The 2018 Audi S5 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 353,669 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS21V8740002021-11-10208,332 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant…
Consequence
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547…
AIR BAGS19V5470002019-07-24145,337 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause…
Consequence
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
9
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8
1crashes
AIR BAGS
3
1injuries
VISIBILITY/WIPER
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
PARKING BRAKE
2
1crashes1injuries
POWER TRAIN
2
1crashes
SEAT BELTS
2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
1
Total complaints40
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“An audi dealer has just diagnosed my 2018 s5 cabriolet prestige with vacuum system contamination caused by water pump failure. I had requested the diagnostic due to small coolant leaks on the engine and loss of coolant in the expansion tank. No warning lights and no overheating yet. Not yet aware…”
“Vehicle year: 2018 make: audi model: s5 prestige trim: 3.0 tfsi (ea839 v6 turbo) mileage: 86,000 engine code: cwgd complaint title latent engine failure – ea839 piston skirt + rocker arm defects – dealer broke engine cover, left wiring harness dangling – audi denies despite having diy…”
“To whom it may concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a mechanical issue with my 2018 audi s5 sportback. Around 57,000 miles, the engine began making a noticeable ticking noise, which I have been advised is due to failing rocker arms. This issue has raised serious concerns, as it can…”
“Vacuum line has coolant due to water pump failure and over heating of engine. Whole water pump and coolant reservoir plus hoses need to be replaced before additional damage to vehicle.”
“After driving for 7 to 8 minutes less that 45 mph, a yellow warning lamp and an audible warning indicating unsafe coolant temperature displayed on the dash. An overheating engine is unsafe for me and drivers near me. I immediately pulled over and turned off the a/c. I then turned on the heater,…”
“•parking brake issue: the parking brake failed to disengage after stopping, leading to an accident. •intoxalock device malfunction: the intoxalock device malfunctioned with incessant beeping and intermittent error messages, causing distractions. •previous complaints and lack of resolution:…”
“•parking brake issue: the parking brake failed to disengage after stopping, leading to an accident. •intoxalock device malfunction: the intoxalock device malfunctioned with incessant beeping and intermittent error messages, causing distractions. •previous complaints and lack of resolution:…”
“•parking brake issue: the parking brake failed to disengage after stopping, leading to an accident. •intoxalock device malfunction: the intoxalock device malfunctioned with incessant beeping and intermittent error messages, causing distractions. •previous complaints and lack of resolution:…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 Audi S5 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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