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2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet
Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.
38 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 17, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Airbags problems dominate (66% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (25)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Airbags
66%25 complaints
“Audi has recalled a5 until 2009 for defective air bag modules, ie power supply. My 2011 has the same problem but not covered by recall. Why not? Very dangerous conditi…”
Engine
18%7 complaints · typically near 1k mi
“MY 2011 AUDI A5 2.0T HAS EXPERIENCED LOW COMPRESSION ON PISTON NUMBER 1 WHICH IS A SIGN OF ENGINE FAILURE AND REQUIRES THE ENGINE TO BE REDONE. SINCE THEN I HAVE CHECK…”
Transmission & drivetrain
11%4 complaints
“I WAS MOVING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION AND SAW AN ERROR FOR TPMS AND THEN AN ERROR CAME UP AS NO REVERSE GEAR AVAILABLE - YOU CAN COTNUE TO DRIVE. I CAN MOVE FORWARD …”
Fuel system
3%1 complaints
“There was a fuel odor permeating in the vehicle, and the further I drove, the more intense was the gasoline smell. I pulled into a strip mall and turned off the engine…”
Recalls (2)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Air Bags · 18V082000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Air Bags · 16V078000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Audi A5 CABRIOLET beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2011? See how every A5 Cabriolet model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.