1998 Audi A4 Problems: Brakes (256 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1998 Audi A4 is Brakes (43% of 256 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 256 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 1998 Audi A4?

110 of 256 filings named Brakes (43% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (28 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Engine, Brakes, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1997 has 94 reports on file; this year has 256. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1998 Audi A4

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Brakes. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Brakes 110 complaints · 43.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 11
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 1997 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) appears in 110 of 256 owner complaints (43.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 110 complaints, 43.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 110 · 43.0% Engine (ENGINE): 28 complaints, 10.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 28 · 10.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 21 complaints, 8.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 21 · 8.2% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 18 complaints, 7.0% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 18 · 7.0% Steering (STEERING): 17 complaints, 6.6% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 fire reports 17 · 6.6% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 15 complaints, 5.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 4 crash reports 15 · 5.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 11 complaints, 4.3% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 11 · 4.3% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 7 complaints, 2.7% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 7 · 2.7% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 7 complaints, 2.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 7 · 2.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 214 complaints, 83.6% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 crash reports 1 fire reports 214 · 83.6% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 110 43.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 28 10.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 21 8.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 18 7.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 17 6.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 15 5.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 11 4.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 2.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 7 2.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 214 83.6% 4 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 1997; the first recall shown was reported in Jun 1998. 1997-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 1999-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 1999-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2000-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2000-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2000-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2000-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2001-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2001-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2004-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 1997 Jul 2022 Recall campaign 98V134000 ◆ Recall campaign 98V134000 Recall campaign 99V131001 ◆ Recall campaign 99V131001 Recall campaign 99V248000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V248000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 06E060000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E060000 Recall campaign 22V471000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V471000 Investigation RQ99008 ● Investigation RQ99008 Investigation PE00016 ● Investigation PE00016 Investigation EA00021 ● Investigation EA00021 Investigation PE02008 ● Investigation PE02008 Investigation EA04017 ● Investigation EA04017
  • Campaign 99V131001 was reported 86 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 22V471000 was reported 8,631 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1997-Q3 Owner reports 2
1998-Q2 Owner reports 1
1998-Q3 Owner reports 2
1998-Q4 Owner reports 2
1999-Q1 Owner reports 7
1999-Q2 Owner reports 8
1999-Q3 Owner reports 4
1999-Q4 Owner reports 12
2000-Q1 Owner reports 16
2000-Q2 Owner reports 15
2000-Q3 Owner reports 13
2000-Q4 Owner reports 6
2001-Q1 Owner reports 11
2001-Q2 Owner reports 5
2001-Q3 Owner reports 3
2001-Q4 Owner reports 3
2002-Q1 Owner reports 3
2002-Q2 Owner reports 3
2002-Q3 Owner reports 4
2002-Q4 Owner reports 7
2003-Q1 Owner reports 3
2003-Q2 Owner reports 5
2003-Q3 Owner reports 7
2003-Q4 Owner reports 4
2004-Q1 Owner reports 12
2004-Q2 Owner reports 5
2004-Q3 Owner reports 13
2004-Q4 Owner reports 7
2005-Q1 Owner reports 14
2005-Q2 Owner reports 7
2005-Q3 Owner reports 12
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q1 Owner reports 8
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 98V134000
Recall campaign 1 99V131001
Recall campaign 1 99V248000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 06E060000
Recall campaign 1 22V471000
Defect investigation 1 RQ99008
Defect investigation 1 PE00016
Defect investigation 1 EA00021
Defect investigation 1 PE02008
Defect investigation 1 EA04017
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Engine, Brakes, and Steering.

  1. Recall campaign 06E049000

    Safety recall 06E049000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 06E060000

    Safety recall 06E060000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH
    Remedy:
    AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 22V471000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternative inflator of a different design, free of charge. Owner notification letters were sent September 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BT. The vehicles in this recall were mistakenly omitted from recall 20V-056. All vehicle owners have already been notified by mail and informed that the remedy is available.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 98V134000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    SCREEN PIECES COULD ENTER THE INTAKE AIR FLOW SYSTEM AND PREVENT THE THROTTLE PLATE FROM RETURNING TO ITS FULL IDLE POSITION.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RETAINING RING TO HOLD THE AIR SCREEN IN PLACE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 99V131001

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT VACUUM TO BE PROVIDED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A VACUUM BY-PASS SYSTEM INTO VEHICLES OPERATED IN THESE STATES WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VACUUM FOR FULL BRAKE ASSIST UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 99V248000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 256 complaints · page 1 of 11
2022-01-27Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11449188
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Recall 69bt was not accomplished at McDaniels Audi of Charleston dealer. They indicated they had replaced airbag with 8D0898201A kit.
2021-10-05Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11435574
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 1998 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH with his 12-year-old son sitting in the passenger seat, he crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, however, his son sustained a broken rib and was transported to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact recently received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS). The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
2021-07-07Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11423780
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 Audi A4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V056000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
2021-04-28Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11414346
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
2017-06-01Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10992681
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT HAVE BEEN ON EVER SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE, THINKING THAT IT MAY BE A FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER AS SEEING VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN MANY WEBSITES. ANOTHER MAIN CONCERNED IS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINE DESIGN CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL SLUDGE. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION MEASURES.
2017-02-11Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 10954021
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE AMBER ABS WARNING LIGHT GLOWS WHILE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. I UNDERSTAND NEWER AUDI MODELS HAVE JUST BEEN RECALLED FOR ABS ISSUES, BUT MY 1998 A4 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BRAKING APPEARS NORMAL, AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION IS SPORADIC.
2016-11-21Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10927229
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT HAD THE TURBO REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR DUE TO THE STALLING. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
2012-05-29Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10459880
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED A BURNING WIRE ODOR UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND VARIOUS OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V317000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 201,000.
2012-04-05EXTERIOR LIGHTING
NHTSA ODI 10454292
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AMBER REFLECTOR HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED POORLY AND DECREASED VISION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06E049000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 190,000.
2012-04-02EXTERIOR LIGHTING
NHTSA ODI 10453798
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE HAD A RECENT DISCUSSION WITH AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER IN WAYZATA, MN AT 11:55AM. THIS IS REGARDING A DEFECT IN MY MODEL YEAR 1998 AUDI A4 2.8., OR AUDI A4 2.8 MANUFACTURED JUNE OF 1997. I RESEARCHED THE WEB AND SAW HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE LIGHT SWITCH. I TURNED MY LIGHT SWITCH ON AND THE LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM DO NOT WORK. THE TEMPORARY HIGH BEAM WORKS. I SAW MANY OTHER 1998 AUDI OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM; EVEN MORE SIMILAR WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD A 1998 MODEL YEAR CAR THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1997. THE RECALL CAMPAIGN IS A LITTLE AMBIGUOUS STATING MODEL YEARS AND MANUFACTURE DATES. MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURE DATE BUT NOT THE RECALL DATE. THE RECALL IS OPEN HOWEVER 1998 MODELS, WHICH ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE, ARE NOT INCLUDED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT CARS MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO AUGUST OF 1997 EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MODEL YEAR 1998 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1998 Audi A4?

Owners named Brakes most often — 110 of 256 reports (43%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1998 Audi A4?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Engine, Brakes, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1998 Audi A4?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources