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Audi A4Model year report

2002 Audi A4 Problems

Complaints
181filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
30,000miles, 113 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 1.8L 4-cyl FWD · 18 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Audi A4 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe ignition coil failures in the 1.8T and 3.0 engines, typically at low mileage and sometimes while driving, which can cause misfiring, loss of power or stalling. A second cluster involves the CVT automatic transmission, where complaints describe hesitation, delayed engagement and gear indicator lights, and a third involves the left headlight cutting out with a dashboard warning.

  1. Electrical system

    Ignition coil failure (misfire, power loss)

    • 64 complaints (35%)
    • median 10,600 mi at 1.2 yrs old (43 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2008

    Complaints describe the engine misfiring, running rough, shaking or losing power, and in some cases stalling while driving; several owners report the engine warning light coming on. Many state that only the failed coil was replaced, even where several coils are fitted, and some report repeated failures of replacement coils. A few mention a glowing catalytic converter or the coil housing catching fire. Mostly reported below 15,000 miles, including within the first few thousand miles, and some in cold winter conditions.

    What to check: Ask whether the ignition coils have been replaced and how many; check for a rough idle or misfire on a test drive and have fault codes read before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Failed coil pack on Audi A4. Safety issue since auot stalls on highway. Dealer indicates Audi will not replace more than 1 coil (4 in the car) and I can expect furtehr failures. This is major system-wide failure problem, that Audi simply will not deal with. I urge a mandatory recall immediately before accidents ensue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10003584, filed 2003-01, 8,205 miles

    “My 2002 Audi A4 1.8t had a coil pack failure on 12/18/02. The failure caused the car to sputter lose speed and become unpredictable. It occured at a speed of 30 MPH forcing me to take evasive driving action. Upon further research, I found out that this failure is occuring on a very large scale with dozens and dozens of 1.8t engines (both vw and Audi) having this problem. Vw/Audi has not issued a recall for these parts and is only replacing the failed part. There are coil packs in each 1.8t. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10000280, filed 2002-12, 11,030 miles
  2. Exterior lighting

    Left headlight cuts out with 'dipped headlight' warning

    • 17 complaints (9%)
    • median 101,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2020

    Complaints describe one headlight, usually the left, flickering or turning off while driving, often with a dashboard message about a dipped headlight. Replacing the bulb is reported not to fix it, and some owners say the light can come back briefly when the housing is tapped. Owners report that dealers could not resolve it, and one complaint mentions a quote to replace the whole unit and another mentions a fire at the headlight. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 115,000 miles, occurring on every use once it starts.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check both headlights on a test drive and look for the dipped headlight message; ask whether the headlight unit or igniter has been replaced, and check for condensation inside the lenses.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2002 Audi A4 with 370k burned a bit of oil which was fine cleaned the engine out with cleaners it smoked a bit which is normal.. Headlights started flickering 'hids' so I parked it. 3 days later I go to take the car on a test drive and the drivers headlight lit on fire ! Not sure if it was a headlight issue or a wiring issue.. Insurance will not cover it.”

    NHTSA complaint #11376377, filed 2020-11, 370,000 miles

    “I own a 2002 Audi A4 1.8l turbo. Every time I need to use my headlights, I get a left headlamp dipped message and the left headlight does not turn on. There are no events that lead up to this other than starting the car and turning my lights on. It has occurred now for 1 year. At first, turning the lights off and on repeatedly would temporarily fix the problem and turn both lights on. But now, the left light will never turn on and the error message still appears. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10344461, filed 2010-07, 102,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    CVT transmission hesitation and delayed engagement

    • 14 complaints (8%)
    • median 75,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2012

    Owners of cars with the CVT automatic describe hesitation on acceleration, jerking, delayed engagement when moving off from a stop, and difficulty selecting reverse. Some report gear indicator lights blinking and the vehicle failing to accelerate; dealers are described as performing adjustments, and in some cases the transmission or control module was replaced with the problem only partly resolved. Most reports fall between roughly 45,000 and 120,000 miles, often developing gradually.

    5 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test from a cold start: check for a delay or jerk when shifting into drive or reverse and for hesitation under light acceleration. Ask whether transmission fluid changes or any transmission repairs are documented.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The problem is with the CVT automatic transmission. I guess you would call it hesitation when you accelerate. When we bought the car we lived in a small town that was very flat with no hills. The car was driven on mostly back roads at approximately 25 to 30 MPH. After a few months we moved and the car was driven faster, now the problem was becoming very noticeable. As you accelerate the car hesitates and you have to push harder on the accelerator then the car jerks forward. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10056815, filed 2004-02, 8,000 miles

    “My 2002 Audi A4 has a defect with the transmission control module. This defect results in the loss of my ability to put the gear in reverse (automatic CVT transmission). This has happened to me several times within the past month ( which is when this problem started). I was faced with a horrifying experience where I needed to reverse in order to avoid a bus from hitting my car while it was turning onto the road I was stopped at. The reverse did not work, and it acted as if it were in neutral. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10350391, filed 2010-08, 75,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbags did not deploy in a crash

    • 6 complaints (3%)
    • median 124,948 mi at 6.4 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2020

    Several complaints describe collisions, including front-end impacts, in which the driver airbag did not deploy while other airbags did. One owner reports no airbags deploying in a front impact, and another reports the passenger airbag deploying but not the driver side. Reported at higher mileages, from about 56,000 to 193,000 miles.

    Recall 21V470000

    What to check: Ask whether the driver airbag inflator recall 21V470000 was completed; check for any airbag warning light or stored airbag fault codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I slid off a wet curvy down hill road and slammed into an embankment. Went unconscious and woke with a large laceration to back of head. Saw that the passenger airbags exploded but none for driver's side. Seatbelt on driver's side tighten so tight could strangled me if I was wearing it. Have video of malfunctioning seatbelt and airbag”

    NHTSA complaint #11351314, filed 2020-08, 193,897 miles

    “Involved in an mva on 1/11/2010 my vehicle struck in front bumper back to radiator support. Passenger airbag deployed drivers did not causing me to sustain many injuries. Person turned left into my vehicle at intersection both vehicles traveling approx.25 to 30mph.”

    NHTSA complaint #10300044, filed 2010-01, 219,000 miles

Buying note. Check service history for ignition coil replacements and oil change records, test the CVT carefully from cold, and confirm the driver airbag recall was completed. A pre-purchase inspection that reads fault codes and checks the headlights is worthwhile on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 181 consumer complaints for the 2002 Audi A4. 113 of the complaints include a mileage, and 58% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 30,000 miles. Of all complaints, 13 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 132 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seats (5), Suspension (5), Brakes (4), Other or unknown (4), Vehicle speed control (4), Wheels (3), Seat belts (2), Steering (2), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “On december 3rd, 2010, I was driving south on I-405s heading from long beach, ca to san diego, ca. I was driving approximately 45 MPH when my check engine light came on and I lost all acceleration in my car. I still had electrical power (ie, indicators still worked, my manual transmission worked and interior dome lights worked). I pulled straight over to the side of the highway at which point I noticed that the hood of my car appeared to be melting and that smoke was rising out of the engine. I jumped out of the car and ran to the side of the road to call 911. …”

NHTSA complaint #10379680, filed 2011-01, 138,000 miles

Engine cooling: “We have a 2002 Audi A4 1.8l with 16,700 miles on it (very very low mileage). At 16,700 miles, the water pump (according to the dealer) went bad ... For the year of the vehicle, and the very very low usage, I simply find this unacceptable.”

NHTSA complaint #10243420, filed 2008-09, 16,700 miles

Exterior lighting: “I have an 2002 Audi A4 1.8t quattro. When I turn the lights on, my left xenon headlight blinks intermittently, then, very often, turns off then back on. I then get an error message regarding my left dipped headlight. If I turn the lights off, the error message goes away and then the cycle repeats itself again (lights shut off, then error message). This has been going on for several months now. I have complained to the dealership about it, but nothing has been done to resolve this problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10322813, filed 2010-03, 97,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “2002 Audi A4 1.8t, transmission ctv, the car has 75,000 miles everything works in the car with some minor stuff, but the transmission start to jerk when stop in a red light, is almost uncontrollable, it want to move the forward, so I have to press the brake hard so it doesn't move. It starts to get dangerous to drive in that kind of condition. This is the second Audi I own and that?s a shame that so good quality car has this kind of problem and the dealers and Audi USA don?t do anything about it. …”

NHTSA complaint #10395921, filed 2011-04, 75,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

58% of the 113 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,700 and 80,000 miles.

27%0–1019%10–2512%25–5012%50–7514%75–10011%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (113 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 30,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’0357’05’07’09’11’14’18’20
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Audi A4. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
A4 · sedan not rated4 / 4——4
A4 Avant · sedan not rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Audi A4 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
A4 FWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed manual202923$3,550
A4 FWD1.8L 4-cylCVT182621$3,900
A4 FWD3.0L 6-cylCVT172519$4,350
A4 Avant quattro 4WD/AWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed manual182621$3,900
A4 Avant quattro 4WD/AWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed automatic172620$4,100
A4 Avant quattro 4WD/AWD3.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152318$4,550
A4 Avant quattro 4WD/AWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed manual162318$4,550
A4 quattro 4WD/AWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed manual182621$3,900
A4 quattro 4WD/AWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed automatic172620$4,100
A4 quattro 4WD/AWD3.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152318$4,550
A4 quattro 4WD/AWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed manual162318$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Audi A4 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 132 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 132 bulletins →

Other model years of the Audi A4

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20231030,0000—28—Too new
2022632,4003—29—Not enough data
2021112,6744528—Not enough data
202012826,000353084 · MoreRising
20191050,0001530—Not enough data
20184512,000153144 · TypicalRising
20175628,00015310 · FewerFalling
20161145,0000527—Not enough data
20151944,0000526—Falling
20143280,00005260 · FewerFalling
201324101,0000526—Falling
201219109,0000425—Falling
201111105,5000425—Not enough data
20106483,7500—2650 · TypicalFalling
200912065,0002—25100 · MoreStable
200817562,0004—24100 · MoreFalling
200719674,0003—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200629560,0003—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200521958,4003—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200418959,5602—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200321060,0003—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200218130,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200113161,0281—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20009662,9002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199919075,0004—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199825880,6504—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19979892,4576—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19968966,8214—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Audi A4 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Audi A4?

Owners of this model year most often describe ignition coil failures in the 1.8T and 3.0 engines, typically at low mileage and sometimes while driving, which can cause misfiring, loss of power or stalling. The issues reported most often: Ignition coil failure (misfire, power loss); Left headlight cuts out with 'dipped headlight' warning; CVT transmission hesitation and delayed engagement.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Audi A4 have?

NHTSA recorded 181 consumer complaints for the 2002 Audi A4 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Audi A4 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 76 complaints (42% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 28.

Has the 2002 Audi A4 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Audi A4 get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Audi A4 (A4, 1.8L 4-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Audi A4 reported?

Among the 113 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 30,000 miles and the middle half falls between 9,700 and 80,000 miles; 58% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.