2019 Audi A5 recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-18. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
3 safety recalls, most serious first
1. Wheels / tires
What's wrong, in plain English: A wheel or tire can fail while driving. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
What could happen: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2019 A5.
- Book a repair at any authorized Audi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V034000 (manufacturer code 42L5).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-253-2834.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: TIRES
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
2. Transmission / drivetrain
What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
What could happen: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2019 A5.
- Book a repair at any authorized Audi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V295000 (manufacturer code 42L1).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-253-2834.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
3. Seats
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
What could happen: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The fix: 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 (74D9).…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2019 A5.
- Book a repair at any authorized Audi dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V874000 (manufacturer code 74E3).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-253-2834.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEATS
Summary: 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 Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
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 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Useful for owners
- OBD2 code reader — see what the car's computer is reporting
- Digital tire pressure gauge
- 2019 Audi A5 owner's manual
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Vehicle Speed Control (4), Steering (3), Electrical system (2), Forward Collision Avoidance (2), Backup camera (1).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
01/21/2025 · Electrical system
I drive an 2019 Audi A5 and there is a terrible Auto start/stop malfunction and cruise control malfunction that has made this car unsafe to drive. The Auto start is featured on the A5 to "save gas," but however malfunctions and cuts off while driving or coming to a stop. Tonight on 1/21/2025 at 1:44 am it did just that. While sitting at the light it stalled…
05/08/2024 · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2019 Audi A5. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R), the message "SOS System Deactivated" was displayed, and the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact shifted to park(P) and shifted back to reverse(R); however, the failure persisted. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle and shifting…
01/04/2023 · Steering
Hello, I was driving down highway at 55mph when my Electric Power steering Failed suddenly. I almost crashed to the barrier as I was in the passing lane. My steering failure message popped up on my instrument cluster and steering wheel became stiff. I had my mom and niece in the vehicle with me. This vehicle could had hurt all three of us. It is difficult…
06/21/2022 · Airbags
The contact owns a 2019 Audi A5. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V874000 (Seats, Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer h…
06/02/2022 · Latches / locks
The contact owns a 2019 Audi A5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, all four doors of the vehicle locked independently while she was outside of the vehicle and in possession of the keys. The contact was unable to unlock the door of the vehicle using the key fob or the keys manually. There was no warning light illuminate…
01/03/2022 · Steering
The contact owns a 2019 Audi A5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the "Steering Malfunction" message displayed on the instrument panel and continued flashing. Moments later the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who discovered that the power steering…
10/08/2021 · Steering · crash
I was driving when the rear of my car began vibrating, then fishtailing and I lost control and hit a curb resulting in mostly forward damage. In reviewing the Preliminary Estimate from the auto-shop and insurance adjuster, there was quite a bit of damage to the Rear Suspension including a broken Trailing arm lock nut, washer, and bolt, as well as the Protec…
09/13/2021 · Forward Collision Avoidance
On three different occasions, I have experienced automatic emergency braking of the car which, rather than keeping me safe, placed me in a very dangerous situation. Each time, I was in a controlled intersection on a green light and in the left turn lane, with oncoming traffic also having a green light. When it was amply safe to make the left turn, with onco…