2008-2025 Audi S5 Problems: 17 Known Issues

The B8 S5's 4.2L FSI V8 uses low-tension oil control rings that coke up with carbon over time, letting oil past the rings and into the combustion chamber. Owners report burning roughly a quart every 1,000-3,000 miles, and in advanced cases the trapped carbon and oil dilution lead to cylinder wall scoring. This is a piston/ring design issue specific to the naturally aspirated 4.2 FSI V8 in the 2008-2012 S5 coupe - it is a different failure from oil consumption on the later 3.0T supercharged cars. Audi's earlier oil-consumption settlement activity covered other engines, so 4.2 owners have generally paid out of pocket.

Early B9 3.0 TFSI turbo V6 engines used roller rocker arms (roller finger followers) with undersized needle roller bearings. The bearing cage breaks up, the roller seizes, and the rocker then chews the camshaft lobe and sends metal debris through the oil system. Owners report sudden ticking followed by a dead engine, with dealers finding wiped cams and metal in the oil. Audi enlarged the bearings in later production - the updated rocker arms were introduced on August 6, 2018, so engines built before then carry the original design, making 2018 and early-build 2019 S5 cars the exposure window. This is specific to the B9 3.0 TFSI turbo V6 family (shared with SQ5/RS5-family engines) and does NOT apply to the B8 supercharged 3.0T or the 4.2 V8.

The Audi S5 (2010-2017) with the 3.0T supercharged V6 is prone to crankshaft pulley (harmonic balancer) failure. The rubber damper between the inner and outer sections of the pulley delaminates and separates, causing dangerous pulley wobble. When the pulley fails, the serpentine belt shreds, disabling the supercharger (complete loss of boost), alternator and A/C compressor, and on 2010-2012 cars with hydraulic steering the power steering pump. At highway speed, this means sudden loss of supercharger boost (and power assist on those earlier cars)—a safety hazard. Audi revised the part from revision E to F, acknowledging the design flaw. Audizine and A5OC forums document numerous failures between 60,000-100,000 miles. Early models (2010-2013) are most affected. If the shredded belt or separated pulley damages the radiator, fans and other accessories, repair costs can exceed $5,000.

The water-to-air intercooler system on the S5 3.0T uses an electric coolant pump that can fail, causing elevated charge air temperatures and reduced power. Heat soak becomes severe in warm climates.

The S5 suffers from carbon deposits on the intake valves, a problem common to all Audi direct-injected engines. The performance-oriented tuning makes power loss from carbon more noticeable than in base models.

Audi TSB 2060033/3 covers S5 model years 2013-2016 and S5 Cabriolet model years 2010-2017 with the 3.0L engine when the MIL is on and/or noise is traced to the crankcase breather; P052E00 may be stored. Audi TSB 2060259/1 separately covers S5 and S5 Cabriolet model years 2012-2017 when noise is verified from the lower compressor/intake-manifold area and P052E00 is stored, identifying a possible cracked elbow. The bulletins do not describe a fixed failure mileage, do not treat oil changes as prevention, and do not call for replacing the water pump or thermostat.

The cable connecting the passenger seat heater mat to the Passenger Occupant Detection System can develop a contact fault. The control software misreads the fault as a PODS malfunction and switches the passenger frontal airbag off, so an occupied front passenger seat is left unprotected in a crash. Audi recalled 208,332 vehicles in November 2021; the S5 portion covers 2018-2020 S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, and S5 Cabriolet. Owners typically notice only the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator staying lit with an adult in the seat.

S5 Cabriolet models from 2010-2012 were included in the Takata inflator recall. The propellant in the driver's frontal airbag inflator degrades with age, heat, and humidity, and on deployment the inflator can over-pressurize and burst its metal housing, spraying fragments at the driver. This is a fatal-injury-class defect, not a nuisance item, and it is unrelated to any mechanical or engine issue on the car. Cabriolet body style specifically - verify by VIN rather than assuming coverage from the model year alone.

