Audi A5: S tronic dual-clutch rough shifting and hesitation

Owners of this generation frequently report rough shifting and hesitation from the S tronic dual-clutch gearbox — a jerk at low speed, a pause before the car responds to the throttle, and changes that thump rather than slide. Some of that is the nature of a dual clutch, which is an automated manual slipping a clutch at crawling speed rather than a torque converter smoothing everything over. The rest is wear in the clutch pack or a mechatronic unit that is unhappy, and the two feel similar from the driver's seat while costing very differently. That distinction is the useful part for a buyer: mild shuffle when manoeuvring is characteristic, but a shudder you feel through the seat, a long delay before drive engages, or any warning light is wear.

• Jerkiness or shuffling at crawling speed and when parking
• Delay between pressing the accelerator and the car responding
• Shift that thumps or jolts rather than slides
• Shudder felt through the seat when pulling away
• Transmission warning message, or the gearbox refusing a gear

Drive it slowly and in traffic, because open-road driving flatters this gearbox and will tell you almost nothing. Pull away from a standstill several times with light throttle and feel through the seat for a shudder rather than a smooth take-up. Do some slow manoeuvres as you would in a car park, reversing and creeping forward, and note whether it moves smoothly or shuffles and jerks. Pull away on a slight uphill, which is the hardest thing you can ask of a dual clutch at low speed. From a standstill, select Drive and count how long before the car takes up drive — beyond about a second is worth noting. Then accelerate firmly through the gears and confirm each change happens cleanly rather than with a thump. After ten minutes of slow driving, wind a window down and check for a burning clutch smell. Watch for any transmission message throughout. Ask whether the gearbox oil has been changed on schedule and whether any clutch or mechatronic work has been done. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the transmission fault memory read and the clutch adaptation values checked, which reveal wear a short drive cannot.

Parts involved: Clutch.

$600 to $6,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the gearbox oil been changed on schedule, and can I see the invoice?”
• “Has the clutch pack or mechatronic unit ever been repaired or replaced?”
• “Does it jerk or hesitate in slow traffic or when parking?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.