The Lemon Index
Audi's 2.5 L turbo inline-5 in the TT RS and RS 3, model years 2012–2026. YouTube likes the 2025 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 54/100, #44 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 24 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2012–2026, about any part of the car. Performance versions are mostly filed under their base model (a Shelby GT500 is filed as a Mustang), so we only count complaints whose model name or the owner's own words tie them to this engine, and lead with YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2025 (61) and least about the 2017 (46); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | TT RS | 0 | 54 (48 videos) | 0 |
| 2013 | TT RS | 1 | 52 (48 videos) | 0 |
| 2017 | RS 3 | 1 | 46 (112 videos) | 1 |
| 2018 | RS 3, TT RS | 14 | 55 (120 videos) | 3 |
| 2019 | RS 3, TT RS | 5 | 54 (115 videos) | 1 |
| 2020 | RS 3, TT RS | 1 | 54 (115 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | TT RS | 0 | 52 (111 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | TT RS, RS 3 | 0 | 54 (114 videos) | 1 |
| 2023 | RS 3 | 0 | 54 (75 videos) | 0 |
| 2024 | RS 3 | 0 | 48 (71 videos) | 0 |
| 2025 | RS 3 | 1 | 61 (78 videos) | 0 |
| 2026 | RS 3 | 1 | 58 (79 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 4
None of them is about the engine itself.
22V652000 Air Bags · Audi RS 3 2022
The front passenger air bag may have been folded incorrectly.
19V095000 Seats · Audi RS 3 2018
The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.
19V474000 Air Bags · Audi RS 3 2017–19
An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and de.
18V803000 Seats · Audi RS 3 2018
The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Audi told dealers about
Audi sent dealers 123 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- The fuel tank cap seal is leaking; DTC P044200, P045600 and/ or P00EF00 in stored in the ECM
- Regarding UV leak additive for finding oil leaks
- Summary of all Vin-4-Pin topics for June Check engine light after charging - P0E5E00 Rattle noise from sound…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Audi TT RS TT RS, TT RS Coupe | 2012–22 |
| Audi RS 3 RS 3, RS3 · Audi A3, every year | 2017–26 |
Engine code: EA855 / EA855 evo. Power: 394–401 hp, factory figures (US figures not in our sources: 394 hp (2018 RS 3) to 401 hp (2022 RS 3), Audi USA). Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Audi straight-five engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the Audi 2.5 TFSI inline-5 engine?
In the US: the Audi TT RS, Audi RS 3, model years 2012–2026. See the version table for each one.
Is the Audi 2.5 TFSI inline-5 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 54/100, #44 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: the government files most performance versions under their base model. Its cars had 4 recalls (0 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Audi 2.5 TFSI inline-5 make?
394–401 hp in factory figures, depending on the car (US figures not in our sources: 394 hp (2018 RS 3) to 401 hp (2022 RS 3), Audi USA).