2011 Audi S5 Cabriolet Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 Audi S5 Cabriolet, 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
- Powertrain (other)342.9%
- Airbags228.6%
- Driver assistance114.3%
- Engine114.3%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF A 2011 AUDI S5 CABRIOLET. CHIEF COMPLAINTS: ENGINE PROBLEM,.WARNING LIGHT SHUT DOWN ENGINE,GEARBOX MALFUNCTION,TPMS MALFUNCTION,. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPPING AND WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE,TAKATA AIRBAG NOT CHANGED BY KEYES AUDI COMPLAINT FOR LEMON LAW WITH AUDI CORP. CAR IS INOPERABLE REMAINS IN AUDI DEALERSHIP PENDING OUTCOME PER AUDI CORP.DIAGNOSTIC WORK ORDER REPAIR ESTIMATE,$5, 800. CAR HAD THE ENGINE LIGHT ALERT ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. DEALSHIPS SAID "IT'S JUST A SENSOR,PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN FACT DRIVING ON FREEWAY "DO NOT DRIVE", IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO KEYES AUDI.THERMOSTAT IN THE ENGINE.TOLD THE CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY, HOWEVER FIXED NO CHARGE, "THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED."BROUGHT CAR IN FOR AIRBAG CHANGE AT KEYES AUDI, THE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, TPMS. WARNINGS WERE ILLUMINATED. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPS OR DOESN'T WORK. MY SON TOLD "DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM CAN GO DOWN AND DISABLE THE CAR AS YOU ARE DRIVING" CAR NOT DRIVEN SINCE APRIL. TOWED TO AUDI OF CALABASAS ON MAY 14, 2019, FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. TOLD AIRBAG RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE. SAID IT WAS DONE AT KEYES AUDI. TOLD ON SENSOR CHANGED. ATTACHED IS THEIR REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $5080. CAR HAS 61225 MILES.CAR REMAINS IN AUDI OF CALABASAS AWAITING DECISION FROM AUDI CORPORATE. ORIGINAL PRICE OF CAR $63,530. ALL WORK INVOICES WERE SEND TO AUDI CORP.ATTACHED ARE WORK INVOICES RELATED TO ABOVE COMPLAINTS. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD AND A RIPOFF! I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE IN DANGER OF THIS CAR. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.
OCCASIONAL LACK OF PROPULSION WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, LOSS OF GEAR WHILE MOVING SLOWLY (FROM A STOP). IN EITHER CASE, THE CAR MAY BE STUCK IN AN INTERSECTION OR OTHERWISE ACT UNPREDICTABLY TO OTHER TRAFFIC. REMEDY IS TO EITHER TAKE FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR TO RE-ENGAGE MULTIPLE TIMES, OR TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON. TRANSMISSION SHOWS ERROR (MALFUNCTION - YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING) WHEN THIS FAULT OCCURS. VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION., REGULARLY MAINTAINED, AND UNDER 40K MILES.
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
TAKATA RECALL NOTICE WAS ISSUED BY AUDI OVER 24 MONTHS AGO. AUTHORIZED DEALERS CANNOT SOURCE PARTS TO COMPLETE REPAIR JEOPARDIZING SAFETY OF OUR DRIVERS. DEALERS ARE NOT ABLE TO SCHEDULE OR EVEN FORECAST WHEN PARTS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. GIVEN THE LENGTH OF ELAPSED TIME AND POTENTIAL DANGER PRESENTED, THIS SITUATION IS UNACCEPTABLE.
