Summary
The Audi A5 has 11 recalls spanning the 2008–2021 model years, with the most serious being a defective rear trailing arm lock nut on 2019 models that can break and cause a sudden shift in rear wheel alignment, destabilizing the vehicle and raising the risk of a crash. A related issue on the same 2019 model year involves an earlier repair that did not include a rear wheel alignment check, leaving some vehicles pulling to one side and wearing tires unevenly to the point where a tire can lose pressure and fail while driving.
The 2020–2021 Sportback trims have a wiring harness near the spare wheel well that may lack abrasion protection, so a rear crash can damage the wires and disable the door releases from outside the vehicle along with the hazard lights. On 2018 models, front suspension fasteners may not have been tightened fully during assembly, which can allow a front wheel to work loose. The 2018 A5 Coupe also has head curtain airbags that may not unfold correctly during deployment, reducing ejection protection in a side crash. A loose passenger airbag module mounting screw on 2017–2018 A5 Sportback models can cause the airbag to deploy incorrectly in a crash.
Spanning 2017–2019 model years, oxidation on the passenger occupant detection system's connecting cable can cause the system to incorrectly flag a fault and disable the front passenger airbag. On 2017 Cabriolet models specifically, components of the rear seatbelt pretensioners can break off during deployment and enter the passenger compartment.
The 2013 model year has an electrical connector in the auxiliary heater that can corrode, causing the heater wires to overheat and melt, which can lead to a fire. Going back to the earliest production years, 2008–2009 models have an airbag control unit that can corrode and fail, preventing airbag deployment in a crash, with the same corrosion issue appearing in a power supply component within the airbag control unit on 2008 models.
