Audi A4 Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2008–2025, owners filed 1,085 complaints about the Audi A4 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and air bags, and NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the A4 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2009 and 2020 as years to avoid and rates 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as better years. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1,085
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2025)
39
Complaints citing a crash
19
Recall campaigns
3
Years to avoid
Most-reported Audi A4 problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2025, by the component owners named, filed 2008–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 256 | 24% | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Air bags | 240 | 22% | 22 | 0 | 14 |
| Electrical system | 202 | 19% | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Steering | 120 | 11% | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 74 | 7% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 61 | 6% | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Backup camera / back-over prevention | 61 | 6% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & cooling | 36 | 3% | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Of all 1,085 complaints, 39 (4%) report a crash, 15 (1%) a fire and 21 (2%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (198 complaints), the most-reported areas are the electrical system (119), the backup camera (57), automatic emergency braking (17), lane-keeping assistance (10).
Audi A4 complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each A4 model year with the model's other years.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 191 | 6 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2009 | 144 | 6 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2010 | 64 | 0 | Engine | — |
| 2011 | 42 | 0 | Engine | Better year |
| 2012 | 45 | 0 | Engine | Better year |
| 2013 | 111 | 0 | Steering | — |
| 2014 | 76 | 0 | Engine | — |
| 2015 | 44 | 0 | Engine | Better year |
| 2016 | 26 | 0 | Engine | Better year |
| 2017 | 84 | 1 | Air bags | — |
| 2018 | 52 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
| 2019 | 8 | 1 | Electrical system | — |
| 2020 | 158 | 3 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2021 | 13 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
| 2022 | 7 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2023 | 12 | 1 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2024(new) | 7 | 0 | Tires | — |
| 2025(new) | 1 | 0 | Steering | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Audi A4 recalls
NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns across Audi A4 model years 2008–2025. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V874000Nov 10, 2021 | 2017–2020 | Seats | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback… |
| 22V034000Jan 26, 2022 | 2020 and 2021 | Tires | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5… |
| 21V295000Apr 26, 2021 | 2020 and 2021 | Suspension — rear / axle / non-powered axle assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5… |
| 18V427000Jun 22, 2018 | 2008 and 2009 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011… |
| 18V082000Jan 30, 2018 | 2008 and 2009 | Air bags — frontal / driver side / inflator module | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of… |
Best and worst A4 years
- Years to avoid: 2008, 2009 and 2020.
- Better years: 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.
- 2024–2025: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
What to inspect on a used Audi A4
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Backup camera: shift into reverse and make sure the image comes up quickly and clearly every time.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Audi A4 can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Audi A4 reliability FAQ
Is the Audi A4 reliable?
Across model years 2008–2025, owners filed 1,085 complaints about the Audi A4 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and air bags, and NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the A4 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2009 and 2020 as years to avoid and rates 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as better years. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Audi A4 problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2025, the most-reported areas are the engine (256), air bags (240), the electrical system (202) and steering (120). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the electrical system, the backup camera and automatic emergency braking. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Audi A4 should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2009 and 2020 as years to avoid and rates 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as better years. Each model year is compared only with other A4 years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How many recalls does the Audi A4 have?
NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns covering Audi A4 model years 2008–2025. The one covering the most model years is 21V874000 (seats, 2017–2020). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Audi A4?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure A4 reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Audi A4, model years 2008–2025, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each A4 model year only with other A4 years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the A4 compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.