2010 Audi S5 problems
NHTSA has received 26 complaints about the 2010 Audi S5, and 38% of them involve drivetrain & axles. Next are air bags (27%) and engine (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 26 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 39% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 58,000 miles 15 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 15 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 58,000 miles.
None of these complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 100% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2010 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the Audi S5 with enough data (14 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
2010 audi s5 overheated on dec. 6, 2010 in cold weather (20 degrees) while driving on highway. Audi reported a water pump crack and ordered the part. Same problem occurred on dec. 31, 2010, rendering car disabled. Audi reported that thermostat replaced. I've seen numerous other complains on audi s4 vehicles and defect in water seal and/or pump, yet audi had done nothing to warn the public or recall vehicles to correct the problem.
After driving in stop and go driving for a period of time the transmission starts to act up. When coming to a complete stop the car will shift down into first gear after the stop and cause the car to leap forward. I have almost rear ended several cars as a result of this. It is a well know problem with the audi s-tronic transmissions found in the audi s5 cabriolet and the audi s4 models. The oil in the mechatronics unit heats up and causes problems with the circuitry which causes the issue.
There is a known problem with the audi s-tronic transmission where the mechatronics unit which controls the shifts is defective. This will result in the mechatronic needing to be replaced to the tune of 4 thousand dollars or at worst the transmission to be replaced for 11 thousand dollars. The car will start doing hard 2 to first shifts and almost throw you into the car in front of you if you do not push down hard on the brakes.
When driving in hot weather, on a busy boulevard, coming to a red light, as automatic transmission shifts down to first gear, car lurches forward with a strong bang in the transmission. Almost hit pedestrians in the crosswalk. If I was not heavy on the brake pedal there would no doubt have been injuries. This is not an isolated incident. It has happened many times and without warning. Audi service tells me it is the mechatronic unit in the transmission malfunctioning when it gets hot. Needs to be replaced.