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2018 Audi S5

Gas
Subcompact Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA26
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Audi S5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the S5, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 26 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
S5GasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo213024$3,250
S5 SportbackGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo213024$3,250
S5 CabrioletGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo202923$3,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38581, 38584, 38582.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Audi S5 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Seats

74E3
208,332 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V874000reported Nov 10, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

74D9
145,337 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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 the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.RiskA disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixAudi 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V547000reported Jul 24, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69W6
548 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain Audi S5 Cabriolet vehicles equipped with Super Sport seats. The seat-mounted head/thorax air bag in the front passenger seat may have been folded incorrectly during installation.RiskIf the air bag was not folded correctly during installation, the seat-mounted air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixAudi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat-mounted head/thorax air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 13, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69W6.
NHTSA campaign 18V325000reported May 16, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
26complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 6

Most-cited components

Engine9
Unspecified8
Visibility/Wiper3
Air Bags3
Parking Brake2
Power Train2

What owners describe

“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 of any loss of perform…”Dec 14, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“Component/System: Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) / Airbag system — Recall 74E3 / NHTSA 21V874. What Happened: The passenger airbag may switch off even when the seat is occupied due to a faulty PODS wiring connection. The warning message “Passenger Airbag Offâ€� appears with a chime. This is an active sa…”Dec 8, 2025 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report
“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 Receipts For Maintenance DES…”Nov 16, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Other S5 model years

A

2026 Audi S5

0 recalls · 1 complaints

B

2025 Audi S5

2 recalls · 11 complaints

A

2024 Audi S5

0 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2023 Audi S5

1 recalls · 3 complaints

B

2022 Audi S5

2 recalls · 1 complaints

D

2021 Audi S5

5 recalls · 1 complaints

D

2020 Audi S5

4 recalls · 25 complaints

D

2019 Audi S5

4 recalls · 6 complaints

A

2017 Audi S5

1 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2016 Audi S5

0 recalls · 1 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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