Head-to-head reliability
AUDI A5 vs FORD F 150
How the AUDI A5 and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
AUDI A5 averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. AUDI A5 has 110 complaints and 24 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,538 complaints and 141 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | AUDI A5 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 110 Better | 27,538 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 24 Better | 141 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 2 Better | 762 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 11.0 Better | 2753.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 714 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 Better | 10 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
AUDI A5
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM54
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER30
- 03BACK OVER PREVENTION18
- 04FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE8
- 05ENGINE6
“Communication system: The telephone microphone works intermittently and fails while the seat belt is fastened. The car is equipped with telephone microphones in the driver's seatbelt and on the roof, under the rearview mirror. The microphone system works when…”
“The vehicle's Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system is reportedly shutting down randomly while the vehicle is in operation. This issue occurs without warning and is intermittent, making it unpredictable. Observed Symptoms/Events: Complete Loss of MMI Functionali…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN9,964
- 02ENGINE4,861
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,474
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,210
- 05STRUCTURE1,485
“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”
“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
AUDI A5 — 24 recalls
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that ca…
The risk: A blocked pump or a short-circuited pump can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pumps, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number's for this recall is 19N3/19N4. Note: This recall i…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can be blocked wi…
The risk: If the coolant pump overheats, it can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked with debris, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 20, 2017. Owners ma…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.
The risk: In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2025, and October 31, 2025. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834 or Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2025 SQ6 E-Tron, SQ6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 Sportback E-Tron, A6, A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron, S5, and S6 Sportback E-Tron vehicles. The automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat is installed using the seat be…
The risk: An improperly secured child seat can increase risk of injury during a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the right and left rear seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 16, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number f…
FORD F 150 — 141 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…
The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | AUDI A5 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| 2025 | 7 | 320 |
| 2024 | 8 | 597 |
| 2023 | 8 | 1439 |
| 2022 | 0 | 3285 |
| 2021 | 7 | 4937 |
| 2020 | 60 | 2530 |
| 2019 | 12 | 5718 |
| 2018 | 6 | 5505 |
| 2017 | 2 | 3198 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific AUDI A5 or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- AUDI A5 vs FORD F 150
- AUDI A5 total complaints
- 110
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 27,538
- AUDI A5 total recalls
- 24
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 141
- AUDI A5 avg complaints/year
- 11.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 2753.8
- More reliable overall
- AUDI A5
- AUDI A5 top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN