NHTSA vehicle safety data

2008 Audi A5 Recalls & Complaints

The 2008 Audi A5 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 5 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Audi dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2008 Audi A5. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2008 Audi A5 owner complaints

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Audi A5, describing incidents dated September 28, 2013 to April 15, 2026.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 2 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints
Service Brakes 2 complaints
Exterior Lighting 1 complaint
Unknown or Other 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11731285 · Filed April 15, 2026
2008 Audi A5 3.2L S-Line Coupe experiencing severe water intrusion into trunk compartment causing progressive failure of multiple electronic modules. Water enters through a known design defect in the trunk seal and drainage pathway, pooling in the spare tire well where critical electronic control…
ODI #11103665 · Filed June 24, 2018
THE AUDIO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM HAS STOPPED WORKING. THE AUDIO SYSTEM POWERS ON, POWERS OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER ABOUT 5. SECONDS
ODI #10918080 · Filed October 22, 2016
TAKATA RECALL ON MAY 23, 2016, MY AUDI A5 WAS RECALLED. SAFETY RISK WAS CLAIMED TO BE "IF THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILS, SAFETY SYSTEMS SUCH AS SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS AND AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF OCCUPANT INJURY." 6 MONTHS LATER, THE RECALL IS…

Read all 5 complaints

Air Bag Control Unit Power Supply Corrosion

NHTSA #16V376000 · Air Bags · NHTSA notice

Reported May 27, 2016 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 8,381 vehicles

Repair completion: 50.01% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 69O1 · Owners notified October 31, 2016

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.

Safety consequence

If the air bag control unit fails, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69O1.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2008 Audi A5 2-DR w/SAB

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional)

5 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Audi A5.

Electrical System; Service Brakes

ODI #11731285

Incident: April 15, 2026 · Filed: April 15, 2026

2008 Audi A5 3.2L S-Line Coupe experiencing severe water intrusion into trunk compartment causing progressive failure of multiple electronic modules. Water enters through a known design defect in the trunk seal and drainage pathway, pooling in the spare tire well where critical electronic control modules are mounted. Affected systems: (1) Complete audio and entertainment system failure due to amplifier module destroyed by water damage. (2) Electronic parking brake malfunction with brake failing to engage and disengage reliably, creating serious rollaway risk on inclines. (3) General electrical instability with intermittent warning lights and system malfunctions. (4) Severe parasitic battery drain with vehicle battery draining overnight due to water-damaged modules drawing constant current. This is a well-documented design flaw across the entire B8 A5 and S5 platform from 2008 to 2013. The manufacturer engineered a protective cover part for later production models, confirming awareness of the water intrusion defect, but never issued a recall or retrofit for earlier vehicles. Hundreds of owners have reported identical failures on major Audi enthusiast forums. The electronic parking brake failure is a serious safety hazard as the vehicle may roll uncontrolled on grades when parked.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11103665

Incident: June 24, 2018 · Filed: June 24, 2018

THE AUDIO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM HAS STOPPED WORKING. THE AUDIO SYSTEM POWERS ON, POWERS OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER ABOUT 5. SECONDS

Air Bags

ODI #10918080

Incident: May 23, 2016 · Filed: October 22, 2016

TAKATA RECALL ON MAY 23, 2016, MY AUDI A5 WAS RECALLED. SAFETY RISK WAS CLAIMED TO BE "IF THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILS, SAFETY SYSTEMS SUCH AS SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS AND AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF OCCUPANT INJURY." 6 MONTHS LATER, THE RECALL IS "INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE" I AM TRYING TO TRADE IN MY VEHICLE, BUT THE DEALER SAYS THE LACK OF RECALL FIX WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE.

Electrical System; Air Bags; Service Brakes

ODI #10563988

Incident: November 1, 2013 · Filed: February 12, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 AUDI A5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR AND THE PARKING BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE HORN HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE DEFECTS WERE ALL CAUSED BY A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL SPRING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #10546793

Incident: September 28, 2013 · Filed: October 4, 2013

MAIN BEAM/LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT WARNING CAME ON. SECOND TIME DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE READ THAT AUDIS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THE SAME ISSUE BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT IT. HAVING BULB REPLACED IS COSTING 360.00 AT THE AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. A FACTORY RECALL SHOULD BE ORDERED. THANK YOU *TR

Other Audi A5 model years

Check your 2008 Audi A5 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Audi A5 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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