Problems · NHTSA complaints
2005 Audi TT problems
Owners filed 11 complaints about the 2005 Audi TT with NHTSA between Nov 2009 and Apr 2016. The most-cited component is electrical system (3).
Complaints
11
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system3
- Air bags3
- Exterior lighting3
- Power train3
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Seats1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Engine1
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 31, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
1
1
2
2
0
1
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
3 reports
“THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. THE DRIVER'S WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT CLOSE UP WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED THEREBY CAUSING THE DASHBOARD TO SHOW THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN AND BEEPING OCCURS. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE RELEASE FOR THE GAS CAP DISCONNECTED DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO RELEASE GAS CAP.”
Air bags
3 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI TT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. ..UPDATED 07/20/16 *BF UPDATED 08/01/16.8JB”
Exterior lighting
3 reports
“DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, BRINGS BOTH HEADLIGHTS BACK TO OPERATIONAL.”
Power train
3 reports
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO DRIVE. FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY AT THIS TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THE NEUTRAL PROBLEM NOW OCCURS QUITE OFTEN AND I NOW HAVE THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR. THE TRANSMISSION IS A DSG AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND AFTER REVIEWING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION IN ALL MODEL YEARS AND AUDI HAS ONLY HAD A RECALL ON LATER YEAR VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT SURE WHY THE RECALL WOULD NOT COVER ALL EARLIER VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS ALSO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AS THE TEMPERATURE SENSING UNIT AND THE MECHATRONIC UNIT HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THESE WERE THE ITEMS COVERED IN THE LATER MODEL YEAR RECALL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY ALL DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT COVERED. *TR”
Engine and engine cooling
2 reports1 related recall
“I HAVE A 2005 AUDI TT QUATTRO ROADSTER, PURCHASED NEW IN 2005. HAVE HAD DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE - TWICE - IN 2 YEARS! FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATIONS, COOLANT SENSOR MALFUNCTION (HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT SENSOR TO THE TUNE OF OVER $400! JUST TWO MONTHS AGO), RADIO TURNS ITSELF ON AFTER I'VE EXITED THE VEHICLE, ETC. FIRST TIME INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. CAR NOW HAS 50,000 MILES AND OUT OF WARRANTY. ADDITIONALLY, INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE. IDIOT LIGHT COMES ON, LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT OUT. TURN OFF LIGHTS, 5 - 10 SECONDS, TURN BACK ON, EVERYTHING IS FINE. THIS ALSO HAPPENED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, BUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH TIMES, SHOP REPLACED HEADLIGHT. NOW NEW WRINKLE - WHEN SHIFTING GEARS (2ND, 3RD, 4TH, AND OCCASIONALLY 5TH) UP, RPM'S REV, ENGINE REVS AND IT SEEMS TO WHIR BEFORE CATCHING GEARS. ONLY WHEN SHIFTING UP, NEVER DOWN. WHAT'S UP? IS ALL THIS AN INHERENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE? *TR”
Seats
1 report
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.