2020 Audi A5 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A5, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical4263.6%
- Driver assistance1725.8%
- Seat belts23.0%
- Visibility23.0%
- Exterior lighting11.5%
- Airbags11.5%
- Other / unspecified11.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Audi USA sent me a recall letter/service action for Infotainment System Software. The system reboots and shuts down unexpectedly while driving. Took the car to a local Audi dealership and they informed me that they cannot repair the recall because they now want to change my SOS module in order for both to work. They are asking me to pay them $1,500 for that. Meanwhile they informed me that my SOS system is not working either because of that, and I cannot use.
The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) randomly reboots and poses a safety hazard. Several times while reversing using my backup camera, the MMI has rebooted which causes the camera to go blank. This poses a risk to back up into an object or a person during this time. Also during this time, the Rear Cross Traffic Warning system is disabled until the system reboots. Also, while using navigation, the MMI has rebooted on me several times. It has occurred during critical times such as exiting freeways at high speeds. When this occurs it is terribly distracting and could cause an accident. The problem has been re-produced by my dealer. They said it needed a software upgrade and performed that. It worked better for a couple days but is now back to rebooting spontaneously. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating the fault will be occurring. It just reboots and the MMI goes totally blank for about 20 seconds while the system reboots. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it will reboot. I can drive for 20 minutes and it may happen 4 times and then another time drive for an hour and never have it happen. Lately, it has gotten so bad I drive my son's car if it is available due to the safety concerns.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) randomly reboots and poses a safety hazard. Several times while reversing using my backup camera, the MMI has rebooted which causes the camera to go blank. This poses a risk to back up into an object or a person during this time. Also during this time, the Rear Cross Traffic Warning system is disabled until the system reboots. Also, while using navigation, the MMI has rebooted on me several times. It has occurred during critical times such as exiting freeways at high speeds. When this occurs it is terribly distracting and could cause an accident. The problem has been re-produced by my dealer. They said it needed a software upgrade and performed that. It worked better for a couple days but is now back to rebooting spontaneously. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating the fault will be occurring. It just reboots and the MMI goes totally blank for about 20 seconds while the system reboots. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it will reboot. I can drive for 20 minutes and it may happen 4 times and then another time drive for an hour and never have it happen. Lately, it has gotten so bad I drive my son's car if it is available due to the safety concerns.
Hello, I am writing today to inform you about the safety concerns I have over My Audis MMI issues. The MMI is the multi media infotainment which is operates my back up camera, proximity sensors and navigation. The MMI is stuck in a loop and reboots every 60 seconds. I was backing up and the MMI rebooted on me which abruptly stop streaming what was behind me, my neighbor was also backing up and thankfully I spotted them on my rear view mirror and stop in time before we collided.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
Communication system: The telephone microphone works intermittently and fails while the seat belt is fastened. The car is equipped with telephone microphones in the driver's seatbelt and on the roof, under the rearview mirror. The microphone system works when the seatbelt is NOT fastened. If the belt is buckled correctly and the mobile phone answers a call, the driver must manually disconnect the Bluetooth to answer the call (or unbuckle the seatbelt). The dealer said it was an iPhone issue; however, this issue has been known since 2020. The driver's belt is not damaged in any way. The dealer says I am responsible for replacing the safety belt to remedy the issue, but it is not assured that it will fix the problem. I purchased this vehicle in 2023, and the telephone issue has been a persistent problem. NC is a hands-free state, and this issue causes me to disconnect my telephone and navigation maps or to handle my phone while driving to disconnect the Bluetooth. MMI Reboots While Driving: The MMI system turns off and restarts while driving. The screen goes black, and the system requires the driver to select User and sometimes enter a code. This issue will also cause a mobile device to disconnect. Particularly dangerous while using a CarPlay map application while driving. The dealer says I am responsible for paying for the software update. On Tuesday, [XXX] I was driving in Greensboro, NC, when the MMI system went black. My phone was connected using Maps, but I unplugged it from the car, and my maps would not load on my phone. It was dark, and I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood. This experience was frightening and very unsafe. Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletins on both problems without issuing a recall. Many owners of the 2020 model are experiencing these two issues. These are serious issues and should warrant recalls without any cost to the consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My brother lost control from the tires being worn unevenly wich caused him to lose traction. The airbags in the car on the passenger side where the steel pole made contact, failed to deploy. The seatbelt was defective because he was seatbelted and the belt broke.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The entire infotainment screen spontaneously crashes leaving the screen completely black for 30 seconds to a minute while it resets. This happens randomly and quite frequently, on average every 5-10 minutes that the car is on. The whole infotainment system becomes unavailable including audio and, most dangerously, the backup camera. I have had incidents where I am reverse parking and I check my side mirrors and when I look back at my screen to see how close I am to the car behind me, the system is in the middle of rebooting and the screen is blank. I have taken the car to the dealer and have been told it’s a known issue but there is no fix and nothing could be done. There is no warning as to when the system decides to reboot. I have also had it happen during a very important phone call and the Bluetooth was disconnected entirely until the system finished rebooting. I could only imagine if that happened during an emergency call.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi A5. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, it was noticed that the driver's side window had failed to remain up as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective window regulator. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact related the failure with an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Audi MMI system randomly reboots during which time basic information is unavailable such as vehicle speed, fuel levels, etc. and requires user intervention to reactivate which distracts the driver from their primary functions. While this happens both screens available to the driver go blank.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
My brother lost control from the tires being worn unevenly wich caused him to lose traction. The airbags in the car on the passenger side where the steel pole made contact, failed to deploy. The seatbelt was defective because he was seatbelted and the belt broke.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
My brother lost control from the tires being worn unevenly wich caused him to lose traction. The airbags in the car on the passenger side where the steel pole made contact, failed to deploy. The seatbelt was defective because he was seatbelted and the belt broke.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .