Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–21 mpgcombined; city 16–18, highway 27; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,160–$20,120U.S. average; Ohio $18,060–$18,960 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 A5. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
2
0
0
0
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2008 A5 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 495 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 A5, the latest on Feb 19, 2024. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (168), electrical system (108), engine and engine cooling (46), steering (41), service brakes (34).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 A5.
EPA class: subcompact cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
A5 quattro 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.2 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
A5 quattro 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.2 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
16 / 27 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data