Total Complaints
29 filings
AUDI 5000 · model year
1985 AUDI 5000
29 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985AUDI5000 carries 29 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1985 5000 is power train:driveline:differential unit with 4 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl) (2) and visibility:sun/moon roof assembly (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1985 5000. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
29
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
8
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020603ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
RADIATOR COOLING FAN SHORTS OUTS AFTER ACCUMULATING MANY MILES. WIRING TO FAN BURNED OUT COMPLETELY. THE AFFECT TO VEHICLE WAS UNKNOWN. DEALER WAS CONTACTED . PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
19980826POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE RESULTING IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
19980323POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER RECALL REPAIR.
19960910STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK, ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCKS, NO MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON, CAN OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. *AK
19960815LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CONSUMER PARKED CAR AND LOCKED DOOR WITH CHILD IN CAR, CAME BACK TO THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE POWER LOCK WOULDN'T UNLOCK, HAD TO PLAY WITH LOCK ABOUT ONE HOUR AND THE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE .**AK
19960815STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
CONSUMER PARKED CAR AND LOCKED DOOR WITH CHILD IN CAR, CAME BACK TO THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE POWER LOCK WOULDN'T UNLOCK, HAD TO PLAY WITH LOCK ABOUT ONE HOUR AND THE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE .**AK
19960628ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
19960628STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK
POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED. *SD
19960628VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
SUNROOF INOPERTIVE. *SD
19960628SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
WHEEL BEARINGS NOISY. *SD
19960628ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DISTRIBUTOR REPLACED. *SD
19960628VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER WINDOWS INOPERTIVE. *SD
19960628POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
VEHICLE SLIPS OUT OF GEAR. *SD
19960628POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
GEAR LEVER STICKS. *SD
19960628STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. *SD
19960628SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES WORK INTERMITTENTLY. *SD
19960628STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. *DH
19960628SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAIL OCCASIONALLY.
19960628VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
POWER SUN ROOF FAILED.
19960628VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER WINDOWS FAILED TWICE.
Compare 1985AUDI5000 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 AUDI 5000 have?▼
The 1985 AUDI 5000 has 29 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 AUDI 5000?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 AUDI 5000 is POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) and VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1985 AUDI 5000 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1985 AUDI 5000; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.