Audi A5
EA288 evo for the facelift from 2019 with 100 kW. Twin-dosing emissions treatment for Euro 6d-TEMP. Most economical diesel in the B9 range.
Anxiety engine — costly weakness looms
136 hp 2.0L with a known issue: EGR cooler cracking and coolant ingress. The risk of expensive repairs overshadows any driving pleasure.
Engine Weaknesses 5
EGR cooler develops thermally induced hairline cracks. Coolant enters the intake tract — if ignored, hydrolock is possible. Repair cost at Audi workshops can reach €3,500.
Symptoms: Gradual coolant consumption with no external leak, white smoke, sweet smell, fault code P200200, limp mode.
The wet belt also drives the oil pump. Abrasive soot in the oil (from EGR) accelerates belt wear. Belt failure causes immediate oil pressure loss and engine damage.
Symptoms: Engine warning light, oil pressure drop, loud knocking from the engine block on belt failure. No noticeable warning possible beforehand.
High-performance TDI generates more exhaust particles. DPF regeneration requires extended driving. Short-trip use leads to oversaturation with secondary turbocharger damage from elevated back-pressure.
Symptoms: Warning indicator 'Particulate filter full', power reduction, increased fuel consumption, limp mode, rough idle.
On the 200 hp variant, the turbocharger is under greater stress. Coking after hot shutdown and a clogged DPF increase back-pressure and turbo bearing wear. No cold-start oil film promotes early damage.
Symptoms: Whistling when accelerating, oil loss into the intake tract, power loss above 2,500 rpm, fault code P0299.
Users of the 200 hp variant report approx. 1 liter of oil consumption per 5,000 km. The cause is higher thermal stress on the cylinder bores. Regular oil level checks are necessary.
Symptoms: Oil level drops noticeably between service intervals, occasional bluish smoke on cold start, oil consumption >0.5L/1000km at higher mileage.
Vehicle Weaknesses 7
Around 1.16 million vehicles with 2.0 TFSI (model years 2012–2017) were recalled. The electric auxiliary water pump can overheat, cause a short circuit and in extreme cases start a fire.
The S tronic dual-clutch gearbox tends to shudder and judder at low speeds. Clutch disc wear in city traffic is severe. A full rebuild is often necessary.
Early starter battery weakness and associated infotainment faults. MMI shows frozen screens or crashes when the on-board voltage drops.
On some A5 F5 Sportback and Coupe models water enters the boot. The cause is an inadequate seal in the area of the tailgate aperture.
Some A5 F5 models show steering wheel vibrations between 80 and 120 km/h. Audi addresses this as a goodwill gesture by replacing the control arms with hydraulic mounts.
Starter battery fails on early F5 models, particularly with short-trip use. Cold-start problems in winter are frequent.
Well-known fault code with the automatic headlight level adjustment. The issue occurs across all build years and has never been fully resolved by software update.