Audi S4 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 577 consumer complaints across the 17 model years of the Audi S4 (1992–2020) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 143. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (148 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All S4 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17 | — | 3 | 942 | — | Rising |
| 2018 | 7 | 4,000 | 2 | 797 | — | Not enough data |
| 2014 | 17 | 42,430 | 1 | 724 | — | Falling |
| 2013 | 33 | 5,100 | 1 | 876 | 56 · Typical | Stable |
| 2012 | 22 | 70,000 | 1 | 796 | — | Stable |
| 2011 | 26 | 61,897 | 1 | 776 | 9 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2010 | 60 | 58,950 | 0 | 681 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2007 | 13 | 73,428 | 2 | 247 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 30 | 49,325 | 2 | 231 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2005 | 43 | 56,000 | 2 | 212 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 29 | 55,000 | 1 | 118 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 22 | 35,627 | 1 | 82 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 87 | 60,000 | 1 | 68 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 143 | 65,000 | 1 | 68 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 7 | 165,000 | 2 | 16 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 16 | 121,500 | 2 | 6 | — | Stable |
| 1992 | 5 | — | 2 | 6 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system148 27%
- Transmission and drivetrain103 19%
- Exterior lighting65 12%
- Brakes65 12%
- Tires48 8.9%
- Engine cooling43 8.0%
- Steering35 6.5%
- Fuel system32 5.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2012: “While driving in traffic, my car dropped into lower gears and stopped moving, and two error codes popped up gearbox malfunction and TPMS malfunction . Looking this up online and discussing with my mechanic, this is something happening in a lot of the cars that are this make & model and have the same transmission.”
NHTSA complaint #11096667, filed 2018-05, 67,000 miles2010: “My car flashed gearbox malfunction while driving down interstate I-264 in louisville ky. Car seamed fine for about 2 miles and then suddenly went limp and I had no gears. Had to hit flashers and coast into median. Was almost hit by semi truck. Repair shop could not find anything wrong. Happened again 1 day after getting it back from shop. Taking it to Audi now. I have read that this is a common problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11270568, filed 2019-10, 99,000 miles2005: “Takata recall 1. The left headlight flickers. 2. It then turns itself off 3. The message left dipped headlight appears 4. This happens while my vehicle is parked and in motion so it is a very serious safety risk. I have had both headlights go out at night while driving with my 2 year old in the car!”
NHTSA complaint #11045079, filed 2017-11, 90,256 milesOther Audi models
2,893 complaintsAudi A6
1,653 complaintsAudi Q5
1,348 complaintsAudi Q7
1,052 complaintsAudi A3
727 complaintsAudi A5
324 complaintsAudi TT
306 complaintsAudi A4 Allroad
243 complaints
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. Methodology