AUDI S5 · model year

2016 AUDI S5

3 NHTSA complaints. 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 2016AUDIS5 carries 3 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 S5 is electronic stability control (esc) with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and steering (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2016 S5. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
STEERING1

Recent Complaints

20201102ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

HELLO - MY 2016 AUDI S5 COUPE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS HAD AN ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK ERROR FOR SOME TIME NOW. THE ISSUE AROSE AFTER DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS (BUT NOT IN STANDING WATER). THE STEERING RACK IN MY CAR PROVIDES ELECTRONIC ASSISTANCE TO MY STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENTS WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTROL MODULE FOR THE STEERING RACK IS LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM CAR'S MOTOR WITH THREE ELECTRICAL PLUGS FOR POWER AND STEERING. THESE PLUGS ARE NOT WEATHER PROOF. AS A RESULT MY STEERING RACK HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE AND AN ERROR IS PRESENT IN THE CAR'S ECU. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SHOWS THE RACK IS WIDELY USED ACROSS MULTIPLE AUDI PLATFORMS AND HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED OR REMEDIED BY AUDI.

Mileage: 64,000

20201102ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HELLO - MY 2016 AUDI S5 COUPE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS HAD AN ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK ERROR FOR SOME TIME NOW. THE ISSUE AROSE AFTER DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS (BUT NOT IN STANDING WATER). THE STEERING RACK IN MY CAR PROVIDES ELECTRONIC ASSISTANCE TO MY STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENTS WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTROL MODULE FOR THE STEERING RACK IS LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM CAR'S MOTOR WITH THREE ELECTRICAL PLUGS FOR POWER AND STEERING. THESE PLUGS ARE NOT WEATHER PROOF. AS A RESULT MY STEERING RACK HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE AND AN ERROR IS PRESENT IN THE CAR'S ECU. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SHOWS THE RACK IS WIDELY USED ACROSS MULTIPLE AUDI PLATFORMS AND HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED OR REMEDIED BY AUDI.

Mileage: 64,000

20201102STEERING

HELLO - MY 2016 AUDI S5 COUPE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS HAD AN ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK ERROR FOR SOME TIME NOW. THE ISSUE AROSE AFTER DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS (BUT NOT IN STANDING WATER). THE STEERING RACK IN MY CAR PROVIDES ELECTRONIC ASSISTANCE TO MY STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENTS WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTROL MODULE FOR THE STEERING RACK IS LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM CAR'S MOTOR WITH THREE ELECTRICAL PLUGS FOR POWER AND STEERING. THESE PLUGS ARE NOT WEATHER PROOF. AS A RESULT MY STEERING RACK HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE AND AN ERROR IS PRESENT IN THE CAR'S ECU. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SHOWS THE RACK IS WIDELY USED ACROSS MULTIPLE AUDI PLATFORMS AND HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED OR REMEDIED BY AUDI.

Mileage: 64,000

Compare 2016AUDIS5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 AUDI S5 have?
The 2016 AUDI S5 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 AUDI S5?
The 2016 AUDI S5 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.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 AUDI S5?
The most-complained component for the 2016 AUDI S5 is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and STEERING.
Is the 2016 AUDI S5 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 S5 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 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 S5; 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.