Audi S5 owners have reported 2 wheel related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common wheel problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's wheel (2 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
Below is a detailed timeline of the problems I experienced: intermittent starting issue over the past few months, the car has occasionally failed to start on the first attempt. It always started on the second try, so I planned to mention it at the next service visit. Complete mmi/display blackout while driving on the highway in the middle of my trip, the entire center display and instrument cluster went completely black while I was driving at highway speed. All information disappeared (speed, fuel level, navigation, radio — everything). The car continued running, but I had no visibility into critical driving data. After pulling over and restarting the vehicle, only half the screen returned. Hours later, the second half came back on its own. Catastrophic front-right tire blowout in a remote area of texas the following day, while driving through a very remote stretch of highway, the front-right tire suddenly exploded with a loud bang. I safely pulled over and discovered the tire was completely destroyed. No spare tire provided the trunk contained only a tire inflator kit — no spare tire or temporary spare. A new tire was required. Inadequate roadside assistance experience I called Audi roadside assistance twice. Both representatives appeared to be reading from a script, were located in another country, and could not understand the urgency or specifics of my situation. After repeated miscommunication, I received no meaningful help and had to resolve the situation on my own at significant personal expense. When the local tire shop inspected the vehicle, the mechanic immediately pointed out severe abnormal inner tire wear on both front tires and stated that the alignment is clearly defective. He said the left front tire was also about to fail and that the car was unsafe to drive in its current condition. Both front tires had to be replaced before I could continue.
The tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) did not function as required, and pressure was dangerously low which significantly damaged the tires over a very short period of time (2-6 weeks). I am concerned going forward if the tpms utilized on the S5 does not function as should be expected per federal regulations. Per 49 cfr 571. 138 when pressure of 1 tire up to 4 tires is < 25% below cold inflation pressure, a low pressure warning should illuminate and remain illuminated. The tpms should have provided an alert when one or more of my tires was around 30 psi, yet all got to under 24 psi with no warning. The Audi service advisor explained that the tpms utilized on the S5 is an indirect system that detects change in speed/circumference for an individual tire that would indicate lower pressure, and it will not alert if pressure in all 4 tires decreases simultaneously. This is a known issue, yet Audi insists there is no problem with the system functioning like this. The oem tires on this vehicle are very low profile and large decrease in pressure is not obvious from visual inspection. Significant pressure reduction occurred more rapidly with this vehicle than any similar vehicles I have owned, so a tpms that cannot be relied upon is a major safety concern.