AUDI A4
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017β2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database β the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific AUDI A4? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
AI Interpretation
High ConfidenceBelow AverageNHTSA complaint data for the Audi A4 (2017β2026) shows a high volume of reports concentrated in the 2020 and 2017 model years, with the electrical system being the most frequently cited component. The data also indicates a notable number of complaints related to back over prevention and air bags. While total complaints are substantial, the number of crash-related incidents is relatively low.
- The electrical system accounts for the largest share of complaints, with 109 reports.
- Complaints are heavily concentrated in the 2020 model year (124 complaints) and 2017 (81 complaints).
- Back over prevention and air bags are also among the top complaint components, with 45 and 32 complaints respectively.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 109 complaints, the most reported component.
- BACK OVER PREVENTION: 45 complaints, indicating potential issues with rear collision avoidance systems.
- AIR BAGS: 32 complaints, suggesting possible concerns with air bag deployment or warning systems.
The 2020 model year has the highest complaint count (124), driven largely by electrical system issues, followed by 2017 (81) with similar concerns.
Model years 2022, 2023, and 2025 show zero complaints, which may indicate improved reliability or lower reporting rates, but caution is warranted due to limited data.
- Inspect the electrical system, including battery, alternator, and wiring, for any signs of failure.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls before purchase.
- Request service records for reported components such as back over prevention and air bags.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle, focusing on electrical and safety systems.
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
13 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 249 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
249 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The instrument cluster has stop working. Have to monitore vehicle information, Mileage, service, Safty notifications and general vehicle information from the Audi app.
Tires are original equipment. Only 19,000 miles on them. Was told all 4 tires have belt shifts and hop some. Suggested they should be replaced. These tires were great when new but you could tell from driving they were degrading. I'm [XXX] and never had an issue with tires this new. The belt shifting could be a manufacturing issue or hitting to many potholes. I suspect it is a combination of the two. Tire size is 245/40R18. Looking at internet reviews, these tires are great but wear out very prematurely. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am writing to report a persistent issue with my 2021 Audi A4, VIN [XXX] . I have been experiencing a noticeable vibration, humming, and shuddering sensation that occurs specifically when turning at slow speeds (e.g., in a parking lot or when making a tight turn at an intersection). This issue has been diagnosed at a dealership, and the diagnostic report from the service invoice dated 07/12/2025 noted "VIBRATION HUMMING SHUDDER WHILE TURNING." The vehicle's mileage at the time was 38,888 miles. Dealership diagnosed this issue as a failing AWD clutch system. I took the car to a different repair shop, and they redirected me to the Audi Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). The symptoms described in the TSBβ"vibrations, humming, droning, or rubbing can be heard and/or felt in the vehicle interior... when the steering wheel is turned to full lock"βperfectly matches my experience. TSB Link - [XXX] The vehicle details are: Model: Audi A4 Year: 2021 VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: 39490 Since this is an issue due to a sub-optimal part shipped by Audi, many other Audi owners are also facing similar issues. Therefore, I want to report this issue to the NHTSA and take action on cars sold by Audi. This issue divert driver attention and is a potential cause of accident while taking the turn as driver may get distracted. I already got my car serviced at Audi dealership but they didn't inform me about this issue while the car was under warranty. Now the car is out of warranty after Apr-2025, I'm facing this issue significantly and dealership is charging close to $5000 to fix the issue. Please let me know what information you require from me to proceed. I would like Audi to place a recall on the car models facing this issue and implement the fix for all owners facing the issue because of faulty part shipped by Audi of America. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The instrument cluster has failed per the recall 90VC. Audi issued the recall for every model made in 2021 with the exception of the A3 and A4 and I believe this was a mistake as my instrument cluster has the same failure.
I have a 2021 audi a4 that is also being affected by the instrument cluster failure/recall. My model , a4 was not included but I am experiencing the same failure and this was reported to the dealership. An online search will show just how many people have issues with the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster screen just went out while driving. I have to monitor my functions via the app on my phone. The dealer wants to charge me full price when every other model in 2021 has been recalled for the same issue. The A4 should be added to the instrument cluster recall for 2021 audi.
The main instrument cluster is not stable- it tries to start up then crashes. As a result, speedometer, rpmβs, gas tank gauge, etc are not available while driving. The screen displays blank with a red triangle, tries to start up then crashes again. This seems similar to Audi recall campaign 90VC, but for some reason the A4 was not included in the recall, but Iβm having similar symptoms with my A4.
