Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Audi A5, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes2
- Air bags2
- Electrical system2
- Unknown or other1
- Exterior lighting1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2008 Audi A5 failed the safety check 1.58% of the time — 36% less often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 114,098 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 Audi A5 cars on Dutch roads are the 3.2 petrol (195 kW, 261 hp), 1.8 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp) and 2.7 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.2 petrol | 195 kW 261 hp | 209 |
| 1.8 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 169 |
| 2.7 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 38 |
| 3.0 diesel | 176 kW 236 hp | 33 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 30 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
494 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 41% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €69,710.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde229
- Band onvoldoende profiel175
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld146
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen120
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm112
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm107
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af61
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling58
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
2,746 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 981 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 4,362 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 68% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.9% | 17.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.5% | 19.8% |
| Tyres | 9.1% | 7.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.1% | 6.2% |
| Brakes | 4.7% | 11.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.0% | 7.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
330 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 281,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
122 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 79% arrived as used imports, 18% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.3–11.6 L/100 km (about 20–21 mpg US), CO₂ 260–267 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A5 quattro · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 9.0 | 11.3 |
| A5 quattro · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 14.3 | 8.5 | 11.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2008 Audi A5.
| 2016246 24 May 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, a power supply component within the airbag control unit may corrode and cause the unit to fail. If the airbag control unit were to fail, th… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2008 Audi A5: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10251025 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251023 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251018 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251003 | Rattling or knocking noise from front end when driving over bumps. |
| 10251002 | Rattling/knocking noise from front end over bumps |
| 10250999 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250995 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
| 10250990 | Squealing from front brakes (PR-1LA or 1LB) |
| 10250982 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250971 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250966 | Brake pulsation diagnostic guidelines |
| 10250964 | Steering feels stiff when turning |
| 10250960 | Rattling or knocking noise from front end when driving over bumps |
| 10250959 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250949 | Steering wheel leather damage, all vehicles |
| 10250947 | Rattling or knocking noise from front end when driving over bumps |
| 10250944 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250667 | Rattling or knocking noise from front end when driving over bumps |
| 10250666 | Rattling or knocking noise from front end when driving over bumps |
| 10250665 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250661 | Rattling/knocking noise from front end over bumps |
| 10250658 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250654 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)