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Known Faults Database

Audi A5 Common Problems & Known Faults (UK)

If you are considering buying a used Audi A5, there are several major reliability issues worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 12 known faults for this model, 9 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.

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Generation 1 of 112 known faults · 9 owner reports · 10 good notes

Audi A5 B8 / B8.5 (2007 to 2018) problems

Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial

Piston ring design flaw leading to extreme oil consumption and eventual engine failure

Rough guide
£2500-4500

Typical symptoms

  • burning 1 litre of oil every 500-1000 miles
  • blue smoke from exhaust under acceleration
  • oil fouled spark plugs causing misfires

Affected vehicles

Engines:
1.8 TFSI / 2.0 TFSI (EA888 Gen 2)
Typical mileage:
50000-90000 miles
17 more owner reports back this up
  • February 2018A 2009 or 2010 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI automatic consumed one litre of engine oil every 350 miles.
  • January 2017A 2011 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI quattro, with 33,000 miles, used 1.5 litres of oil over 1,500 miles after purchase.
  • August 2016A 2010 Audi A5 1.8T S-Tronic with 41,000 miles was reported to consume one litre of oil every 1,000 miles.
  • November 2015A 2010 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI quattro with 54,000 miles used excessive oil; after software updates, the engine was stripped and repaired.
  • October 2015A used Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Cabriolet had an oil consumption problem, with Audi agreeing to cover 90% of the repair costs.
  • August 2015A 2011 Audi A5 1.8 TFSI coupe with 55,000 miles was found to be consuming one litre of oil every 380 miles.
  • December 2014A 2009 Audi A5 1.8 FSI Multitronic experienced severe oil consumption within 100 miles of purchase.
  • October 2014A 2010 A5 2.0 TFSI with 65,000 miles suffered excessive oil consumption, needing new pistons and con rods at £4,200.
  • March 2014A 2011 A5 1.8 TSI cabrio with 19,000 miles began consuming one litre of oil every five weeks in December 2013.
  • February 2014A 2010 A5 2.0 TSI with 57,000 miles had an oil consumption problem, requiring new pistons and rings, with Audi covering parts.
  • February 2014A 2010 A5 EA888 2.0 TSI with 57,000 miles had an oil consumption problem, requiring new pistons and rings, with Audi covering parts.
  • January 2014A 2011 A5 cabrio 2.0 TSI with 24,000 miles was tested, showing oil consumption of 0.81 litres over 625 miles.
  • January 2014A 2009 A5 Sportback 2.0 TSI with 66,000 miles had severe oil consumption, dropping to one litre every 326 miles.
  • January 2014A 2011 A5 cabrio EA888 2.0 TSI with 24,000 miles was tested, showing oil consumption of 0.81 litres over 625 miles.
  • May 2013A 2008 A5 2.0 TFSI with 60,000 miles had worsening oil consumption, requiring new pistons and rings, with Audi contributing to the cost.
  • September 2012A June A5 2.0 TFSI experienced heavy oil consumption since new, a problem noted on chain cam 1.8 and 2.0 TFSI engines.
  • May 2011A 6-month-old, 4,000-mile A5 2.0 petrol was taken in for a modification due to excessive oil consumption.
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity📝 Editorial

Multitronic CVT gearbox clutch pack wear and TCM failure causing juddering and total loss of drive

Rough guide
£1500-3500

Typical symptoms

  • juddering or shaking when pulling away from a standstill
  • PRNDS display flashing on the dashboard
  • car refuses to shift out of park or neutral

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All Front-Wheel-Drive Autos
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
1 more owner report backs this up
  • June 2011The Multitronic transmission of a 2007 2.7 V6 diesel A5 failed after four years of use.
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Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial

Timing chain tensioner failure causing severe rattling; chains are located at the rear of the engine, requiring engine removal to fix

Rough guide
£2000-4000

Typical symptoms

  • loud metallic slapping/rattling from the back of the engine on cold start
  • rattle persisting for more than 3 seconds
  • engine management light

