Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
23–24 mpgcombined; city 20–21, highway 29–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,770–$17,500U.S. average; Ohio $15,800–$16,490 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's VIN data lists these trims for the 2018 S5. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. 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 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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 part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
9
0
0
0
Unknown or other
8
1
0
0
Air bags
3
0
0
1
Visibility/wiper
3
0
0
0
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Parking brake
2
1
0
1
Power train
2
1
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
1
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
5 more parts
Seats
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
1
0
0
Suspension
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 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. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain Audi S5 Cabriolet vehicles equipped with Super Sport seats. The seat-mounted head/thorax air bag in the front passenger seat may have been folded incorrectly during installation.
Risk: If the air bag was not folded correctly during installation, the seat-mounted air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat-mounted head/thorax air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 13, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69W6.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 839 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 S5, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (229), electrical system (177), structure (81), unknown or other (77), engine and engine cooling (58).
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 2018 S5.
EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 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, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
S5 Cabriolet All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Premium Gasoline
20 / 29 / 23
S5 Sportback All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
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