AUDI A5 · model year

2016 AUDI A5

9 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 A5 is engine with 3 filings, followed by power train (2) and steering (1). 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. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2016 A5. 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE3
POWER TRAIN2
STEERING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (3)

18V22900011/04/2018

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

17V62200005/10/2017

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.

17V00200003/01/2017

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

Recent Complaints

20260118UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

20250807STRUCTURE:BODY

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

20240905ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car went into limp mode and check engine light came on.

20240319STEERING

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.

20210831POWER TRAIN

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.

20210831ENGINE

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.

20190702ENGINE

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

20190702POWER TRAIN

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

20180918ENGINE

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.

Compare 2016AUDIA5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 AUDI A5 have?
The 2016 AUDI A5 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 AUDI A5?
The 2016 AUDI A5 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 AUDI A5?
Yes, the 2016 AUDI A5 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 AUDI A5?
The most-complained component for the 2016 AUDI A5 is ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and STEERING.
Is the 2016 AUDI A5 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 AUDI A5 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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.