axle Assembly; Tires

Jan 26, 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Tires

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED Axle Assembly

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

21V874000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger; Seats

Nov 10, 2021

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 Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.

Consequence & remedy

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 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

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 Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.

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 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

Seats

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 Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.

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 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

21V295000 · SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED Axle Assembly

Apr 26, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

20V737000 · Electrical System; Exterior Lighting:tail Lights

Nov 25, 2020

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without the scuff protection, the wires may become damaged during a rear crash, disabling the doors from being opened from the outside, causing a loss of hazard lights, and increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.

Consequence: Without the scuff protection, the wires may become damaged during a rear crash, disabling the doors from being opened from the outside, causing a loss of hazard lights, and increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.

Electrical System

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.

Consequence: Without the scuff protection, the wires may become damaged during a rear crash, disabling the doors from being opened from the outside, causing a loss of hazard lights, and increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.

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.