Model year 2019 · Subcompact Cars, Midsize Cars

2019 Audi A5: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2019 Audi A5 at 27 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 12 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

3

EPA combined mpg

27

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

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.

2019 Audi A5 recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2019 Audi A5, newest first.

Tires and 1 more component

NHTSA 22V034000 Reported Jan 26, 2022
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 42L5)
Components
Tires; Suspension: Rear: Axle: Non-powered axle assembly
Units affected
31,058 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger and 1 more component

NHTSA 21V874000 Reported 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Suspension: Rear: Axle: Non-powered axle assembly

NHTSA 21V295000 Reported Apr 26, 2021
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 42L1)
Units affected
40,993 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2019 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.

2019 Audi A5 EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
A5 Cabriolet quattro2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 7-speedAll-Wheel DrivePremium23/34/27 mpg$3,050328
A5 quattro2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 7-speedAll-Wheel DrivePremium23/34/27 mpg$3,050328
A5 Sportback quattro2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 7-speedAll-Wheel DrivePremium23/34/27 mpg$3,050328

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.

2019 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.

2019 Audi A5 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2019 Audi A5 2 DR AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated—Standard
2019 Audi A5 C AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated—Standard
2019 Audi A5 Sportback 4 DR AWD5 stars4 stars5 stars5 stars9.9%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.

2019 Audi A5 owner complaints

Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Audi A5, most recently on Jan 21, 2025. 1 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2019 Audi A5 complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Vehicle speed control4
Steering3
Electrical system2
Air bags1
Back over prevention: Sensing system: Camera1
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control1
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking1
Latches/locks/linkages1
Seats1
Structure: Body1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Audi A5 model years

Audi A5 by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2027 A526 mpg———
2026 A526 mpg01—
2025 A526–29 mpg295/5
2024 A527–30 mpg085/5
2023 A526–28 mpg08—
2022 A526–29 mpg27—
2021 A526–28 mpg585/5
2020 A526–27 mpg4605/5
2018 A527 mpg6385/5
2017 A524–26 mpg32—
2016 A524–26 mpg37—
2015 A524–26 mpg39—

All Audi A5 years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2019 Audi models

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 28, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Audi.