2021 Audi A5 problems, complaints & recalls

2021 Audi A5 recalls (5)

• Recall 22V742000Oct 5, 2022170,296 vehicles
  BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

  Risk: A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

• Recall 22V034000Jan 26, 202231,058 vehicles
  SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY · TIRES

  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.

• Recall 21V606000Aug 5, 202145,496 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS · SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

  Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

• Recall 21V295000Apr 26, 202140,993 vehicles
  SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

  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.

• Recall 20V737000Nov 25, 20205,426 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.

  Risk: Without the scuff protection, the wires may become damaged during a rear crash, disabling the doors from being opened from the outside, causing a loss of hazard lights, and increasing the risk of injury.

  Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.

Recent 2021 Audi A5 complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 15, 2026MAEngine

   Car began bucking at low speeds. I parked car and when I turned on ignition next day, dashboard warning indicated "Transmission malfunction" and warned me not to drive car. I had it towed to dealer. Diagnosis was that it was a gearbox malfunction that according to dealer was occurring more and more frequently, so much so that Audi had issued a "Technical Service Bulletin." My car which is less than 5 years old and has 65,000 miles required $3,600 worth of repairs for this…

   NHTSA complaint #11764446 · source
2. Filed Jan 19, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? TRANSMISSION - GEAR SHIFT How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? THE CAR STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS AND WE WHEN THE CAR INSTRUCTED US TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY IT WASN'T A SAFE PLACE TO STOP THE CAR. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? SO FAR AUDI NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. ONLY THAT…

   NHTSA complaint #11711887 · source
3. Filed Dec 28, 2025NCAirbagsSeats & Seat Belts

   The passenger side air bag indicator constantly turns off and on in my Audi no matter if there is or is not a passenger in the seat. I took my vehicle to an authorized Audi service center to have the issue checked and they determined the issue to be a failed pods mat based on the error code returned. Upon researching, I’ve discovered that this issue was a safety recall issue with Audi A5 Sportback vehicles in 2020. My vehicle was manufactured during the time of this…

   NHTSA complaint #11707412 · source
4. Filed Nov 19, 2025TXOther / Unknown

   I was driving down the interstate when my Warning Transmission Failure light came on. Then another message said you can drive with limited use if vehicle. Seconds later the Warning Transmission Failure light came on again and said drive to your nearest repair shop. Moments later the Warning came on and said safely stop your vehicle. I pulled over on the side of the road and pit my car in park. After doing so the Warning Transmission Failure stayed on and the car no longer…

   NHTSA complaint #11700320 · source
5. Filed Jun 17, 202556,795 miNCElectrical System

   The contact owns a 2021 Audi A5. The contact stated while the driving 35 MPH, the instrument panel was blinking on and off several times and then went dark. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the dealer was waiting for the parts to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened.…

   NHTSA complaint #11667401 · source
6. Filed Feb 10, 2024GADriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   There was no damage caused. The audi pre sense technology (automatic braking) has come close to causing several accidents by braking extremely hard when there has been no reason to brake.

   NHTSA complaint #11571158 · source
7. Filed Jun 11, 2023FLOther / Unknown

   My vehicle was repaired pursuant to rearview/backup camera recall (22V742000). Unfortunately, the issue has again arisen and the backup camera alternates between a white screen, a black screen and a frozen screen.

   NHTSA complaint #11526418 · source
8. Filed Nov 9, 20213,500 miTNTowedElectrical System

   The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, after shifting from reverse to drive the vehicle lost all power. The contact stated that various warning lights were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the gateway under the rear seat was wet. The gateway and battery needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of…

   NHTSA complaint #11439892 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology