Summary
The Audi 5000 has 9 recalls covering the 1978-1986 production run, with the most serious being unintended acceleration on 1984 and 1978 automatic-transmission models where shifting from Park into Drive or Reverse can cause the vehicle to surge forward or backward unexpectedly, raising the risk of a crash.
The 1986 model year has a rear brake caliper that can bind and overheat, making the brake pedal feel spongy and, in severe cases, disabling one of the two brake circuits, which extends stopping distances. On 1985 models, a fuel distributor that allows a small amount of fuel to escape into the air filter after engine shutdown can ignite if the engine misfires during restart, causing an engine compartment fire. The 1984 turbo and Quattro models have two separate fuel-related fire risks: injector seals can harden from heat and alcohol in the fuel, allowing fuel to leak onto hot engine components under turbo pressure, and repeated topping off at the pump can reduce the fuel tank's expansion space, pushing fuel vapors into the engine compartment. A fourth 1984 issue involves the idle control unit malfunctioning and causing erratic engine rpm, which can create unexpected control difficulties. Going back to 1978-1983 automatic-transmission models, the gas and brake pedals sit close enough in height that a driver can accidentally press both at once, and the driver's side floor mat can slide under and catch the accelerator pedal, holding the throttle partially open during deceleration.
