Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–21 mpgcombined; city 17–18, highway 26–28; 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
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2017 S5, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 0 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 S5. 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 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 2017 S5 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. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. A component within the front, rear, and rear center seat belt retractor pretensioners may detach after the seatbelt retractor pretensioner is deployed in the event of a crash.
Risk: Although, the seat belt will operate as intended in the event of a crash, the pretensioner component may be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the safety belt retractors/pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began on June 28,2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 69O8.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 580 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 S5, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (168), electrical system (112), unknown or other (64), engine and engine cooling (39), structure (38).
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 2017 S5.
EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
S5 All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, supercharged
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 28 / 21
S5 All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, supercharged
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
17 / 26 / 20
S5 Cabriolet All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, supercharged
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 26 / 21
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