2010 Audi A5 problems & reliability
34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Audi A5. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Audi A5 vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 14 | 41% |
| Engine | 9 | 26% |
| Structure | 3 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2010 Audi A5. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the catalytic converter, but a diagnostic test was not performed. The vehicle was diagnosed by an…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 17, 2021
“I bought the car used and within the first month of purchase and to start putting an additional 1qt of oil on every 1000 miles...now few mints later I have to do that more often on every 500miles... And recently I had to add cooling and now this has been an new issue... My mechanic told me this is a common issue for…”
Engine · filed Sep 30, 2020
“Car runs out of engine oil within 2 to 3 weeks of oil change, I have changed the oil three times over the course of 2.5 months.”
Engine · filed Dec 19, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
889 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Audi A5. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 01-2026 · Other · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
TSB_2070568_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2026
This bulletin provides information when the parking assistance gives false warnings.
TSB_2024323_13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2026
This bulletin provides information when the parking assistance gives false warnings.
TSB_2024323_12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2026
This bulletin provides information regarding UV leak additive for finding oil leaks.
TSB_2060750_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2026
This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
TSB_2074846_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 13, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference.
TSB_2018187_18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 9, 2025
This bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
TSB_2069904_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2025
This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach for all Audi vehicles regarding brake vibrations.
TSB_2075120_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 21, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2010 Audi A5 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2010 Audi A5?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.