Total Complaints
9 filings
AUDI A5 · model year
9 NHTSA complaints, and 3 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. 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 2016AUDIA5 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2016 A5 is engine with 3 filings, followed by power train (2) and steering (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2016 A5. 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.
Total Complaints
9 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN | 2 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A5 Coupe, A5 Cabriolet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad and Q5 vehicles. Contact corrosion within the electrical connector for the auxiliary heater may cause the heater wires to overheat or melt.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can be blocked wi
Immediately after taking it home from a dealership, I noticed the MMI system wasn’t turning on. I figured it would fix itself, but it’s been 4 days and nothing has happened. The screen stays black when starting the car. When I reset the MMI by holding the volume knob for 10 seconds, it briefly turns on but shuts itself off right after.
On August 3, 2025, my wife and I came home from dinner and I couldn’t get out of the driver’s side door. I took it to Naples Audi where I bought the car and delt with its Assistant Service Manager and Service Advisor. Audi estimated the repair to be over $1,300. I called Audi USA Regional Customer Service and Mike B opened a Case 06968056 for me. He got back to me today, August 7, and said Audi Corporate and Naples Audi will still make me pay $800 to do the repair. I'm submitting this claim because an inoperable door handle is a huge safety problem and liability to any Audi owner. The parts to repair cost $500, which includes a part to connect the interior handle to the door latch that opens the door, and 4 bolts! I found out the interior part of the door handle is made of plastic – unbelievably not metal. Audit Assistant Service Manager told me over time, especially in the southwest Florida heat, the plastic can become brittle and crack off the latch. One woul
Car went into limp mode and check engine light came on.
Electromechanical steering rack has gone out. Had this completely failed while driving myself and others could be put in serious harm of a collision or crash. There are many online complaints and issues with the audi steering racks. No other warnings then it just went out at the same time it tells you stop driving.
The drive chain broke, causing permanent damage to the engine which requires a complete engine replacement. The car was 5 + years old with 38,000 miles on it and well maintained.
The drive chain broke, causing permanent damage to the engine which requires a complete engine replacement. The car was 5 + years old with 38,000 miles on it and well maintained.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A5. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A THREE POINT TURN WITH THE SHIFTER IN THE REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND MOVED APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 FEET WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. AUDI OF EATONTOWN (95 NJ-36, EATONTOWN, NJ) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
Mileage: 35,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A5. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A THREE POINT TURN WITH THE SHIFTER IN THE REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND MOVED APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 FEET WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. AUDI OF EATONTOWN (95 NJ-36, EATONTOWN, NJ) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
Mileage: 35,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V229000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT DID NOT CONTACT A LOCAL DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
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 2016 AUDI A5; 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.