2000 Audi A4 Problems: Brakes (94 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2000 Audi A4 is Brakes (52% of 94 owner reports). There are 5 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 94 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2000 Audi A4?

49 of 94 filings named Brakes (52% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (10 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Engine and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1999 has 187 reports on file; this year has 94. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2000 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 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  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 49 complaints · 52.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 5
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 2
  • Deaths 0
All Audi A4 years →
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 49 of 94 owner complaints (52.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 49 complaints, 52.1% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 49 · 52.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 10 complaints, 10.6% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 10 · 10.6% Engine (ENGINE): 10 complaints, 10.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 10 · 10.6% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 6 complaints, 6.4% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 6 · 6.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 5 complaints, 5.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 · 5.3% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 4 complaints, 4.3% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 · 4.3% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 2 complaints, 2.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 2 · 2.1% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 1.1% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 1.1% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 1.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 1.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 78 complaints, 83.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 5 crash reports 2 fire reports 78 · 83.0% 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) 49 52.1% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 10 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 10 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 6 6.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 4.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 2 2.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 1.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 1.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 78 83.0% 5 crashes · 2 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 Jan 2000; the first recall shown was reported in May 2006. 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2000-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2001-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2003-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2000 Jun 2021 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 06E060000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E060000 Recall campaign 14E007000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E007000 Recall campaign 20V056000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V056000 Recall campaign 21V470000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V470000 Investigation PE00016 ● Investigation PE00016 Investigation EA00021 ● Investigation EA00021 Investigation PE02008 ● Investigation PE02008
  • Campaign 14E007000 was reported 3,956 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V056000 was reported 7,161 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V470000 was reported 7,670 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 8
2000-Q3 Owner reports 1
2000-Q4 Owner reports 4
2001-Q1 Owner reports 7
2001-Q2 Owner reports 1
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 4
2003-Q2 Owner reports 10
2003-Q4 Owner reports 4
2004-Q1 Owner reports 5
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q4 Owner reports 4
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q3 Owner reports 8
2005-Q4 Owner reports 4
2006-Q1 Owner reports 3
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 06E060000
Recall campaign 1 14E007000
Recall campaign 1 20V056000
Recall campaign 1 21V470000
Defect investigation 1 PE00016
Defect investigation 1 EA00021
Defect investigation 1 PE02008
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

