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2009 Audi A5 Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

17 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious16V376000

Air Bags

If the air bag control unit fails, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash, raises the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy & full details

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69O1.

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.

Complaint volume

17 this model-year 22 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

Complaints filed17
Reporting a crash0
Reporting a fire0
Injuries reported0
Deaths reported0
Severity Index0.00

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

  1. Structure:Body — 3 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling — 2 reports
  3. Power Train — 2 reports
  4. Service Brakes — 2 reports
  5. Electrical System — 2 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System — 1 reports
  7. Steering — 1 reports
  8. Fuel System, Diesel — 1 reports
  9. Engine — 1 reports
  10. Fuel/Propulsion System — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.