2013 Audi A5 Cabriolet: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Audi A5 Cabriolet filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Engine 67% of all complaints
2 Air bags 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 2 complaints (67% of all).
Air bags: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine	2	0	0
Air bags	1	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Vehicle involved in accident-collision with a light pole head on air bag did not inflate - car a total loss. Driver suffered injuries. Updated 06/29/17
Air bags · crash · 2017-04-20 · NHTSA complaint #10979603
19n4 recall for electric after run coolant pump. Audi has failed to complete the repairs.
Engine · 2019-02-01 · NHTSA complaint #11173491
States that this defect may cause a fire even if car is not turned on and recommends to park the vehicle outside as a precaution. This sounds very dangerous. Today, september 4, 2018, the dealer informed me that the fix for the defect is still not available and there is no date.
Engine · 2018-09-04 · NHTSA complaint #11124291

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20171
20181
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the A5 Cabriolet has 3 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 3, about average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Audi A5 Cabriolet?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, air bags. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Audi A5 Cabriolet?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Audi A5 Cabriolet from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.