Audi A5: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Audi A5 has 15 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Audi A5: which years to avoid
Across 4 scored model years the Audi A5 ranges from 78/100 in 2011 to 92/100 in 2013 — a 14-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Air Bags (25 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,430 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,720 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,960 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,100 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,140 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,280 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,320 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,560 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,800 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,190 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,330 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 92 | BUY | $5,420 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 92 | BUY | $5,510 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 88 | BUY | $5,669 | 14 | 2 |
| 2011 | 78 | BUY | $5,838 | 38 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the A5, through the years →
A5 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the A5 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Audi A5
Across every A5 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags38 complaints across all A5 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Engine8 complaints across all A5 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other4 complaints across all A5 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train4 complaints across all A5 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System1 complaints across all A5 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Audi A5 years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2013 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi A5 problem?
38 of the complaints filed against the A5 across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04