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2021 Audi A5 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2021 Audi A5 has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 5safety recalls
- 8owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 8%fail the UK MOT
8 complaints, against an average of 17 for the other 14 Audi A5 model years.
Every Audi A5 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2021 Audi A5?
The components named most often in the 8 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
Has the 2021 Audi A5 been recalled?
5 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Back Over Prevention: Display Function Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.
Tires Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Seat Belts: Rear/Other: Retractor Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Suspension: Rear: Axle: Non-Powered Axle Assembly Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Exterior Lighting: Tail Lights Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The wiring harness for the rear lights could be missing the anti-abrasion protection in the area of the spare wheel well.
Risk: Without the scuff protection, the wires may become damaged during a rear crash, disabling the doors from being opened from the outside, causing a loss of hazard lights, and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will apply scuff protection, free of charge. The recall began January 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EU.
Is the 2021 Audi A5 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAFollowing a previous campaign the toe and/or camber values on the rear axle may in certain circumstances incorrectly be changed without…FOLLOWING A PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN THE TOE AND/OR CAMBER VALUES ON THE REAR AXLE MAY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES INCORRECTLY BE CHANGED WITHOUT THIS BEING NOTICED
Risk: Following a previous campaign the toe and/or camber values on the rear axle may in certain circumstances incorrectly be changed without this being noticed.
Fix: The wheel alignment must be checked and if necessary the suspension must be serviced on the affected vehicles.
UK DVSARear axle suspension links nuts do not meet specifications
Risk: One or more nuts which do not meet the specifications may have been fitted on the rear axle suspension links.
Fix: The affected nuts on the rear axle will be replaced on affected vehicles.
UK DVSASeat frame may not be bolted correctly to the rail on the driver and passenger sides
Risk: The seat frame may not have been bolted correctly to the seat rail on the driver and/or front passenger side
Fix: Check the affected seat frame connection and replace the frame if required.
EU Safety GateAlteration of the rear axle’s toe and/or camber values lead to increased and uneven wear on the rear tyres, and if worn down to its…Alteration of the rear axle’s toe and/or camber values lead to increased and uneven wear on the rear tyres, and if worn down to its carcass may suffer a sudden loss of pressure. This can lead to loss of traction and may affect vehicle handling, increasing the risk of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe nuts on the eccentric bolt of the rear-axle spring-link control arm may break due to stress corrosion.As a result, the rear axle could move in the wrong direction, in an uncontrollable manner at high speeds.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe propellant used in the airbag inflator may experience a material alteration over time due to degradation occurring after prolonged…Years estimatedThe propellant used in the airbag inflator may experience a material alteration over time due to degradation occurring after prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and high-temperature cycling. In the event of an airbag being deployed, the excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to rupture and metal fragments may pass through the cushion material causing injury to the occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe screw connection attaching the seat frame to the seat rail may not be correctly executed.As a result, it may fail in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of injury.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2021 Audi A5 fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2021, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2021 Audi A5 owners report?
8 of the 8 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Car began bucking at low speeds. I parked car and when I turned on ignition next day, dashboard warning indicated "Transmission malfunction" and warned me not to drive car. I had it towed to dealer. Diagnosis was that it was a gearbox malfunction that according to dealer was occurring more and more frequently, so much so that Audi had issued a "Technical Service Bulletin." My car which is less than 5 years old and has 65,000 miles required $3,600 worth of repairs for this issue. If this is major engine problem occurring with increasing frequency, why is this not a recall?
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? TRANSMISSION - GEAR SHIFT How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? THE CAR STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS AND WE WHEN THE CAR INSTRUCTED US TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY IT WASN'T A SAFE PLACE TO STOP THE CAR. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? SO FAR AUDI NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. ONLY THAT THEY SEE PIECES OF METAL IN THE TRANSMISSION LINE. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer…
The passenger side air bag indicator constantly turns off and on in my Audi no matter if there is or is not a passenger in the seat. I took my vehicle to an authorized Audi service center to have the issue checked and they determined the issue to be a failed pods mat based on the error code returned. Upon researching, I’ve discovered that this issue was a safety recall issue with Audi A5 Sportback vehicles in 2020. My vehicle was manufactured during the time of this particular recall and the issue appears to be indicative of this recall. The recall was safety recall code: 74E3.
I was driving down the interstate when my Warning Transmission Failure light came on. Then another message said you can drive with limited use if vehicle. Seconds later the Warning Transmission Failure light came on again and said drive to your nearest repair shop. Moments later the Warning came on and said safely stop your vehicle. I pulled over on the side of the road and pit my car in park. After doing so the Warning Transmission Failure stayed on and the car no longer would shift into any gears. The car never overheated or stopped running. I had to get the car towed. My car has been in the…
The contact owns a 2021 Audi A5. The contact stated while the driving 35 MPH, the instrument panel was blinking on and off several times and then went dark. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the dealer was waiting for the parts to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 56,795.
There was no damage caused. The audi pre sense technology (automatic braking) has come close to causing several accidents by braking extremely hard when there has been no reason to brake.
My vehicle was repaired pursuant to rearview/backup camera recall (22V742000). Unfortunately, the issue has again arisen and the backup camera alternates between a white screen, a black screen and a frozen screen.
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q5. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, after shifting from reverse to drive the vehicle lost all power. The contact stated that various warning lights were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the gateway under the rear seat was wet. The gateway and battery needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by the dealer. The contact stated that the water damage was caused by the vehicle however, the contact…
2021 Audi A5: questions owners ask
Is the 2021 Audi A5 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Audi A5; the most common categories were electrical system (2, 25%), air bags (1, 12.5%), engine (1, 12.5%). There are 5 safety recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Audi A5?
Across 8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (25% of complaints), air bags (12.5% of complaints), engine (12.5% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (12.5% of complaints), power train (12.5% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2021 Audi A5 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2021 Audi A5; the most recent (campaign 22V742000, 2022-10-05) concerns Back Over Prevention: Display Function. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own A5
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2021 only; combines NHTSA's entries for A5, A5 CABRIOLET and A5 SPORTBACK.