Affected vehicles

Engines:
3.0 V6 TDI
Typical mileage:
80000-140000 miles
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Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial

EGR valve failure and DPF blockage frequently occurring after the 'Dieselgate' emissions software update

Rough guide
£400-900

Typical symptoms

  • flashing glow plug light
  • engine management light
  • limp mode (loss of power)
  • excessive DPF regenerations

Affected vehicles

Engines:
2.0 TDI (EA189)
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
1 more owner report backs this up
  • June 2016The EGR valve on a 2012 Audi A5 2.0 TDI required replacement at 44,000 miles.
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Fuel SystemHigh severity💬 6 owner reports, 2011 to 2012

Manufacturer recall to replace Siemens Piezoelectric injectors on 2.0 TDI PD engines (e.g., BMN code) from 2006-2009. A short circuit within the injectors can cause the fuel system to shut down and the engine to cut out. All four injectors are replaced free of charge.

Rough guide
£0 (free recall)

Typical symptoms

  • Engine cutting out unexpectedly
  • Loss of power
  • Engine management light illuminated
  • Rough running or misfires

Affected vehicles

Engines:
2.0 TDI (EA189) with Siemens Piezoelectric injectors
Typical mileage:
Any miles
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ElectricalHigh severity💬 4 owner reports, 2018

Recall R/2017/334 for auxiliary heater element in air conditioning system. The element may fail due to overheating in the connectors, leading to smoulder damage or potential fire. The fix involves fitting an optimised element and updating AC software.

Rough guide
£0 (free safety recall)

Typical symptoms

  • Smell of burning plastic
  • Overheating in the air conditioning area
  • Auxiliary heater malfunction

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
Any miles
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Engine/EmissionsHigh severity💬 4 owner reports, 2017

Recall issued for the additional coolant pump on EA888 2.0 TFSI engines. Foreign particles in the coolant can block the pump, causing it to overheat. The fix involves a software update to deactivate the pump if a malfunction occurs, and replacement if it has already failed.

Rough guide
£0 (free safety recall)

Typical symptoms

  • Engine overheating
  • Coolant pump malfunction warning
  • Loss of coolant

Affected vehicles

Engines:
EA888 2.0 TFSI
Typical mileage:
Any miles
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity💬 4 owner reports, 2016 to 2017

Mechatronic unit failure in the 7-speed S-Tronic (DL501) gearbox, leading to erratic shifting, lurching, and potential loss of drive. Oil leaks from the gearbox have also been reported.

Rough guide
£1500-3000

Typical symptoms

  • Car lurching forward against the brakes when stopping
  • Jerky or erratic gear changes, especially in traffic
  • Rumbling noise like marbles in a drum when revving the engine
  • Vibration in the passenger seat when idling

Affected vehicles

Engines:
7-speed S-Tronic (DL501)
Typical mileage:
40000-80000 miles
1 more owner report backs this up
  • September 2018A 2011 Audi S5 with 50,000 miles experienced an unspecified problem with its DL501 S-Tronic transmission.
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity💬 5 owner reports, 2014 to 2018

Premature clutch and dual mass flywheel (DMF) failure, with some S5 owners reporting multiple replacements. There were unsubstantiated reports of a design flaw with a short release pin in early models (up to Feb/March 2008) causing premature wear.

Rough guide
£1500-2500

Typical symptoms

  • Clutch slipping under acceleration
  • Difficulty engaging gears
  • Juddering or vibration when pulling away
  • Loud knocking or rattling noises from the gearbox area (DMF failure)

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All Manual Gearboxes
Typical mileage:
40000-100000 miles
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OtherHigh severity💬 5 owner reports, 2016 to 2018

Water ingress into the cabin, particularly the rear passenger footwell and driver's footwell, due to issues with the soft-top roof seals and drainage capillaries. This can lead to damage to electrical components like the Bluetooth ECU located under the footwell.