The vehicle at 13,xxx miles on the high ways, and during stop & go traffic; vehicle begins to tremble, transmission and floor shakes, rpms are higher than normal, abnormal noises coming from engine (screeching), jerking on acceleration on the first gears, rough idle, happens only on highways after 1hr of driving. Can drive over 40 min without any check engine light turning on. No codes come up, while clearly having issues. After a day of being off, car goes back to normal without those issues, just vibrations and pulsing on idle. -happens on Texas highways where vehicle begins to have trouble with acceleration and transmission shakes yet no check engine or error messages appear. -problem has been shown to one Audi dealer while happening and another Audi dealer was able to reproduce the problem. They even noted how vehicle will do all the issues noted above while not providing any error codes or messages. - vehicle has been inspected but all they do is reset software and hand back keys. While issues are still prevalent. - no warning, no over heat or any codes appear on the vehicle. Issues started at 13,xxx miles. Only on long highway or stop and go traffic does it happens
The reversing image occasionally appears white screen phenomenon During the process of reversing, the reversing screen suddenly turns white and cannot see anything behind, which brings danger to the driver and others, causing danger to life and property. Apparently the dealer didn't take this seriously
The contact leased a 2021 Audi A4. The contact stated that the dealer had provided her with the vehicle rental while her vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 4 MPH and turning into a parking pace on the 4th floor of a parking garage, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated on its own at 100 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times but it failed to respond. The vehicle crashed into the fence of steel and broke a portion of the wall. The air bags deployed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained two concussions and a heart attack. The contact sought medical assistance the next day and had been seeking medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and it was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,347.
The contact owns a 2021 Audi A4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V295000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owned a 2021 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed through a parking lot, the vehicle independently accelerated and the brake pedal locked. The vehicle accelerated up a hill as the contact was unable to depress the brake pedal; he collided with an electric pole which caused the vehicle to stop. Due to the shock and abruptness of the failure, the contact was uncertain if any warning lights illuminated the instrument panel. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact and no other bystanders were injured as a result of the failure. The police and fire department arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent body shop. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Passenger rear tire failed while driving on the highway. Outside sidewall became detached from the rest of the tire.
I purchased a 2024 Audi A4 with 20 miles as a birthday present for my son on 12/20/2023 for $45,028.81 cash, plus traded my sonβs 2012 BMW 328i with 22,000 miles and they applied $8,500.00 credit. This is an Atlanta, Georgia Audi dealership. My son drove the car for one week and his salesman had an appointment set for him to bring his car back one week later to add Audi Connect Software to vehicle and my sonβs phone. We took his car back to the dealership and they added the software and we left. My son told me several lights starting turning on in his dashboard but he could not take the car back that day because the dealership had closed as we were leaving the dealership. I called the salesman the next morning and he said to bring car back and they would check it. My son could not bring it back until 10 days later on [XXX], because he was sick in bed. His apartment is about 20 mins from the dealership so when he returned his car had 100 miles from only driving the vehicle to and from the dealership those four trips. Oscar in service dept said he needed to leave the car over weekend and they would check it Tuesday [XXX] since that was a holiday weekend, and Oscar gave [XXX] a loan car. Oscar texted my son on [XXX] saying his car had a defective air bag module and that module was causing all the trouble lights to appear on his dashboard, and they could not fix it until 30 days because they had to order part from Sweden. Oscar also said they had to keep the vehicle and it could not be driven until that part was fixed because of all the trouble lights in dash and he wanted to make sure the car would be ok when my son starts to drive it again. I donβt like the fact that the dealer has my sonβs car we traded in and they have my full payment of the remaining balance after my trade in was applied to balance of car. Is this car a lemon and is it normal to buy a car only to have dealer keep it one week after Audi Connect software was downloaded? Thanks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Owner of 2019 A4 recently purchased from dealership after lease expired in Feb.2023. Currently with only 36,800 miles, took vehicle to inspect on Nov.24th and nothing but a front light replacement and suggestion of new tires in inspection video. The factory warranty due to expire the following week, Dec. 2nd 2023, and I was inquiring as to cost of extending warranty, but di not purchase, was waiting until after holidays. The following weekend, Tank Malfunction light turns on, from nowhere and displays zero gas on the dashboard. The previous night we filled tank with superior gas from the same gas station we use, nothing odd.. Call dealership next business day, they state the factory warranty expired and cannot cover anything. I call AUDI USA and they suggest that Audi dealership service inspect and they do and after inspecting the car conclude that I need a new fuel tank! A brand new car needs a gas tank! Service advisor states I have a faulty tank and it is because of ibad gas? What is bad gas? I mean really? I put the same gas as always, superior. I received no warning lights. The dealership's inspection from the previous week did not detect anything either. It is a safety concern to drive not knowing how much gas one has. I suspect the gas gauge has an issue. The sensor is in the fuel tank hence the suggestion to replace the whole tank at a cost of $3880! The dealership should assume responsibility for not detecting during inspection. Even though factory warranty expired within a week of incident, they should provide a grace period. AUDI USA must investigate. I AM REGRETTING MY AUDI PURCHASE!!! This sensor is faulty and is dangerous and I am not the only owner who has this problem occur. It is unacceptable that this car not perform as expected and gas tanks usually have a 20 year life span! I believe that 46,000 cars were recalled with gas gauge issues and although this car is not in that recall does not mean it can be defective.
