Audi A4 problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 253 owner complaints and 12 safety recalls for the Audi A4. That averages 4.9 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.12 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Luxury sedans segment it ranks #4 of 6 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 4.9.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 50% above the 2018 and 2019 models (5 early complaints per model year versus 4).
The 2020 model year has the highest rate (23.3 complaints per year) and the 2019 model year the lowest (1.0). The 2020 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 4.9 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 run at least 40% below this model's average of 4.9 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Electrical (58.1% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (16.6%) and Engine (7.5%). Electrical complaints are 3.7 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 10 complaints (4.0%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 30 complaints versus 167 in the previous 12 months — down 82%. The 2018 model year generated the most recent reports (18). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 63 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 12 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2021 (4). No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Lexus ES, BMW 5 Series and BMW 3 Series, but fewer than Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 51 | 5.8 | 0.14 | 18 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2019 Fewest complaints | 8 | 1.0 | 0.02 | 0 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 ▲50%+ | 158 | 23.3 | 0.58 | 6 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 | 12 | 2.1 | 0.05 | 0 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 6 | 1.3 | 0.03 | 3 | 3 | Engine | View › |
| 2023 | 11 | 2.9 | 0.07 | 2 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2024 | 6 | 2.2 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | Engine | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 1 | 0.6 | 0.01 | 1 | 0 | Brakes | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 30 · Previous 12 months: 167 Falling
Problem areas
Electrical ›
147 · 58.1% · 3.69 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Unspecified or other ›
42 · 16.6% · 1.85 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Engine
19 · 7.5% · 0.34 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Airbags & seat belts
12 · 4.7% · 1.25 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
9 · 3.6% · 1.42 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Brakes
7 · 2.8% · 0.46 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Driver-assist systems
6 · 2.4% · 0.41 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Transmission / powertrain
4 · 1.6% · 0.14 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Body & structure
2 · 0.8% · 0.09 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering
2 · 0.8% · 0.12 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
2 · 0.8% · 0.43 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
1 · 0.4% · 0.09 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 63 months
What owners report
I was going from one section of the parking lot to another section. I was slowly making a right turn into that area as there were a lot of empty parking spaces. As I turned, suddenly I felt that I could not control the car.
While driving southbound on [XXX] near [XXX] in Mississippi, the advanced driver-assistance systems (lane assist and radar) did not operate as designed.
Date: [XXX] Time: Approximately [XXX] Location: Street in front of [XXX]. At approximately [XXX], my wife was seated and properly belted in the front passenger seat of our 2020 Audi A4.
My 2020 Audi A4 has an open safety recall campaign. Audi Corporate and my local dealership are formally refusing to perform the recall remedy unless I pay over $2,000 out-of-pocket to replace a broken J949 SOS Telematics Module.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message SOS module no longer connected was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle failed to shut off.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Luxury sedans
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus ES | 150 | 3.5 | 0.09 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 6 | Airbags & seat belts |
| 2 | BMW 5 Series | 190 | 3.6 | 0.09 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 1 | Airbags & seat belts |
| 3 | BMW 3 Series | 225 | 4.3 | 0.11 | Stable | Rising | 1 | Engine |
| 4 | Audi A4 | 253 | 4.9 | 0.12 | Worsening | Falling | 12 | Electrical |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 242 | 6.0 | 0.15 | Stable | Rising | 0 | Electrical |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 341 | 7.0 | 0.17 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 0 | Engine |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 12
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (4) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (3) · 2023 (1) · 2024 (0) · 2025 (0)
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.