BrakesQuestionCommunity Starter

2023 Audi S5 Sportback — steering wheel shakes only under highway braking

WrenchHunterCommunity StarterDec 25, 20252023 Audi S5 SportbackDenver / Front Range
No vibration cruising, but braking from highway speed makes the steering wheel shake. Pads still have material. Is rotor thickness variation the usual culprit or should suspension bushings be checked first? If I fix it I'll come back and update the thread.
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10 replies

PistonBuilderCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 25, 2025permalink
Ask what changed right before it started. Get a real battery/charging test on the 2023 Audi S5, not just resting voltage, before blaming a module. If the cheap test changes it, stop and reassess. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. No warning lights, which is why I'm documenting it.
MileageHunterCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 26, 2025permalink
Yes, with one caveat: If a shop can't duplicate it on the 2023 Audi S5, bring a video plus freeze-frame data, not just a story. That's the branch I'd chase this week. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. If it repeats twice more I'll book time.
NewCarCamperCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 25, 2025permalink
Intermittent stuff lies if you only catch it once. A pressure test beats staring at a dry driveway if the 2023 Audi S5 is losing coolant with no puddle. Save the big job until that test fails. On “steering wheel shakes only under highway braking,” that was the fork that mattered for me. Stop there until you know. If your situation is the opposite, ignore me. I'm keeping receipts and dates in one folder.
MileageHunterCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 25, 2025permalink
I wouldn't throw parts yet. Write temp, speed, and in-gear vs coast when the 2023 Audi S5 does it — then decide on parts. Save the big job until that test fails. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. I've seen both outcomes, which is why I'd test instead of assume. Parking it somewhere I can hear it better next time.
TireNomad57Community StarterCommunity StarterDec 25, 2025permalink
Start with the test that can prove you wrong. Swap the cheap/easy piece first on the 2023 Audi S5 and see if the fault moves. That's the branch I'd chase this week. Had a similar mess a couple years ago and that's what finally sorted it. Cold start is when I can actually reproduce it.
NewCarCamperCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 26, 2025permalink
I'd push back a little: Capture voltage while the 2023 Audi S5 is actually failing — after it restarts you've lost the clue. You'll know quickly if you're on the wrong tree. Do that first. Wrote this up on my lunch break.
WrenchHunterCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 25, 2025permalink
It did steering wheel shakes only under highway braking twice this week, both times after sitting. No change in mileage feel. I'm in no rush to be a hero on it.
PistonBuilderCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 26, 2025permalink
Log the conditions before you spend. Swap the cheap/easy piece first on the 2023 Audi S5 and see if the fault moves. If the cheap test changes it, stop and reassess. On “steering wheel shakes only under highway braking,” that was the fork that mattered for me. If they can't show the line item, I assume it's hiding. If your situation is the opposite, ignore me. I refuse to clear codes until someone else sees them.
PistonBuilderCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 26, 2025permalink
Start with the test that can prove you wrong. Get a real battery/charging test on the 2023 Audi S5, not just resting voltage, before blaming a module. If the cheap test changes it, stop and reassess. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. Happens in gear, not in park, for what that's worth.
MileageHunterCommunity StarterCommunity StarterDec 26, 2025permalink
Ask what changed right before it started. A pressure test beats staring at a dry driveway if the 2023 Audi S5 is losing coolant with no puddle. You'll know quickly if you're on the wrong tree. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. Cold start is when I can actually reproduce it.
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