2018 Audi A5: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2018 Audi A5 at 27 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 38 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
6
EPA combined mpg
27
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
NHTSA lists this vehicle as A5 CABRIOLET.
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Audi dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2018 Audi A5 recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 6 safety recalls for the 2018 Audi A5, newest first.
Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger and 1 more component
NHTSA 21V874000Reported Nov 10, 2021
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 74E3)
Components
Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger; Seats
Units affected
208,332 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Air bags: Frontal: Passenger side: Inflator module and 1 more component
NHTSA 19V547000Reported Jul 24, 2019
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 74D9)
Components
Air bags: Frontal: Passenger side: Inflator module; Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification
Units affected
145,337 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 40O2)
Units affected
36 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of North America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback vehicles. The front suspension fasteners may not have been sufficiently tightened during vehicle production, possibly resulting in a front wheel becoming loose.
Risk
A loose front wheel may increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the front suspension fasteners, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40O2.
Air bags: Frontal: Passenger side: Inflator module
NHTSA 18V836000Reported Nov 27, 2018
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 69Y4)
Units affected
12 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback and 2017-2018 Audi A4 Allroad vehicles. A passenger air bag module mounting screw may not have been sufficiently tightened, possibly affecting the deployment of the air bag in the event of a crash.
Risk
If the air bag does not deploy correctly in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of an injury.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag mounting screw, tightening or replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y4.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 69T7)
Units affected
8,037 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Coupe vehicles. The affected vehicles were built with head curtain air bag assemblies that may not unfold properly. As such, these vehicle fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the head curtain air bag, if the air bag does not deploy properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will modify the head curtain air bags so that they deploy properly, free of charge. The recall began on January 18, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 11-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69T7.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 70G6)
Units affected
31,323 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad, and 2018 A5 Sportback vehicles. The aluminum trim on the front and rear doors can come loose from around the door speakers, leaving sharp edges exposed.
Risk
The sharp edges of the speaker trim increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the speaker cover aluminum trim, free of charge. The recall began March 13, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 70G6.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2018 Audi A5 fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2018 Audi A5 crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2018 Audi A5 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2018 Audi A5 2 DR AWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
2018 Audi A5 C AWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
2018 Audi A5 Sportback 4 DR AWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
5 stars
9.9%
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2018 Audi A5 owner complaints
Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi A5, most recently on Sep 15, 2026. 2 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 2 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2018 Audi A5 complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Engine
8
Unknown or other
8
Electrical system
4
Service brakes
4
Structure: Body
4
Air bags
3
Power train
3
Visibility/wiper
3
Steering
2
Suspension
2
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
