Research · complaint index
Audi S5 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 14 model years of the Audi S5 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2025, 2020, 2018 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | 6 | 8.3 | 2 | 0 | Most complaints |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0.3 | 5 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2020 | 25 | 4 | 5.4 | 4 | 0 | Most complaints |
| 2019 | 6 | 1 | 1.1 | 4 | 0 | Typical |
| 2018 | 26 | 3 | 4.3 | 2 | 2 | Most complaints |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2013 | 16 | 1 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2012 | 10 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 2011 | 8 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 2010 | 20 | 1 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
- 202511 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 20242 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 20211 complaints · 5 recallsFewest complaints
- 202025 complaints · 4 recallsMost complaints
- 20196 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 201826 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 20161 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20152 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20146 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 201316 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 201210 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 20118 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 201020 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 20083 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 29, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2016, 2008, 2015, 2021.
About this comparison
What Audi S5 years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2025, 2020, 2018 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 14 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.