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What 16 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Audi S5

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (16)Transmission & drivetrain (10)Engine (3)Steering (3)Fuel system (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)

3 of 16 complaints match · Engine · clear filters

Apr 11, 2023EngineFuel system

I smelled a super strong gas smell from my car leaking somewhere in the engine hidden by other parts, it smells so bad it’s hard to be in the car it’s a fire hazard. Due to the fuel the car hardly starts due to the fuel not getting to the engine

NHTSA ODI 11516443

Jul 27, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

MY VEHICLE AS WELL AS MANY AUDIS WITH THE MECHATRONIC SYSTEM ARE HAVING AN ISSUE THAT PRESENT A ERROR, " MECHATRONIC FAILURE TPMS GEARBOX MALFUNCTION). IT OFTEN EITHER NOT DRIVABLE, EVEN WHEN IN TRAFFIC OR DRIVES AT A SNAIL'S PACE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO EXIT TRAFFIC. AUDI CORPORATE SAID A RECALL IS ONLY DONE WHEN THE NHTSA FEEL THAT'S IT A ISSUE THAT CAN CALLS SAFETY &/OR DEATH. THIS SEEM TO EFFECT, FROM MY RESEARCH, 2010 - 2014 AUDI S4, S5 AND A5 MODEL [N THE USA AND THERE ARE SOME EUROPE COMPLAINTS, WHICH I HAVE FOUND AS WELL] MANUFACTORED AT A PARTICULAR PLANT OR PROVIDER. THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION CAN CERTAINLY CAUSE 'LOSS OF LIFE' AS IT OCCURS IN TRAFFIC. I HAPPEN TO LIVE IN METRO ATLANTA GA, WITH OUR FAST PACE TRAFFIC, ITS A SERIOUS ISSUE. THERE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE COST TO REPAIR CAN BE UP TO $15K. THERE IS NO WAY THIS SHOULD HAPPED TO A $60-$75 HIGH-END VEHICLE. HAVE VIDEO'S OF THE DASHBOARD WITH THE ERROR AND CAN UPLOAD TO YOU. I WAS OFFERED 15% ON THE REPAIR, WHICH IS REALLY AN INSULT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND ITS NOT HARD TO FIND OTHERS WITH THIS ISSUE. I PRAY FOR SOME RELIEF IN THE FORM OF A RECALL. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINE 2010, FROM WHAT I HAVE LEARNED.

NHTSA ODI 11235288

Nov 13, 2018Engine

AFTER ~106,000 MILES, AN ERROR CODE 'TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. YOU CAN KEEP DRIVING', WITH ERROR CODE P179D00 (PER DEALER). CAR HAS HESTITATION AT LOW RPM OR WHILE STOPPED (AS AT A LIGHT OR HEAVY TRAFFIC) AND OCCASIONALLY JERKS FORWARD, DESPITE BRAKES BEING FIRMLY APPLIED.

NHTSA ODI 11151115

Working with the data? Download all 16 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Audi S5 verdict →