Total Complaints
17 filings
AUDI 5000 · model year
1986 AUDI 5000
17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986AUDI5000 carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1986 5000 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights:high/low beam dimmer switch (3) and electrical system:wiring:front underhood (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1986 5000. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
17
Complaints
2
Crashes
4
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080514TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1986 AUDI 5000. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN XM PLUS 300 TIRES (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND THE CONTACT HEARD LOUD FLAPPING NOISES. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST APPROXIMATELY HALF OF ITS TREAD, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A SPARE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VIN AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,100. UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB
Mileage: 200,000
20010910FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
ON WAY TO WORK, PASSED CAR, PUT PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT STUCK THERE, UNTIL TAPPED WITH FOOT, THANK GOD, BUT WHEN I GOT TO WORK, CAR IDLED UP AND DOWN, ERRATIC, BETWEEN 10,000 AND 20,000 RPMS. TURNED OFF ENGINE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON. RESTARTED OK, STILL IDLED FUNNY. TURNED OFF ENGINE. WAITED A MINUTE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SMOKE. INSIDE NWA BUILDING WORKING 15 MINUTES AND MY MANAGER SAID CAR WAS ON FIRE...FLAMES UNDERHOOD ABOUT 20 FEET IN THE AIR...BURNED CAR NEXT TO IT TOO. FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUT OUT, MILLERSVILLE, MD HQS DEPT. SAID STARTED IN ENGINE, SO BAD BURNT AND MELTED HARD TO TELL WHAT FAILED. I HAD NO FIRE INSURANCE ON CAR. ANY RECOURSE AGAINST AUDI? PLEASE ADVISE. I HAD JUST SPENT $3,000 IN REPAIRS ON CAR...SEAT, CRUISE, EXHUAST, TUNE UP, INJECTORS...AT LOCAL SHOPS. I AM SICK...WAS PLANNING TO ADD COMPREHENSIVE,BUT HAD TO TAKE TO GEICO FOR INSPECTION FIRST. MOREOVER, I LIVE IN CONDO, WITH GARAGE, 4 FAMILY UNIT, HAD BEEN PARKING IN MY GARAGE AT NIG
20010910FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
ON WAY TO WORK, PASSED CAR, PUT PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT STUCK THERE, UNTIL TAPPED WITH FOOT, THANK GOD, BUT WHEN I GOT TO WORK, CAR IDLED UP AND DOWN, ERRATIC, BETWEEN 10,000 AND 20,000 RPMS. TURNED OFF ENGINE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON. RESTARTED OK, STILL IDLED FUNNY. TURNED OFF ENGINE. WAITED A MINUTE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SMOKE. INSIDE NWA BUILDING WORKING 15 MINUTES AND MY MANAGER SAID CAR WAS ON FIRE...FLAMES UNDERHOOD ABOUT 20 FEET IN THE AIR...BURNED CAR NEXT TO IT TOO. FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUT OUT, MILLERSVILLE, MD HQS DEPT. SAID STARTED IN ENGINE, SO BAD BURNT AND MELTED HARD TO TELL WHAT FAILED. I HAD NO FIRE INSURANCE ON CAR. ANY RECOURSE AGAINST AUDI? PLEASE ADVISE. I HAD JUST SPENT $3,000 IN REPAIRS ON CAR...SEAT, CRUISE, EXHUAST, TUNE UP, INJECTORS...AT LOCAL SHOPS. I AM SICK...WAS PLANNING TO ADD COMPREHENSIVE,BUT HAD TO TAKE TO GEICO FOR INSPECTION FIRST. MOREOVER, I LIVE IN CONDO, WITH GARAGE, 4 FAMILY UNIT, HAD BEEN PARKING IN MY GARAGE AT NIG
20010910FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ON WAY TO WORK, PASSED CAR, PUT PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT STUCK THERE, UNTIL TAPPED WITH FOOT, THANK GOD, BUT WHEN I GOT TO WORK, CAR IDLED UP AND DOWN, ERRATIC, BETWEEN 10,000 AND 20,000 RPMS. TURNED OFF ENGINE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON. RESTARTED OK, STILL IDLED FUNNY. TURNED OFF ENGINE. WAITED A MINUTE, NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SMOKE. INSIDE NWA BUILDING WORKING 15 MINUTES AND MY MANAGER SAID CAR WAS ON FIRE...FLAMES UNDERHOOD ABOUT 20 FEET IN THE AIR...BURNED CAR NEXT TO IT TOO. FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUT OUT, MILLERSVILLE, MD HQS DEPT. SAID STARTED IN ENGINE, SO BAD BURNT AND MELTED HARD TO TELL WHAT FAILED. I HAD NO FIRE INSURANCE ON CAR. ANY RECOURSE AGAINST AUDI? PLEASE ADVISE. I HAD JUST SPENT $3,000 IN REPAIRS ON CAR...SEAT, CRUISE, EXHUAST, TUNE UP, INJECTORS...AT LOCAL SHOPS. I AM SICK...WAS PLANNING TO ADD COMPREHENSIVE,BUT HAD TO TAKE TO GEICO FOR INSPECTION FIRST. MOREOVER, I LIVE IN CONDO, WITH GARAGE, 4 FAMILY UNIT, HAD BEEN PARKING IN MY GARAGE AT NIG
20000323ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WIRE HARNESS SELF DESTRUCTED, CAUSING COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *AK
20000204ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED CAUSING ENGINE TO LOCK UP AND DAMAGED ENGINE. *MJS
19990830CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I STARTED THE CAR IN A DRIVEWAY, INTENDING TO BACK ONTO THE STREET. WHEN I PLACED THE CAR IN REVERSE, THE CAR ACCELERATED BACKWARD AT TOP SPEED. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. I HAD 40 FEET OF SKID MARKS VISIBLE ON THE PAVEMENT. THE CAR WAS STOPPED BY IT'S IMPACT WITH A PARKED CAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES WITH 1986 AUDI 5000 MODELS. WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THIS CAR? IS IT SAFE TO CONTINUE TO USE?
19990729FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
RECALL 89V006000, FUEL INJECTION SEAL HAS HARDENED DUE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES. RECALL REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19980220POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DIFFERENTIAL FAILED.
19960624FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP FAILS TO PUMP SUFFICIENT GAS TO ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO STALL. *DH
19960326EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING, LOW/HIGH BEAM SWITCH FAILED, MALFUNCTION CAUSING HEADLAMP HIGH BEAMS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. *AK
19960326EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING, LOW/HIGH BEAM SWITCH FAILED, CAUSING HEADLAMP HIGH BEAMS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. *AK
19960326EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING, LOW-HIGH BEAM SWITCH FAILURE OCCURS, CAUSING HEADLAMP HIGH BEAMS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. *AK
19960222VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
LOCATION OF BUBBLES IN FRONT WINDSHIELD GLASS, IMPAIRS VISIBILITY. *AK
19951102POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
TRANSAXLE SEAL FAILED, RESULTING IN A LEAK PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS. (93V-0060). *AK
19950921CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/2 ACCIDENTS/INJURIES. *SKD
19950201VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF VEHICLE. TT
Compare 1986AUDI5000 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 AUDI 5000 have?▼
The 1986 AUDI 5000 has 17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 AUDI 5000?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 AUDI 5000 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1986 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.