AI Damage2019 Audi A5: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Audi A5 filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and steering. The maker issued 875 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 875
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Forward collision avoidance 17% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 8% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Steering: 3 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 53.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 238.
- Forward collision avoidance: 2 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Structure: 1 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 93.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 53 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 238 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 93 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 44 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 228 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 45 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was driving when the rear of my car began vibrating, then fishtailing and I lost control and hit a curb resulting in mostly forward damage. In reviewing the Preliminary Estimate from the auto-shop and insurance adjuster, there was quite a bit of damage to the Rear Suspension including a broken Trailing arm lock nut,…
While sitting at the light it stalled out, manually crank it up attempt to get thru the light and it cuts off leaving my son and I stranded dead center of the intersection leaving the two of us sitting ducks.
The contact stated while starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R), the message "SOS System Deactivated" was displayed, and the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact shifted to park(P) and shifted back to reverse(R); however, the failure persisted.
Hello, I was driving down highway at 55mph when my Electric Power steering Failed suddenly. I almost crashed to the barrier as I was in the passing lane. My steering failure message popped up on my instrument cluster and steering wheel became stiff. I had my mom and niece in the vehicle with me.
The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V874000 (Seats, Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son who was occupying the vehicle assisted her in unlocking the doors. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while her two-year-old daughter was in the car seat on the rear passenger’s side.
The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who discovered that the power steering module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 17,000.
On three different occasions, I have experienced automatic emergency braking of the car which, rather than keeping me safe, placed me in a very dangerous situation. Each time, I was in a controlled intersection on a green light and in the left turn lane, with oncoming traffic also having a green light.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,428 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 32% least complained about).
On average one model year of the A5 has 8 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 12, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has…
This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
- This bulletin provides information regarding fault finding and repair information for electric tailgate
- This bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel
- This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations
- This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases
- This bulletin provides information when the rear parking sensor sometimes does not work, rear parking…
This bulletin provides information when the rear parking sensor sometimes does not work, rear parking sensor loose, rear parking sensor fault message.
- This bulletin provides informaiton when DTC B200FF0 is stored
- This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer
- This bulletin provides infomraiton abou the Audi frequency analysis application, which is available in the…
This bulletin provides infomraiton abou the Audi frequency analysis application, which is available in the App Store for Android and Apple phones.
- This bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped
- This bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning
- This bulletin provides informaiton when the airbag warning lamp is active, event memory "B200000 - Faulty…
This bulletin provides informaiton when the airbag warning lamp is active, event memory "B200000 - Faulty control module, symptom 305".
NHTSA lists 875 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Audi A5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (17%), warning lights, check engine (17%), rear-view camera (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Audi A5?
NHTSA lists 875 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 2019 Audi A5 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 2019 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 2026-11-04.