TAKATA RECALL - RECEIVED URGENT RECALL AUGUST 2017. MULTIPLE CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AUDI USA HAVE NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING 1) WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MY URGENT RECALL NOTICE, AND 2) IS THE CAR SAFE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE? I UNDERSTAND THE SCALE OF THIS RECALL, HOWEVER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO MAKE DECISIONS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF A 2011 AUDI S5 CABRIOLET. CHIEF COMPLAINTS: ENGINE PROBLEM,.WARNING LIGHT SHUT DOWN ENGINE,GEARBOX MALFUNCTION,TPMS MALFUNCTION,. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPPING AND WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE,TAKATA AIRBAG NOT CHANGED BY KEYES AUDI COMPLAINT FOR LEMON LAW WITH AUDI CORP. CAR IS INOPERABLE REMAINS IN AUDI DEALERSHIP PENDING OUTCOME PER AUDI CORP.DIAGNOSTIC WORK ORDER REPAIR ESTIMATE,$5, 800. CAR HAD THE ENGINE LIGHT ALERT ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. DEALSHIPS SAID "IT'S JUST A SENSOR,PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN FACT DRIVING ON FREEWAY "DO NOT DRIVE", IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO KEYES AUDI.THERMOSTAT IN THE ENGINE.TOLD THE CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY, HOWEVER FIXED NO CHARGE, "THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED."BROUGHT CAR IN FOR AIRBAG CHANGE AT KEYES AUDI, THE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, TPMS. WARNINGS WERE ILLUMINATED. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPS OR DOESN'T WORK. MY SON TOLD "DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM CAN GO DOWN AND DISABLE THE CAR AS YOU ARE DRIVING" CAR NOT DRIVEN SINCE APRIL. TOWED TO AUDI OF CALABASAS ON MAY 14, 2019, FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. TOLD AIRBAG RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE. SAID IT WAS DONE AT KEYES AUDI. TOLD ON SENSOR CHANGED. ATTACHED IS THEIR REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $5080. CAR HAS 61225 MILES.CAR REMAINS IN AUDI OF CALABASAS AWAITING DECISION FROM AUDI CORPORATE. ORIGINAL PRICE OF CAR $63,530. ALL WORK INVOICES WERE SEND TO AUDI CORP.ATTACHED ARE WORK INVOICES RELATED TO ABOVE COMPLAINTS. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD AND A RIPOFF! I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE IN DANGER OF THIS CAR. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF A 2011 AUDI S5 CABRIOLET. CHIEF COMPLAINTS: ENGINE PROBLEM,.WARNING LIGHT SHUT DOWN ENGINE,GEARBOX MALFUNCTION,TPMS MALFUNCTION,. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPPING AND WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE,TAKATA AIRBAG NOT CHANGED BY KEYES AUDI COMPLAINT FOR LEMON LAW WITH AUDI CORP. CAR IS INOPERABLE REMAINS IN AUDI DEALERSHIP PENDING OUTCOME PER AUDI CORP.DIAGNOSTIC WORK ORDER REPAIR ESTIMATE,$5, 800. CAR HAD THE ENGINE LIGHT ALERT ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. DEALSHIPS SAID "IT'S JUST A SENSOR,PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN FACT DRIVING ON FREEWAY "DO NOT DRIVE", IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO KEYES AUDI.THERMOSTAT IN THE ENGINE.TOLD THE CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY, HOWEVER FIXED NO CHARGE, "THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED."BROUGHT CAR IN FOR AIRBAG CHANGE AT KEYES AUDI, THE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, TPMS. WARNINGS WERE ILLUMINATED. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPS OR DOESN'T WORK. MY SON TOLD "DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM CAN GO DOWN AND DISABLE THE CAR AS YOU ARE DRIVING" CAR NOT DRIVEN SINCE APRIL. TOWED TO AUDI OF CALABASAS ON MAY 14, 2019, FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. TOLD AIRBAG RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE. SAID IT WAS DONE AT KEYES AUDI. TOLD ON SENSOR CHANGED. ATTACHED IS THEIR REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $5080. CAR HAS 61225 MILES.CAR REMAINS IN AUDI OF CALABASAS AWAITING DECISION FROM AUDI CORPORATE. ORIGINAL PRICE OF CAR $63,530. ALL WORK INVOICES WERE SEND TO AUDI CORP.ATTACHED ARE WORK INVOICES RELATED TO ABOVE COMPLAINTS. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD AND A RIPOFF! I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE IN DANGER OF THIS CAR. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.
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 .