Vehicle was inspected at 50,000 miles by the dealer and report says that passenger side motor mount was leaking. They also said that the motor mount will deteriorate rapidly and will affect the safety of the vehicle.
Audi Presense kicked in so violently on the 280E freeway towards NYC from Northern NJ, that my 15 y/o son now has a significant cervical spine injury, necessitating medical evaluation and treatment. The brakes were so abruptly applied by Presense that we thought we had been hit by a car, but had not been in an accident. This is very dangerous, and now my son is injured, despite no accident occurring.
The front passenger airbag light goes on and off randomly whenever if there is someone sits at the front passenger seat. The problem is exactly same as described in Recall 21V874000. Audi A4 2019 is on the list of recall, but my car wasn't been recalled for no reason.
I am filing a complaint concerning my recent experience with the Audi service department located in San Rafael, California. On May 24, 2021 I brought my 2019 Audi A4 in for service due to an error message stating, "Front parking aid: malfunction! Obstacles cannot be detected". I purchased the car in December 2019 from the dealership in Burlingame, California. It was previously used as a loaner car, and to my knowledge the car was in original condition with no prior bodywork done on the vehicle. When my car was inspected by the dealership in San Rafael, they discovered the error message was the result of a faulty left center front parking aid where pinched wires were found from a previous bumper repair/ removal. I was told that this work required immediate attention, wasn't covered under warranty, and the total cost of repair was $784.29. I explained to the service advisor, Gene Frank, that the car had never been in a collision since I owned it, and Gene stated that this is a common problem with Audi cars and if he filed a claim with the company, it would be rejected. Gene argued that my car may have been hit in the front by another car on the street, and when I asked why the front of the car doesn't show damage, he explained it was due to the plastic coating on the outside of the surface. Based on the pictures taken by the service inspector and the reasoning for this damage, I argue that this damage was due to a faulty wire. The car is garage kept, has low mileage, has never been in a collision, and has never had body work performed on it. For all these reasons, I dispute the cause of this wire damage. I want Audi to take responsibility for this repair, recall this type of wiring, and refund me the total amount paid for repair.
The contact owned a 2018 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was a puddle of fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
This problem is extremely sporadic, and often remedies itself after car shut down, and sometimes require that the car sit for a period of time. I estimate the following issue happens ~1 time a month, or estimated 5% of the time. Weather (temperature specifically) does not appear to impact occurance. When reversing, at times the back up camera does not function properly. During these times, the parking sensors appear to work, but it's unclear if the emergency reverse automatic braking system is working. The backup camera issues present themselves in several different ways and are described below. 1) Scrolling view (think of an old time movie, where the image "scrolling" through the screen 2) Black, but not completely black, includes what appears to be interference (sometimes white pixels flash randomly throughout the screen) 3) Off color (almost like a color inversion), darks appear light, light colors appear dark, similar to how things when developing film in a dark room 4) Similar to #1 but instead it freezes, halfway through a scroll. Often times the picture is split, with the bottom on the top, and the top on the bottom, and a clear black line in the middle Opening and closing the trunk, tapping the camera, turning the parking sensor (and camera) off and on do not solve the issue when it happens. Neither does changing from R to P on the transmission lever. Issue always requires a restart, rarely does an immediate restart fix the issue. The tracking lines are also distorted when this happens. When not malfunctioning, camera system works perfectly. Recently, I came across NHTSA ID: 25V900000 which almost exactly describes my issues but my car is not included. I did recently ask the Dealer to look into it during my 40,000 mile service. They stated that no codes were in the system and they could further troubleshoot but the intermittent nature would likely result in no findings unless the issue is present on site.
Showing 20 of 249 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific AUDI A4
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The AUDI A4 has 249 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The AUDI A4 has 13 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 9 of the AUDI A4's 249 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision β always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all AUDI A4 vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two AUDI A4 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The AUDI A4 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.