Is the Audi A5 more reliable than the Lexus IS?

No. The Lexus IS is more reliable, and the edge is clear. It has about 0.7 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 2.9 for the A5. The A5 still earns a good standing, but the IS earns excellent, with fewer recalls and a thinner list of problems.

Which has more recalls, the A5 or the IS?

The A5 has more. Federal recall records show 16 recalls across 8 model years for the A5. The IS has 6 across 9 model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy either one.

What is the most common Audi A5 problem?

Electrical trouble is the biggest one, with 47 of 91 complaints. The typical report is an instrument panel that blinks and then goes dark while driving. That removes the speedometer and warning lights, and the car can sit unrepaired while the dealer waits for parts.

Are there safety concerns with the Lexus IS?

Yes, though there are few reports. Two complaints describe a glass sunroof shattering at highway speed, and one says glass struck the driver's eye. Two tire complaints describe a tire coming off its rim, and one led to a crash with injuries.

Which model years of the A5 and IS should I avoid?

For the A5, the weakest years are 2020 and 2021. For the IS, they are 2018 and 2019. The strongest years are 2023 for the A5 and 2020 for the IS. Treat 2026 cautiously, because new cars have had little time to collect complaints.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS: Reliability Compared

Audi A5

Good

More Reliable

Lexus IS

Excellent

Reliability favors the Lexus IS over the Audi A5, and the lead is clear. The IS draws far fewer owner complaints per car sold. The A5 is held back by electrical trouble, mainly instrument panels that go dark while driving.

How Do the Audi A5 and Lexus IS Generations Compare?

Nearly every used example of either car comes from a single generation. The A5 spent US model years 2018 to 2024 in its second generation (RE9), with a refresh in 2022 that splits those cars into earlier and later groups. The third generation (RE10) began with the 2025 model year. The IS is in its third generation (XE30), listed from 2014 to 2023, with a facelift tied to the 2021 model. Cars from the newest model years of either line have had little time to collect complaints, so a clean record there proves little.

Verdict

The Lexus IS is more reliable than the Audi A5, scoring 83/100 vs 76/100.

The more reliable car here is the Lexus IS, and the edge is clear. Owner complaints per car sold run at roughly a quarter of the A5's rate, and federal recall records show fewer recalls over a similar span of model years. The A5's trouble also concentrates in the electrical system, where instrument panels go dark and leave drivers without a speedometer or warning lights. The IS has only a handful of complaints, spread across a sunroof and tires. The A5 still rates good, so it is not a poor choice, just a less settled one.

Key Differences

1Lexus IS has 10 fewer total recalls
2Lexus IS scores 7 points higher in reliability
3Lexus IS has 2.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

0Audi A5

—

3Lexus IS

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS: Which Is More Reliable?

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Audi A5	Lexus IS
Reliability Score	76/100	83/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	16	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.9	0.7
Year Wins	0	8

What Are the Common Problems With the Audi A5 and Lexus IS?

Most A5 trouble is electrical. The instrument panel blinks, then goes dark while driving, and the dealer may wait on parts. Smaller groups cover Pre-Sense braking hard with no real threat, tread separating from tires, and the MMI rebooting in reverse and cutting the cameras. One steering-area report involved a crash: the rear fishtailed and suspension hardware was found broken. The IS profile is thin. Two sunroof panels shattered at highway speed, and one injured a driver's eye. Two tire complaints describe a tire coming off its rim, and one ended in a crash with injuries. Each model has one crash-linked area.

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS common problem areas comparison
Component	Audi A5	Lexus IS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.5Low	—None
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	—None
TIRES	0.1Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.1Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	—None
ENGINE	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Audi A5 vs Lexus IS Reliability Compare by Year?

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Audi A5	Lexus IS	Edge
2026	82/1000R / 0C	87/1000R / 0C	Lexus IS
2025	77/1000R / 1C	83/1000R / 1C	Lexus IS
2023	81/1000R / 0C	83/1000R / 9C	Lexus IS
2022	74/1003R / 5C	83/1000R / 13C	Lexus IS
2021	71/1005R / 7C	83/1000R / 1C	Lexus IS
2020	70/1005R / 60C	83/1000R / 3C	Lexus IS
2019	73/1003R / 12C	79/1004R / 8C	Lexus IS
2018	77/1000R / 6C	81/1002R / 6C	Lexus IS

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Audi A5 scored 81/100 and the 2023 Lexus IS scored 83/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Audi A5 vs the Lexus IS?

Choose the IS if you want the lowest chance of a surprise. It has fewer complaints and fewer recalls, and its problems are rare. Target 2020, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest. The 2026 model looks clean, but it has had little time to collect complaints, so treat that as unproven. Ask about sunroof and tire history before you buy. Choose the A5 if you prefer how it drives and can accept more risk. Aim for 2023, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2020 and 2021. On a test drive, watch the instrument panel for flicker, trigger the Pre-Sense braking in normal traffic if it is safe, and put the car in reverse to see whether the MMI reboots. Check the tires for tread separation. Run the VIN for open recalls, and ask whether the instrument panel was ever replaced.

Audi A5 vs Lexus IS: Common Questions

Is the Audi A5 more reliable than the Lexus IS?: No. The Lexus IS is more reliable, and the edge is clear. It has about 0.7 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 2.9 for the A5. The A5 still earns a good standing, but the IS earns excellent, with fewer recalls and a thinner list of problems.
Which has more recalls, the A5 or the IS?: The A5 has more. Federal recall records show 16 recalls across 8 model years for the A5. The IS has 6 across 9 model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy either one.
What is the most common Audi A5 problem?: Electrical trouble is the biggest one, with 47 of 91 complaints. The typical report is an instrument panel that blinks and then goes dark while driving. That removes the speedometer and warning lights, and the car can sit unrepaired while the dealer waits for parts.
Are there safety concerns with the Lexus IS?: Yes, though there are few reports. Two complaints describe a glass sunroof shattering at highway speed, and one says glass struck the driver's eye. Two tire complaints describe a tire coming off its rim, and one led to a crash with injuries.
Which model years of the A5 and IS should I avoid?: For the A5, the weakest years are 2020 and 2021. For the IS, they are 2018 and 2019. The strongest years are 2023 for the A5 and 2020 for the IS. Treat 2026 cautiously, because new cars have had little time to collect complaints.

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More Lexus IS comparisons

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How we score the Audi A5 and Lexus IS

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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