Audi A4: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
2,263 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Audi A4, model years 2000 to 2025. 3 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2003 (transmission 4.3×); 2009 (engine 4.9×); 2010 (engine 4.6×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2013, 2014, 2018. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 A4FEW REPORTS | 96 | — | 5 | |
| 2001 A4FEW REPORTS | 131 | — | 3 | |
| 2002 A4 | 181 | — | 2 | |
| 2003 A4 | 210 | transmission 4.3× | 4 | |
| 2004 A4 | 189 | — | 3 | |
| 2005 A4 | 219 | — | 4 | |
| 2006 A4 | 295 | — | 3 | |
| 2007 A4 | 196 | — | 3 | |
| 2008 A4 | 175 | — | 4 | |
| 2009 A4FEW REPORTS | 120 | engine 4.9× | 2 | |
| 2010 A4FEW REPORTS | 64 | engine 4.6× | 0 | |
| 2011 A4FEW REPORTS | 11 | — | 0 | |
| 2012 A4FEW REPORTS | 19 | — | 0 | |
| 2013 A4FEW REPORTS | 24 | quiet: 1 of 15 | 0 | |
| 2014 A4FEW REPORTS | 32 | quiet: 2 of 15 | 0 | |
| 2015 A4FEW REPORTS | 19 | — | 0 | |
| 2016 A4FEW REPORTS | 11 | — | 0 | |
| 2017 A4FEW REPORTS | 57 | quiet: 4 of 15 | 1 | |
| 2018 A4FEW REPORTS | 45 | quiet: 3 of 15 | 1 | |
| 2019 A4FEW REPORTS | 10 | — | 1 | |
| 2020 A4FEW REPORTS | 128 | — | 3 | |
| 2021 A4FEW REPORTS | 11 | — | 4 | |
| 2022 A4FEW REPORTS | 6 | — | 3 | |
| 2023 A4FEW REPORTS | 11 | — | 0 | |
| 2024 A4FEW REPORTS | 2 | — | 0 | |
| 2025 A4FEW REPORTS | 1 | — | 0 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other Audi models
Audi A3 · Audi A3 Cabriolet · Audi A4 Allroad · Audi A5 · Audi A6 · Audi A8 · Audi Q3 · Audi Q5 · Audi Q7 · Audi Q8 · Audi S4 · Audi TT · Audi e-tron. All makes and models.
Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 2002200320042005200620072008