Lock nuts from specific production batches used on the eccentric alignment bolt at the rear trailing arm are prone to stress corrosion cracking. If the nut fractures, the eccentric bolt can rotate and the rear wheel alignment changes on its own, producing sudden instability and a loss of vehicle control. Audi recalled roughly 41,000 vehicles across the range in April 2021; on the A5/S5 family this covers 2019-2021 S5 Sportback and 2020-2021 S5 Coupe and S5 Cabriolet. A follow-up campaign (22V034) addressed vehicles where alignment concerns remained after the first repair.

The B8/B8.5 chassis uses a multi-link front end with four control arms per side (two upper, two lower) riding on small rubber bushings. The bushings crack and the ball joints develop play, producing a clunk or rattle over bumps (worst while turning) and a vague, wandering feel at highway speed, along with uneven inner tire wear. Surface cracking shows up as early as 30-40k miles; audible symptoms usually arrive between 70k and 100k. Because a failed ball joint changes camber and toe, this is a handling and tire-wear concern as well as a noise complaint. This is a chassis issue and applies across every B8 S5 drivetrain.

The 4.2 FSI V8 runs two camshaft-driven high-pressure fuel pumps. The N276 fuel metering/pressure regulator solenoid integrated into the pump is a documented failure point, and the solenoid is not sold separately, so a failure condemns the whole pump. Separately, the steel cam follower (tappet) that rides between the camshaft lobe and the pump plunger wears through; if it is not replaced with the pump, it can destroy the new pump and score the camshaft lobe. Owners see fuel-pressure DTCs and hard starting or stalling. This is distinct from the electric in-tank low-pressure pump.

The 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch (0B5 / DL501) fitted to quattro S5 models is a widely documented failure point. Heat cycles kill the mechatronic control board and the clutch and cooling solenoids wear mechanically. Failure begins as harsh or erratic shifts and a flashing PRNDS display, and progresses to limp mode, loss of half the gears, no reverse, or a car that will not move. Owners also report the failure appearing after long-deferred DSG fluid services. This is transmission-specific, not engine-specific: it applies to S tronic-equipped supercharged 3.0T S5s (the Cabriolet from 2010 and the facelifted coupe from 2013); the 4.2 V8 S5 coupe was offered only with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed Tiptronic and never had the S tronic.

The S5 3.0T thermostat and water pump assembly uses a plastic housing that degrades over time. Leaks develop at the housing seams and O-ring seals, often around 60,000-80,000 miles.

Audi TSB 2058890/4 applies to 2018 S5, S5 Cabriolet and S5 Sportback vehicles when the instrument cluster displays “Switch off the engine and check coolant” and the engine control module stores P000000 with symptom code 33688. The code indicates a possible malfunction of the vacuum-switchable mechanical coolant pump on the 3.0L V6 TFSI EA839.

On the S5 Cabriolet the convertible top's hydraulic pump sits in the left rear of the trunk inside a foam enclosure. Water that gets into the trunk - from the top's own drains or from trunk seal leaks - soaks the foam, corrodes the pump motor and its connector, and blows the high-amperage pump fuse. The top then stops mid-cycle or refuses to move at all, and owners are left manually closing it. Hydraulic cylinder and line leaks are a secondary cause, but the water-killed motor is the dominant one. This is Cabriolet-only and unrelated to any engine variant.

B8 A5/S5 coupes route sunroof water down four drain tubes. The rubber elbow coupling where the tube meets the sunroof cassette hardens and stops sealing, and the tubes themselves clog with debris. Water then runs down the A-pillar and into the front footwell, or into the rear footwell from the back drains. Owners frequently misdiagnose it as a windshield or door seal leak, and it is often compounded by a separate clogged A/C evaporator drain that wets the passenger side. Left alone, standing water rots carpet and soaks control modules under the seats, which is how these cars end up with strange electrical faults.

Late B9 S5 models were subject to two separate rearview camera recalls in 2022. In one, a software fault leaves the camera image blank when reverse is selected; in the other, the display fails to show the camera image after the vehicle has been shut down and restarted. Either condition removes the legally required rearward view and increases back-over risk. A related campaign (21V825) covered a camera image that may not appear when starting to reverse on 2022 cars. These are infotainment-unit defects (software, or for 22V806 internal damage to the infotainment main unit), not camera hardware wear, and they are specific to the 2021-2022 build window.