Rough guide
£500-1500

Typical symptoms

  • Damp carpets or standing water in footwells (especially rear passenger)
  • Musty smell in the cabin
  • Malfunctioning MMI or Bluetooth system (e.g., "telephone not available")
  • Visible leaks from roof seals during rain or car wash

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All Cabriolet Models
Typical mileage:
30000-80000 miles
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ElectricalMedium severity💬 5 owner reports, 2014 to 2018

Repeated problems with the Multi Media Interface (MMI) system, including freezing, unresponsiveness, and issues with CD playback or Bluetooth phone connection. Satnav software has also been reported to give bizarre routes.

Rough guide
£500-1000

Typical symptoms

  • MMI console locking up or becoming unresponsive
  • CDs not playing or ejecting
  • Bluetooth phone connection issues (e.g., phonebook empty)
  • Satnav providing illogical or excessively long routes

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All Models with MMI System
Typical mileage:
Any miles
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ElectricalMedium severity💬 2 owner reports, 2012

Persistent but intermittent faults reported with the electric parking brake, often proving difficult for dealers to fix.

Rough guide
£500-1000

Typical symptoms

  • Parking brake warning light on dashboard
  • Parking brake failing to engage or disengage
  • Intermittent operation of the parking brake

Affected vehicles

Engines:
All Models
Typical mileage:
Any miles
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What owners report on the B8 / B8.5

9 single reports, unconfirmed

One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.

  • Electrics · March 2019A 2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI Multitronic had a starting problem, possibly due to an internal ECU earthing issue.
  • Engine · May 2017A 3.0 V6 TFSI S5 suffered a major engine failure at 60,000 miles.
  • Bodywork · March 2017A technical service bulletin recommended installing shields in the load area of Audi A5 models to protect the sound system amplifier from water ingress.
  • Fuel system · January 2017An Audi A5 2.0 TDI experienced a 10% increase in fuel consumption after the NOx emissions software update.
  • Suspension and steering · April 2015A 2011 Audi A5 Sportback, four years old with 36,500 miles, needed a new set of four dampers.
  • Suspension and steering · March 2014A technical service bulletin to upgrade the EPAS software on an S5 resulted in the steering becoming excessively light and lacking feel.
  • Electrics · November 2012If a single LED fails in the front daytime running light unit, the entire headlight unit needs replacement at a cost of £400.
  • Electrics · June 2012Replacing a main headlight bulb on an Audi A5, including fitting and VAT, cost £208.42.
  • Bodywork · October 2011The soft-top hood of an A5 Cabriolet started showing signs of wear and abrasion diagonally above the rear window corners.

What owners like about the B8 / B8.5

10 notes
  • May 2019A 2.0 TFSI S-Tronic 'Mild Hybrid' coupe achieved excellent fuel efficiency, recording 49.6mpg when calculated brim to brim.
  • The car is impressively constructed, featuring solid build quality and high-grade materials throughout its interior.
  • The boot offers a generous 455 litres of space, expanding to 829 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
  • The car provides secure handling characteristics, which are particularly notable in quattro models.
  • The Audi A5 Cabriolet is praised for its attractive exterior design and aesthetic appeal.
  • The A5 Cabriolet is larger and more luxurious compared to the previous A4 cabriolet model.
  • The Audi A5 Sportback is highly regarded for its attractive and stylish exterior design.
  • The car offers low emissions and reasonable fuel economy, despite its strong performance capabilities.
  • The vehicle provides a comfortable, quiet, and refined driving experience for occupants.
  • The interior boasts excellent quality and surprisingly practical features for daily use.

Sellers rarely admit these faults outright

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Audi A5 service intervals: cambelt, chain and gearbox oil

An overdue cambelt is the most expensive thing a seller can fail to mention on a used A5. These are the figures UK specialists work to.

