2005 Audi TT

Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2005 Audi TT — assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.

What owners report breaking

Top 8

The parts named most often across 11 owner complaintsfiled with NHTSA for this make, model and year — the closest free answer to “what is likely to go wrong?”

Power train327%
Air bags218%
Air bags,vehicle speed control,engine19%
Electrical system,exterior lighting19%
Electrical system,seats19%
Engine and engine cooling19%
Engine and engine cooling,electrical system,exterior lighting19%
Exterior lighting19%

Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so treat this as where to look, not a defect rate.

SourceNHTSA Complaintschecked Jul 22, 2026, 5:03 PM

Safety recalls

1 open

NHTSA lists 1 recall for this make/model/year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car — check with a dealer using the VIN.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE07/03/2014

Issue: The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.

Risk: A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.

Campaign 14E007000

SourceNHTSA Recallschecked Jul 22, 2026, 5:03 PM

Owner complaints

11 filed

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS04/16/2016

THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. THE DRIVER'S WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT CLOSE UP WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED THEREBY CAUSING THE DASHBOARD TO SHOW THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN AND BEEPING OCCURS. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE RELEASE FOR THE GAS CAP DISCONNECTED DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO RELEASE GAS CAP.

AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE04/04/2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI TT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. ..UPDATED 07/20/16 *BF UPDATED 08/01/16.8JB

EXTERIOR LIGHTING11/23/2015

DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, BRINGS BOTH HEADLIGHTS BACK TO OPERATIONAL.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING11/08/2013

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LAMP FLICKERS AND TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE HEAD LIGHTS MUST BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO TEMPORARILY CORRECT THE ISSUE. THIS HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. *TR

POWER TRAIN04/15/2013

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO DRIVE. FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY AT THIS TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THE NEUTRAL PROBLEM NOW OCCURS QUITE OFTEN AND I NOW HAVE THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR. THE TRANSMISSION IS A DSG AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND AFTER REVIEWING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION IN ALL MODEL YEARS AND AUDI HAS ONLY HAD A RECALL ON LATER YEAR VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT SURE WHY THE RECALL WOULD NOT COVER ALL EARLIER VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS ALSO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AS THE TEMPERATURE SENSING UNIT AND THE MECHATRONIC UNIT HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THESE WERE THE ITEMS COVERED IN THE LATER MODEL YEAR RECALL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY ALL DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT COVERED. *TR

POWER TRAIN05/03/2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI TT ROADSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN PUNCTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,489 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,495.

POWER TRAIN04/17/2012

WHILE STARTING OFF IT JERKS AND THE PRNDS FLASH. I LOOKED ALL OVER THE NET. AND IT'S A GEARBOX PROBLEM. AUDI WANTS 9500 CANADIAN TO FIX A 17000 CAR. THERE ARE LOTS OF LINKS UNDER DSG GEARBOX. I TALKED TO AUDI THEY SAY IT'S NOT A PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO RECALL. I LIVE IN CANADA. *JS

AIR BAGS03/14/2011

AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. THIS APPEARS TO BE SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS AROUND THE CONNECTOR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE SEAT IS MOVED FORWARD OR BACKWARD TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT SIZE DRIVERS. REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR BAG DID NOT SOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING03/17/2010

I HAVE A 2005 AUDI TT QUATTRO ROADSTER, PURCHASED NEW IN 2005. HAVE HAD DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE - TWICE - IN 2 YEARS! FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATIONS, COOLANT SENSOR MALFUNCTION (HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT SENSOR TO THE TUNE OF OVER $400! JUST TWO MONTHS AGO), RADIO TURNS ITSELF ON AFTER I'VE EXITED THE VEHICLE, ETC. FIRST TIME INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. CAR NOW HAS 50,000 MILES AND OUT OF WARRANTY. ADDITIONALLY, INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE. IDIOT LIGHT COMES ON, LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT OUT. TURN OFF LIGHTS, 5 - 10 SECONDS, TURN BACK ON, EVERYTHING IS FINE. THIS ALSO HAPPENED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, BUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH TIMES, SHOP REPLACED HEADLIGHT. NOW NEW WRINKLE - WHEN SHIFTING GEARS (2ND, 3RD, 4TH, AND OCCASIONALLY 5TH) UP, RPM'S REV, ENGINE REVS AND IT SEEMS TO WHIR BEFORE CATCHING GEARS. ONLY WHEN SHIFTING UP, NEVER DOWN. WHAT'S UP? IS ALL THIS AN INHERENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE? *TR

AIR BAGS12/03/2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI TT QUATRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE THE MALFUNCTION. THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING11/24/2009

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI TT. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE IT WOULD IDLE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP AND A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS A COMMON FAILURE FOR HER MODEL TYPE. SHE EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 23,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

SourceNHTSA Complaintschecked Jul 22, 2026, 5:03 PM

Crash-test ratings (NCAP)

Rated

OverallNot rated

Frontal crashNot rated

Side crashNot rated

RolloverNot rated

Electronic stability controlStandard

Forward collision warningNo

Lane departure warningNo

Rated configuration: 2005 Audi TT 2-DR. Convertible w/SAB

SourceNHTSA NCAP Safety Ratingschecked Jul 22, 2026, 5:03 PM

Fuel economy & running cost

No match

No EPA fuel-economy match for this model (naming may differ or it predates EPA records).

SourceEPA fueleconomy.govchecked Jul 22, 2026, 5:03 PM

Checking one specific Audi TT?

Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its 17-character VIN to decode that exact car — its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment — alongside these records. Free, no account.

Run a VIN →

Other Audi TT model years

Recalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Audi TT year.

🔧What owners report breaking

⚠️Safety recalls

💬Owner complaints

🛡️Crash-test ratings (NCAP)

⛽Fuel economy & running cost

Checking one specific Audi TT?

Other Audi TT model years

⛽Fuel economy & running cost

🔧What owners report breaking

💬Owner complaints

⚠️Safety recalls

🛡️Crash-test ratings (NCAP)

What owners report breaking

Safety recalls

Owner complaints

Crash-test ratings (NCAP)

Fuel economy & running cost

Fuel economy & running cost

What owners report breaking

Owner complaints

Safety recalls

Crash-test ratings (NCAP)