The S5 is a fantastic choice if you’re considering purchasing an Audi. Although this luxury car comes in a variety of different sizes and designs, all of them share the same basic functionality. The Audi S5 is a terrific mid-range option if you’re looking for a premium car and it feels much finer than it is.
What you need to know about the Audi S5, including which model years are more dependable and cost-effective, is provided below.
We’ll also discuss the more successful model years and why those models are so successful and durable, given that this model is so consistent and high-performing. Naturally, we’ll also discuss some of the Audi S5’s most significant flaws so you can make a wise choice if you’re considering purchasing one for yourself.
In This Article...
Audi S5 Years You Should Avoid
If you came here to determine whether the Audi S5 is a trustworthy luxury car to add to your collection, there is some good news. Like other Audi lines, the S5 has been both successful and consistent. There aren’t many Audi S5 model years to steer clear of, and even the least desirable ones still receive outstanding performance ratings.
What type of premium vehicle, after all, has numerous significant defects or engineering issues?
Despite this, there have been a few years where the S5 hasn’t performed as well. Each of these years performed much better than the average despite having slightly lower performance ratings or a higher rate of issues.
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
All three of these models were released one after the other during this challenging span of a few years, and they shared many of the same issues. That’s in part because Audi often doesn’t make significant modifications between model years, which helps avoid issues like these.
However, even after three years, the performance was still much greater than that of most other cars, and it took the manufacturer only a short time to address the issue.
In fact, the performance was so excellent that we are using issues that exist across all S5 models in the following section. Although there were more reported issues over these three years, there aren’t many issues that jump out as being exclusive to these years.
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Common Problems With The Audi S5
It’s important to keep in mind that in this section, the term “common” only refers to other Audi S5 variants. Compared to other automobiles, each of these issues is quite uncommon. However, they are all issues that merit being on the lookout for.
Low Coolant
Despite the fact that it initially seems to be a relatively small issue, this is one of the most critical issues that an Audi S5 might experience. That’s because low coolant levels can be difficult to detect, and your car may be running low on coolant for a long time before you realize there’s an issue.
And to make matters worse, if you wait too long to add fresh coolant to the system, you run the risk of the engine overheating.
The Audi S5’s low coolant issues can be caused by a variety of issues, including the fact that the engine barely uses any coolant.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty controllable issue as long as you occasionally check your coolant levels.
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A/C Not As Cold As It Should Be
The Audi S5’s air conditioner frequently fails to deliver ice-cold air in the manner that it should.
Of fact, the A/C system in all cars eventually needs to be recharged, thus the Audi S5 is by no means the only car with this issue. Some S5s are more likely to experience this issue than others, and a number of issues may be to blame.
The issue is typically rather minor and can be either remedied immediately or by giving the A/C a bit more frequent recharges.
Seat Adjustments Not Working
Since the recorded memory of the seat is the main source of the issue, comfort is the main concern. Your Audi S5 may occasionally appear to “forget” the settings it was configured with and refuse to automatically switch to pre-set settings.
Since there is often no simple solution for this because it frequently points to a computer issue, most users simply stop using the memory system and adjust the seat using the electric controls. The controls for the seat still function normally.
Suspension Problems
The air suspension of the Audi S5 frequently fails to perform as intended. When this occurs, the ride is typically slightly rougher than it should be, but there is no immediate component breakdown or other fixable issue.
Instead, it appears that only a small minority of S5s on the market have a suspension system that doesn’t perform as well as it should.
Blown Turbo Issues
The final issue is most likely the most critical one for the Audi S5, both in terms of the severity of the issue and the cost of fixing it.
The turbo in the S5 is notorious for blowing out without much notice. Even while the turbo failing is still a very uncommon problem, if it does happen to you, it can be dangerous and expensive to fix.
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Reliable Audi S5 Model Years
Other than the three versions we’ve already discussed, you can pick pretty much any model if you’re seeking for a dependable Audi S5. After all, Audi did a fantastic job ensuring that this car was extremely effective and durable, as well as ensuring that it met all performance requirements for a luxury car.
Instead of listing every trustworthy Audi S5 model, we’ll just say that the 2013-2015 versions are to be avoided. Other than that, there’s a good possibility you’re buying one of the most dependable cars on the market right now.
Which Audi S5 Models Are Good Used Vehicles?
When it comes to the S5, much like the majority of Audi automobiles, the best used models should be determined by examining each vehicle in detail. It’s more crucial to look into the maintenance and accident history of any used S5 you’re contemplating because even the Audi S5 years to stay away from are high-performance, high-quality automobiles.
There aren’t any particularly terrible S5 model years, so instead you should search for past owners who followed all maintenance guidelines, changed the oil frequently, and maintained good records. Additionally, keep an eye out for autos that have never been in an accident.
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Is an Audi S5 trustworthy?
The Audi S5 ranks 30th out of 31 luxury midsize cars based on its 2.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating. It has high ownership expenses due to the $1,164 average yearly repair cost. You can anticipate more major repairs for the S5 because both the frequency and severity of repairs are higher than those for the ordinary vehicle.
Cost
Compared to an average of $739 for luxury midsize automobiles and $652 for all vehicle types, the annual cost of repairs and maintenance for an Audi S5 is $1,164.
the typical annual sum for unplanned maintenance and repairs for all model years of a car. A vehicle’s greater average cost alone does not imply that it is less dependable. For instance, your car’s parts and labor may be pricey, especially if it’s a European luxury model, but if there are few serious problems and frequent service visits on average each year, that’s a sign of a dependable vehicle.
The typical annual frequency at which a vehicle is taken in for unplanned maintenance and repairs. This metric is produced by monitoring millions of distinctive automobiles over a number of years to ascertain the typical yearly visits for each make and model. Controls were included to prevent small, routine shop visits, such those for oil changes.
The severity element of dependability calculates the likelihood that a repair will cause a significant problem. The cost of a repair is assessed to be excessively expensive given the unscheduled nature of the repair if it is three times the average annual repair cost for all models. Due to their more expensive labor and component expenses, premium and luxury brands have a higher barrier.
Frequency
Owners of Audi S5s need to take their cars in for unplanned repairs on average 1.2 times a year, as opposed to 0.6 times on average for luxury midsize cars and 0.4 times on average for all vehicle models.
Severity
In comparison to the average of 12 percent for luxury midsize automobiles and 12 percent across all vehicle models, the Audi S5 has a 17 percent chance of needing major or catastrophic repairs.