Audi A4
Owners filed 2,893 complaints across 30 model years of the Audi A4. The 2006 drew the most (295); the 1995 the fewest (1).
Model years30
Complaints2,893
Recalls75
Fires49
Deaths0
Every Audi A4 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2021 | 11 | 4 | — | 3 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2020 | 127 | 3 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2019 | 10 | 1 | — | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2018 | 44 | 1 | — | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2017 | 55 | 1 | — | 2 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | 1 | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2015 | 19 | 0 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2014 | 32 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2012 | 19 | 0 | 1 | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2011 | 11 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 64 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2009 | 120 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2008 | 175 | 4 | 1 | 8 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2007 | 196 | 3 | — | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 295 | 3 | 4 | 8 | Exterior Lighting | Above average | |
| 2005 | 219 | 4 | 3 | 7 | Exterior Lighting | Above average | |
| 2004 | 189 | 3 | 3 | 8 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Routine | |
| 2003 | 210 | 4 | 6 | 10 | Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump | Above average | |
| 2002 | 181 | 2 | 6 | 13 | Electrical System › Ignition | Routine | |
| 2001 | 131 | 3 | 9 | 5 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 2000 | 96 | 5 | 2 | 5 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1999 | 190 | 7 | 2 | 9 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1998 | 258 | 6 | 2 | 6 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1997 | 98 | 8 | 3 | 7 | Electrical System › Ignition › Switch | Routine | |
| 1996 | 89 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Electrical System › Ignition › Switch | Routine | |
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | — | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine |
Which Audi A4 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2006 is the weakest year on record, with 295 complaints concentrated in the exterior lighting. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.