Problems · NHTSA complaints

2010 Audi S5 problems

Owners filed 20 complaints about the 2010 Audi S5 with NHTSA between Jan 2011 and Jul 2025. The most-cited component is power train (10).

Complaints
20
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train10
  2. Air bags7
  3. Engine3
  4. Fuel system, gasoline1
  5. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  6. Fuel/propulsion system1
  7. Service brakes1
  8. Engine and engine cooling1
  9. Other / unknown1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20111
20120
20130
20140
20155
20166
20175
20182
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

10 reports
“A "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION" INTERMITTENTLY OCCURS, LEAVING THE CAR IN A "NON-MOVING" STATE. WHEN THIS ISSUE OCCURS, AN ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE FROM A DEAD STOP WILL MOVE THE VEHICLE ONLY ENOUGH TO GET YOU INTO TRAFFIC AND POTENTIALLY GET BROADSIDED OR REAR-ENDED. THE CAR SIMPLY "STOPS MOVING" RIGHT WHEN YOU NEED IT TO MOVE IN ORDER TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. IT WILL NOT MOVE BUT REMAINS RUNNING AND IN GEAR. I'VE SPENT OVER $3000 DOLLARS TO FIX THE ISSUE (REPLACED MECHATRONIC UNIT AND BATTERY) BUT THE ERROR STILL OCCURS. THE CAR IS EFFECTIVELY USELESS AND COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS SEEN WITH ANY SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES, THE ISSUE WILL STOP, ONLY TO REAPPEAR AGAIN RANDOMLY AT ANOTHER INTERSECTION.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 6, 2017Power trainODI 10993527

Air bags

7 reports
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI S5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS); 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 DEALER (AUDI FREMONT, 43191 BOSCELL RD, FREMONT, CA 94538) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 31, 2018Air bagsODI 11099048

Engine

3 reports
“ENGINE OVERHEATED AUGUST 21, 2017. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO DAY AUDI MONROEVILLE, PA. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT AN AUDI THERMOSTAT RECALL WAS JUST ISSUED. I PAID FOR THE REPAIR $999.71 AND WAS PROMISED BY AUDI CUSTOMER CARE THAT I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2017, I WAS ADVISED THAT MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE THERMOSTAT RECALL AND THAT THE RECALL HAS TO BE ISSUED BY THE NHTSA. THEREFORE I RECEIVED AN EMPTY PROMISE FROM AUDI THAT I WOULD BE REIMBURSED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 27, 2017EngineODI 11030093

Fuel system, gasoline

1 report
“The contact owns a 2010 Audi S5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the aftermarket TRQ High-Pressure Fuel Pump (FPA-63379) exploded, covering the contact in hot gasoline. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2025Fuel system, gasolineODI 11675086

Electronic stability control (esc)

1 report
“CAR STARTED OF GOING ON LIMP MODE ABOUT ONCE A MONTH THEN IT STARTED TO GET MORE FREQUENT. LIMP MODE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED TO PUT YOUR CAR INTO A LOWER GEAR TO PROTECT THE TRANSMISSION, BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT THE CAR WOULD SHIFT ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING ME NOT HAVE A FULL CONTROL OF THE CAR MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO PULL OVER. AS SOON AS I TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT ON THE CAR WOULD RUN NORMAL AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IT WILL GO OFF ON LIMP MODE INTO THE NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. RIGHT AFTER THAT THE CAR WOULD START HAVING STARTING UP PROBLEMS SO I HAD TO PAY MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET TO HAVE THE ECU REPLACED AND THE FUEL REGULATOR REPLACED AS WELL. AS OF DECEMBER 2016 I STARTED HAVING NEW PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT LIMP MODE HAS AFFECTED MY WHOLE CAR AND IT HAS TO BE FIXED. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BUT IT IS MY ONLY FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. I TOOK IT TO AUDI DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE LIMP MODE WAS RELATED TO THE TRIPTRONIC MODULE THAT WAS LOCATED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS A $5,000 FIX. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT PUTTING THE CAR INTO SPORT MODE WOULD MAKE IT LESS LIKELY TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 5, 2017Power train, Electronic stability control (esc), Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10940030

Fuel/propulsion system

1 report
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.