Brakes · 2026
Audi A5 brake pads & discs cost
Front brake pads and discs on a Audi A5 typically cost £162–£412 fitted at a UK independent garage, with the rear axle around £138–£350. The A5 runs discs all round and — unlike most cars on this list — has an electronic parking brake across its entire production run, so every rear pad change is a diagnostics-assisted job whatever the year.
Electronic parking brake
The A5 launched (2007) on the B8 A4 platform with an electromechanical parking brake, and every UK A5 since has one — there's no manual-handbrake variant. Rear pad replacement always needs the EPB put into service mode via a diagnostic tool before the pistons can be retracted, on any year of A5.
What brakes does the Audi A5 have?
Front and rear are separate jobs with separate prices — and on some generations the rear uses drums, which changes the work entirely. Here's the A5's setup:
| Axle | Setup | Detail |
|---|---|---|
Front | Discs | Ventilated front discs on both generations (2007–16 and 2016 on), sized up on S5/RS5 models. Parts are matched by registration. |
Rear | Discs | Rear discs across the range — no drum fitment documented. |
Audi A5 brake pads & discs cost
Pads and discs replaced as a pair on one axle typically cost £162–£412 at the front and £138–£350 at the rear for a Audi A5 at a UK independent garage. Rear axles are usually a little cheaper — less load, simpler calipers. Main dealers charge 30–50% more, and London and the South East sit at the top of the range.
Key things to know
- Every A5 has the electronic parking brake, so budget for the EPB service-mode step in any rear-brake quote, on any year.
- A persistent intermittent EPB fault is documented in UK owner reports on the first generation — parking-brake behaviour is worth mentioning when booking brake work.
- Beyond the EPB, the A5's documented problem history is dominated by powertrain issues — no recurring disc or caliper complaints.
- Front and rear disc sizes differ by engine variant, so parts are matched by registration; quattro makes no difference to the job.
Good question
Questions Okay gets asked a lot
How much do brake pads and discs cost for a Audi A5?
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Expect £162–£412 per axle fitted for front pads and discs at a UK independent garage in 2026, and around £138–£350 for the rear. Pads-only jobs cost less, but pads and discs are usually replaced together on an axle once the discs are worn or scored — worn discs ruin new pads quickly. Main dealers charge more; use our cost calculator to adjust for your region.
Is there any Audi A5 without an electronic parking brake?
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Not in the UK, no. The A5 arrived in 2007 on the same platform as the B8 A4, complete with an electromechanical parking brake, and both generations since have carried it. Practically, that means every rear pad change on an A5 — whatever the year — involves putting the parking brake into service mode with a diagnostic tool before the caliper pistons can be retracted. It's a routine step for any decent garage, but it's why rear-brake quotes on an A5 include a little more labour than the fronts.
How do I know the brakes need doing on a Audi A5?
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Common signs: squealing or grinding when braking (grinding usually means the pads are down to metal — stop driving on them), a pulsing pedal under braking (warped or corroded discs), the car pulling to one side, and a longer pedal travel than you're used to. Many cars also flag low pads with a dashboard warning. At the MOT, pads below 1.5mm or heavily scored discs are failures, and surface-corroded rear discs are one of the most common advisories on lightly-used cars.
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