Problems · NHTSA complaints

2020 Audi S5 problems

Owners filed 25 complaints about the 2020 Audi S5 with NHTSA between May 2022 and Aug 2025. The most-cited component is electrical system (14).

Complaints
25
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. Electrical system14
  2. Back over prevention11
  3. Forward collision avoidance6
  4. Lane departure2
  5. Other / unknown12

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
20222
20231
20240
202522

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

Electrical system

14 reports
“MMI - Multi Media Interface constantly reboots about every 90 seconds. This is a safety issue since if I am backing up and the MMI reboots I lose the backup camera and when the MMI reboots I also lose collision/parking/proximity sensors. This issue started happening with my Audi on 7/26/25 and can be reproduced every time the ignition is on or car is running. From doing a quick search on the internet this is a very common problem that just started happening within the last few months with a number of 2020 model Audi's.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2025Electrical system, Unknown or other, Back over preventionODI 11677943

Back over prevention

11 reports
“I am writing to report a critical and recurring safety defect concerning the Multi Media Interface (MMI) system in my Audi S5. The MMI system consistently restarts itself approximately every 90 seconds, regardless of whether the vehicle is stationary (parking) or in motion (driving). This issue presents a significant safety hazard because critical sensor information and vehicle status displays, which are shown on the infotainment screen, become unavailable during each restart cycle. During the 5-10 second period of the system restarting, the screen goes blank, and all related functions and visual aids, including parking sensor readouts, camera views (if active), and other driver assistance information, are completely inaccessible. The intermittent loss of these visual aids creates a hazardous situation, especially when maneuvering at low speeds, parking, or when relying on sensor alerts for proximity to other vehicles or obstacles. Even during normal driving, the sudden loss of the display is a distraction and removes vital information that a driver might rely on. This is particularly concerning as it affects features directly related to situational awareness…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2025Unknown or other, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11676791

Forward collision avoidance

6 reports
“Sudden reboot of the vehicle's infotainment system, which then repeats every 60-90 seconds consistently. The reboot has happened while reversing the vehicle, which results in losing view of the backup camera and parking sensors / rear cross traffic detection. This issue was originally sparse, but after 7/14 manifests 100% of the time when using the vehicle. This represents a safety issue due to the loss of rear backup camera for 30+ seconds while the infotainment reboots. No warning lights appear, no inspections have been performed by the dealer or any others.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 26, 2025Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11676426

Lane departure

2 reports
“MMI or the center console screen is shutting down and rebooting during random intervals during driving and stopped. Causing the sensors to say there’s an error and not function. GPS, and volume control also go out.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 1, 2025Lane departure, Back over preventionODI 11670663
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.