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2018 Audi S5

Gas

Subcompact Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

79 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3

Complaints2 crash · 1 injured reported 26

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 24 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Audi S5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize hatchback 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.

Audi S5 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Audi S5 · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
S5	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	21	30	24	$3,400
S5 Sportback	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	21	30	24	$3,400
S5 Cabriolet	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	29	23	$3,550

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

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
S5, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Convertible/Cabriolet
Doors	2
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

354 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain	AWD/All-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: quattro Premium Plus, quattro Premium Plus, quattro Progressiv (Canada), quattro Prestige, quattro Prestige, quattro Technik (Canada)). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	184.6–187.0 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.4–72.8 in
Height	53.9–54.3 in
Wheelbase	108.7–111.4 in
Track, front	62.6 in
Track, rear	61.8 in
Curb weight	3,605–4,233 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	56/44 to 57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: 2-door Convertible, 2-door Coupe, Sportback. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Seats

74E3

208,332 vehicles 84% reported repaired built Feb 12, 2017 – Jul 27, 2018

Problem 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. Risk A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash. 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). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V874000 reported Nov 10, 2021 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Air Bags

74D9

145,337 vehicles 92% reported repaired built Mar 2, 2017 – Jul 28, 2018

Problem Volkswagen 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. Risk A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash. Fix Audi 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V547000 reported Jul 24, 2019 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Air Bags

69W6

548 vehicles 90% reported repaired built Mar 12, 2017 – May 12, 2017

Problem Volkswagen 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. Risk If 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. Fix Audi 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V325000 reported May 16, 2018 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific S5

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Audi publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Audi’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Audi S5, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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

Engine 9

Unspecified 8

Visibility/Wiper 3

Air Bags 3

Parking Brake 2

Power Train 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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 performance.

Engine Dec 14, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11704929

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 Off” appears with a chime.

Air Bags Dec 8, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11703772

•Parking Brake Issue: The parking brake failed to disengage after stopping, leading to an accident. •Intoxalock Device Malfunction: The Intoxalock device malfunctioned with incessant beeping and intermittent error messages, causing distractions.

Fuel/Propulsion System Oct 21, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11621015

I received a coolant overheating message, pulled to side of road. Let vehicle cool off although it just showed coolant warning and actual engine temperature showed normal along with oil temperature.

Power Train Mar 23, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11579095

My 2018 Audi S5 Prestige with 59K miles meticulously maintained by the dealer had the Suspension Warning light came on about a week ago. I brought it to my local Audi mechanic and they found the right rear spring had broken about 1/3 of the way from the base and the shock had been damaged from the spring breaking.

Suspension Jun 26, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11528956

During a drive on an interstate highway in tennessee on12/27/19, the sunroof suddenly exploded. Speed was approximately 75-80 MPH on a cloudy day with the temperature in the low 60's f. Without any prior indications, there was a loud boom.

Visibility/Wiper at 29,000 miles Dec 30, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11292049

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

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★★	10%

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

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 1,784

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-25

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1754 service bulletins, 30 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Structure, Unknown Or Other, Engine.

TSB_2083409_1 Service bulletin
2026-09-25 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
TSB_2052680_2 Service bulletin
2026-09-25 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
TSB_2074846_5 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Steering
This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
TSB_2020552_15 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Visibility/Wiper
This bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning.
TSB_2078648_4 Service bulletin
2026-09-18 · Structure — Body
This bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel.
TSB_2030471_9 Service bulletin
2026-09-15 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
TSB_2081030_4 Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Engine
This bulletin provides information when there is an abnormal knocking noise from the engine compartment; V6 3.0L TFSI.
TSB_2051095_12 Service bulletin
2026-09-08 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin provides infomraiton abou the Audi frequency analysis application, which is available in the App Store for Android and Apple phones.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0327 P0327 on Audi →	Knock sensor 1 signal too low.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0328 P0328 on Audi →	Knock sensor 1 signal too high.	Engine · Knock sensor →	3 bulletins
P0332 P0332 on Audi →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0333 P0333 on Audi →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.2%

failed emissions

525 initial inspections of 512 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 S5	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.2%	3.0%	524
Failed the safety inspection	1.9%	1.9%	525
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.22%	525
Miles driven a year	7,778	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	64,834	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

S5 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 23 mpg 2026 A 0 1 23 mpg 2025 B 2 11 23 mpg 2024 A 0 2 24 mpg 2023 A 1 3 24 mpg 2022 A 2 1 24 mpg 2021 C 5 1 23 mpg 2020 C 4 25 23 mpg 2019 C 4 6 24 mpg 2018 this page C 3 26 24 mpg 2017 A 1 0 21 mpg 2016 A 0 1 21 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 S5

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Audi S5 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Audi S5. The most serious on file is 21V874000, covering Seats. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Audi S5?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 Audi S5 yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (79/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Audi S5?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Audi S5, the best EPA combined figure is 24 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Audi S5?

Transport Canada measured it at 184.6–187.0 in long, 72.4–72.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 53.9–54.3 in tall, on a 108.7–111.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,605–4,233 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Audi S5?

Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi S5, most often about engine, unspecified, visibility/wiper. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Audi S5?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Audi S5 is 5 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Audi S5?

The manufacturer has filed 1784 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Audi S5, most often covering electrical system, equipment, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-09-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Audi S5 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Audi S5 failed the emissions check on 4.2% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.9% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	3	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	26	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	1784	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	10 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

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

JSON for this page · API

2018 Audi S5

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Engine Output

Fuel Economy

Transmission

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (3)

Seats

Air Bags

Air Bags

Whether any of this applies to one specific S5

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2018 Audi S5

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

S5 by model year

Common questions about the 2018 S5

Does the 2018 Audi S5 have any recalls?

How safe is the 2018 Audi S5?

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Audi S5?

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Audi S5?

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Audi S5?

How clean is the 2018 Audi S5?

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Audi S5?

How does the 2018 Audi S5 do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method