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

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

  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 14E007000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
    Remedy:
    Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 20V056000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator when the parts become available, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed September 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 21V470000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.
    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 94 complaints · page 1 of 4
2021-06-15Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11421046
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2000 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. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and 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 part not available.
2020-09-20Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11360106
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE LCD SCREEN IS PIXELATING. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL AUDI 2000 A4S. THE SCREEN IS NOT SHOWING ANY WARNINGS ARE PROBLEMS
2016-12-13Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10935067
CrashFireInjuryDeath
GRADUAL FAILURE OF THE AUTO CHECK SYSTEM DISPLAY LEADING TO TOTAL FAILURE AND THE INABILITY TO DETERMINE ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY DATA.
2013-07-31Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10532967
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE LCD DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER IS PIXELATED, THIS NORMALLY WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE A HUGE PROBLEM BUT THIS SCREEN INFORMS THE DRIVER OF HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURES, LOW OIL, LOW COOLANT, ETC. I'M UNABLE TO READ THE SCREEN AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS ATTEMPTING TO TELL ME WHEN MY CAR MAKES A VERY HIGH PITCHED BEEP TO INFORM ME THERE IS A PROBLEM. I'VE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CARS OF THIS MODEL YEAR AND SEVERAL OTHER MODEL YEARS. *TR
2013-02-10Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 10497618
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AUDI COMPLAINT AND RECALL REQUEST THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS LIKE IT SHOULD. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED I GET A SOLID AMBER ABS WARNING LIGHT ALONG WITH A FLASHING BRAKE LIGHT ACCOMPANIED WITH THREE WARNING TONES. UPON DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THIS PROBLEM WITH THE BOSCH 5.3 ABS CONTROL MODULE UNIT IS EXTREMELY COMMON ON 1998 TO 2001 AUDI AND VW MODELS. AUDI/VW CREATED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPAIR VW'S IN THE SAME DATE RANGE (BULLETIN 0517 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10016037), BUT IGNORED THE ISSUE WITH AUDI'S. AS PER THE VEHICLE'S OWNER'S MANUAL, IT STATES THAT WHILE THE SYSTEM IS IN THIS STATE, THE REAR BRAKES MAY LOCK UP UNDER BRAKING. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO BRAKE QUICKLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THE COST OF REPLACING THE ABS MODULE FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS QUOTED AT OVER $1000. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT THOUSANDS OF AUDI OWNERS HAVE VOICED COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THEIR CUSTOMER'S SAFETY AND A RECALL SHOULD BE REQUIRED. *TR
2012-09-06Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10474724
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2000 AUDI A4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE OVD 2 UNIT IN AUDI AND VW VEHICLES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM INVOLVED THE OVD 2 UNIT WHICH COMMUNICATED THE SMOG TEST RESULTS TO THE COMPUTER AND DMV. ALTHOUGH, THE VEHICLE WOULD PASS THE EMISSIONS TEST, THERE WOULD BE A COMMUNICATION ERROR. THE DMV REQUIRED THE COMMUNICATION AND MADE NO EXCEPTION. THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM STEMMED FROM THE OVD 2 UNIT PLACED INTO THE RADIO. WHEN THE RADIO IS REPLACED WITH A NON AUDI OR VW RADIO THE OVD 2 UNIT IS NO LONGER THERE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE PRICE TO REPLACE THE RADIO CONTAINING THE OVD 2 UNIT IS $1000 AND UP.
2011-01-11Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10376262
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1. WHEN THE ABS IS ACTIVATED DURING SNOW OR ICE CONDITIONS. 2. THE BRAKES "STICK" AND THE ABS IS NOT FULLY DEACTIVATED ONCE YOUR FOOT IS OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. OFTEN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE IS STILL ENGAGED SLIGHTLY DURING DRIVING. WHEN STOPPED YOU CAN SMELL THE RUBBING BRAKES AND YOU CAN TELL THE BRAKE IS RUBBING WHILE DRIVING AS IT SLOWS DOWN THE VEHICLE. IT USUALLY UNSTICKS AFTER SEVERAL MILES OF DRIVING OR LEAVING THE CAR SIT OVERNIGHT NOT RUNNING. 3. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY TELL ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES OR ABS SYSTEM. *TR
2010-12-09Airbags (AIR BAGS)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10369789
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS HEADED NORTH BOUND ON THE CALIFORNIA 57 RIGHT BEFORE DIAMOND BAR BLVD. WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL. I DROVE OVER TO THE SHOULDER LANE AND RIGHT AS I MERGED OVER MY BACK DRIVER SIDE TIRE SNAPPED OFF TAKING HALF MY WHEEL BASE WITH IT LEAVING NO WAY TO PUT A SPARE TIRE ON. *TR
2010-07-18Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10343834
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ABS MODULE FAILURE & CENTER CLUSTER FAILURE - 2000 AUDI A4 1.8T, 65,000 MILES. ABS COMES ON ALONG WITH BLINKING BRAKE LIGHTS. KNOWN AUDI ISSUE. HAVING ABS REBUILT BY MODULE MASTERS AS AUDI WANTS $$ AND ANY NEW ABS MODULE THEY WILL INSTALL WILL ALSO FAIL. CENTER CLUSTER ALSO FAILED, ALSO KNOWN AUDI ISSUE. *TR
2009-08-18Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10280833
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE HEAT SHIELDS ABOVE MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS CAUGHT FIRE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, AT A LARGE EXPENSE TO ME. UPON RECEIPT OF THE REPLACEMENT PARTS, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE PARTS HAD BEEN REDESIGNED. I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS FOUND A FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE WITH THEIR ORIGINAL DESIGN AND IS QUIETLY REPLACING THEM. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT IT TAKES YOUR CAR CATCHING ON FIRE TO KNOW YOU NEED TO REPLACE THEM. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2000 Audi A4?

Owners named Brakes most often — 49 of 94 reports (52%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2000 Audi A4?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Engine and Airbags. 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 2000 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