Timing belt (cambelt)Belt
2.0 TDI, EA189, EA288
60,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first

Applies to the EA189/EA288 common-rail 2.0 TDI. VW Group UK dropped the time-based interval in 2023 in favour of mileage-only limits, but independent specialists advise replacing belt and water pump every 5 years or 60,000 miles. The earlier pumpe-duse 2.0 TDI (BLB/BRE/BNA) is a different engine with its own longer interval, listed separately.

DSG Oil and Filter
DQ250, 6-SPEED
40,000 miles or 4 years, whichever comes first

The 6-speed wet-clutch DSG/S-tronic takes a fluid and filter change every 40,000 miles. Some specialists recommend 30,000 miles for tuned or heavily used vehicles. (The underlying VW figure is 60,000 km, which UK garages round to 40,000 miles.)

Timing chainChain
2.0 TSI, 2.0 TFSI, EA888
No fixed replacement interval

EA888 timing chain tensioners fail, giving a cold-start rattle on 2008-2013 cars that escalates to the chain skipping teeth and a full engine rebuild on this interference engine. No official replacement interval; specialists commonly replace before 80,000 miles, and a chain job runs from around GBP 1,500.

Multitronic CVT oil and filter
01J, 0AW
40,000 miles

Audi marketed the multitronic as sealed for life, but the service book specifies an ATF and filter change every 40,000 miles. The job needs the sump off to reach the internal strainer. Neglected units fail expensively through clutch and chain wear, with failures reported anywhere from 30,000 to 120,000 miles and rebuilds often exceeding the car's value; regularly serviced boxes have passed 150,000 miles.

S-tronic gearbox oil and filter
DL501, 0B5, 7-SPEED LONGITUDINAL
40,000 miles

Audi's own maintenance schedule for the 7-speed longitudinal S-tronic: first oil change at 35,000 miles, then every 40,000 miles. The box has two separate oil circuits, clutch/hydraulic ATF plus gear oil, and specialists note the gear-oil side is often skipped. Missed changes are a classic cause of mechatronic faults and harsh shifting.

Automatic gearbox oil
8HP, ZF 8-SPEED, 8HP55, 8HP65
60,000 miles or 8 years, whichever comes first

Audi treats the ZF 8HP tiptronic as filled for life, but ZF, the gearbox maker, publishes official oil-change kits and a change procedure for the Audi 8HP55A/8HP65A/8HP90A/8HP95A units, which contradicts any sealed-for-life reading. UK specialists put the interval at 50,000-60,000 miles or 8 years, sooner for towing, tuned or hard-driven cars.

Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.

Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: September 2026

Audi A5 buying questions

Is a used Audi A5 reliable?

The Audi A5 has 12 known faults in our database, 9 of them rated high severity. The most serious are fuel system (manufacturer recall to replace Siemens Piezoelectric injectors on 2.0 TDI PD engines) and gearbox (premature clutch and dual mass flywheel (DMF) failure). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.

What are the most common Audi A5 problems?

Three stand out. Fuel system: manufacturer recall to replace Siemens Piezoelectric injectors on 2.0 TDI PD engines (e.g.. Gearbox: premature clutch and dual mass flywheel (DMF) failure (typically 40000 to 100000 miles). Electrics: recall R/2017/334 for auxiliary heater element in air conditioning system. The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.

Which Audi A5 years should I avoid?

No Audi A5 year is a write-off, but the B8 / B8.5 (2007 to 2018) carries the most serious faults: fuel system, gearbox, electrics, engine and bodywork and trim. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.

What should I check when viewing a used Audi A5?

Ask the seller about the fuel system, gearbox and electrics faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for engine cutting out unexpectedly, clutch slipping under acceleration and smell of burning plastic. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 12 known faults before you travel. Check a Audi A5 advert →

What is the real MPG of an Audi A5?

Owners report 37.1 mpg on average across the Audi A5 engines with data, about 77% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 1,416 owner submissions. Audi A5 Real MPG by engine →

Looking at an Audi A5 right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.

Where this Audi A5 fault data comes from

If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Audi A5 owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.

CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.

Before you go and see it

Knowing what a Audi A5 goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.

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