RS5 Blower Motor Failure: Diagnosis & Repair Options

As someone with moderate experience working on Audis, I faced an identical issue with my 2019 RS4. The heater fan system completely died, leaving no air circulation in the cabin. First checked the obvious, fuses and electrical wiring connections. When those checked out fine, took it to a workshop. Diagnostic testing confirmed a failed blower motor, not just the controller. The entire air flow unit needed replacement. Total repair came to 365 Euro including parts and labor. The workshop completed it in about 3 hours. They mentioned these cabin fan failures are somewhat common in this engine series due to the motor bearing design. To help diagnose your specific case: Can you hear any noise from the blower motor when switching speeds? Does the climate control panel still light up normally? What exact error code are you getting? Have you noticed any electrical issues with other systems? Knowing these details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if it might be something different.

My car also has 24499 KM and was last serviced 2 months ago. Thanks for sharing your experience. The climate control panel does light up normally, but there is zero response from the HVAC system regardless of settings. No noise at all from the cabin fan area. The error code is P0073. Been driving without any air circulation for a few days now and it is quite uncomfortable. Your repair cost seems reasonable, was worried it might be much higher since the fan speed controller alone is quite expensive. Will contact a workshop to check if they can replicate your fix, as the symptoms match exactly. Did you notice any warning signs before the blower motor failed completely, like unusual noises or inconsistent fan speeds?

Looking back at my RS4 experience, there were actually some warning signs I noticed about 2 weeks before the complete blower motor failure. The cabin fan started making a slight whirring noise at higher speeds, and the air flow seemed inconsistent, sometimes weaker than normal even at max setting. Given your P0073 code and symptoms match mine exactly, including the complete silence from the heater fan system, this really points to the same blower motor issue. My climate control panel also stayed functional while the air circulation was completely dead. The fact your car was recently serviced suggests this isnt a maintenance-related failure. These blower motor units can fail without warning due to bearing wear, even with low mileage like yours. Since we both had the same symptoms and error code, you can likely expect a similar repair process. After the replacement, make sure the workshop tests the air circulation at all speeds. Mine has worked flawlessly since the repair, with proper airflow restored at every fan setting. The new blower motor design seems more robust than the original.

Thanks for the detailed response. The situation sounds identical to what I experienced. No, I didnt notice any warning signs, the heater fan system just stopped suddenly while driving. Makes it more frustrating since the recent service didnt catch any potential issues with the HVAC system. Will book the car in next week for the blower motor replacement. The 365 Euro estimate gives me a good baseline for what to expect cost-wise. Good point about testing all fan speed settings after the repair, will make sure they verify the air circulation at each level. Hoping this fixes it completely like in your case. Driving without proper air flow is getting old fast, especially with the climate control being such a key comfort feature in these cars. At least now I know what to expect with the repair process and likely cause based on your experience with the same P0073 error code and symptoms.