2002 Audi A4 Problems: Electrical (174 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2002 Audi A4 is Electrical (38% of 174 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 174 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2002 Audi A4?

66 of 174 filings named Electrical (38% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (29 reports).

There are 2 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 2001 has 129 reports on file; this year has 174. 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 2002 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 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Electrical. 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: Electrical 66 complaints · 37.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 3
  • 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 Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) appears in 66 of 174 owner complaints (37.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 66 complaints, 37.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 fire reports 66 · 37.9% Engine (ENGINE): 29 complaints, 16.7% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 29 · 16.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 15 complaints, 8.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 15 · 8.6% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 14 complaints, 8.1% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 fire reports 14 · 8.1% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 9 complaints, 5.2% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 fire reports 9 · 5.2% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 5 · 2.9% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 5 · 2.9% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 5 · 2.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 4 complaints, 2.3% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 4 · 2.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 101 complaints, 58.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 7 crash reports 2 fire reports 101 · 58.1% 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)
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 66 37.9% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 29 16.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 15 8.6% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 14 8.1% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 9 5.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 2.9% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 5 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 5 2.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 4 2.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 101 58.1% 7 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 Apr 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2014. 2002-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2002-Q4: 30 owner reports 30 2003-Q1: 48 owner reports 48 2003-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2002 Jun 2021 Recall campaign 14E007000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E007000 Recall campaign 21V470000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V470000
  • Campaign 14E007000 was reported 4,078 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V470000 was reported 6,930 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q2 Owner reports 1
2002-Q3 Owner reports 10
2002-Q4 Owner reports 30
2003-Q1 Owner reports 48
2003-Q2 Owner reports 4
2003-Q3 Owner reports 2
2003-Q4 Owner reports 2
2004-Q1 Owner reports 3
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 2
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 3
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 8
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 2
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 8
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 14E007000
Recall campaign 1 21V470000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

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 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 →

  2. 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 174 complaints · page 1 of 7
2020-11-25Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11376377
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2002 AUDI A4 WITH 370K BURNED A BIT OF OIL WHICH WAS FINE CLEANED THE ENGINE OUT WITH CLEANERS IT SMOKED A BIT WHICH IS NORMAL.. HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING 'HIDS' SO I PARKED IT. 3 DAYS LATER I GO TO TAKE THE CAR ON A TEST DRIVE AND THE DRIVERS HEADLIGHT LIT ON FIRE ! NOT SURE IF IT WAS A HEADLIGHT ISSUE OR A WIRING ISSUE.. INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER IT.
2020-08-26SEAT BELTS
NHTSA ODI 11351314
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I SLID OFF A WET CURVY DOWN HILL ROAD AND SLAMMED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. WENT UNCONSCIOUS AND WOKE WITH A LARGE LACERATION TO BACK OF HEAD. SAW THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS EXPLODED BUT NONE FOR DRIVER'S SIDE. SEATBELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE TIGHTEN SO TIGHT COULD STRANGLED ME IF I WAS WEARING IT. HAVE VIDEO OF MALFUNCTIONING SEATBELT AND AIRBAG
2019-02-07Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11175118
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN IT RAINS WATER GETS IN THE CAR ON THE DRIVER SIDE NOW MY WINDOW DONT COME DOWN ARE UP
2018-12-07Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11156722
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TIMING BELT. AUDI BROOKLYN (665 65TH ST, BROOKLYN, NY 11220, ([redacted]) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
2018-04-17WHEELS
NHTSA ODI 11088531
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL; FUEL PUMP WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING CAUSING CAR TO STOP AND ALMOST LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. (CA ELECTRIC COMPONENTS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK, WINDOW IS A BIG ONE. WHEELS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN SIX MONTHS AND THE AXEL APPEARS TO CAUSE WHEEL DAMAGE. CONSTANT LEAKS SUCH AS COOLENT.
2018-03-23Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11081003
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, THE WHEEL STEERING SUDDENLY BLOCKED AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT NOR TO THE RIGHT. MANAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE ON THE STREET SHOULDER. DIAGNOSTIC AT THE BODY SHOP: POWER STEERING BELT BROKEN AND EVEN MISSING. NEED REPLACEMENT.
2018-03-23Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11081002
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND SMOKE CAME OUT. STOPPED VEHICLE ON THE SIDE ROAD TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING. DROVE AFTER ENGINE HAS COOLED OFF TO THE NEXT BODY SHOP. DIAGNOSTIC: ENGINE COOLING IS LEAKING, WATER PUMP IS DEFECT. TIMING BELT WILL BE AFFECTED IF NOT REPLACED AS WELL.
2015-01-20Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10676772
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I BOUGHT A CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER IN RENTON WA. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR WENT BY I NOTICED THAT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE TITLE. CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO CONTACT DMV. TALKED TO A PERSON IN THE RENTON OFFICE AND TWICE TO THE COVINGTON OFFICE. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO PAY A 39 DOLLAR CHARGE TO GET A TITLE. DECIDED TO MAYBE TRADE THE CAR IN AND FOUND OUT THE FRAME WAS BENT. I ALREADY SPENT 1200 DOLLARS FOR PARTS MISSING ON THE CAR. NOW ANOTHER PART IS AD AT ANOTHER 1500 DOLLARS TO MAKE THE AIR WORK. APPARENTLY THE CAR HAD BEEN CRASHED AND PICKED BACK TOGETHER JUST TO OFF IT. COMPLAINED A OUT PARTS MISSING AND THEY AGREED TO GIVE ME 400 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST PROBLEM. NEVER DID SEE THE MONEY. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TOTAL REFUND OF THE DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT THEY GAVE ME FOR THE CAR AFTER THE 25000 DOLLARS THEY GAVE ME FOR THE TRUCK LOAD I TRADED IN. *TR
2014-09-29Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10639696
CrashFireInjuryDeath
INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE DAY SHOWN ABOVE I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS CAR WAS WORKING WELL THROUGH OUT THE DAY IT WAS WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY HUSBAND UP FROM WORK I STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED CHUGGING AND CHOKING AND DID NOT WANT TO GO MORE THAN 30MPH AND SUDDENLY IT JUST SHUT DOWN WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN WE TRIED TURNING ON THE CAR AGAIN IT FELT HEAVY AND SLUGGISH FAILED TO START. LEFT CAR OVER NIGHT LOCKED AND ALARM ON WE ALWAYS PUMP 91 CHEVRON GASOLINE AND KEEP UP WITH 5K OIL CHANGES HIRED A INDY MECHANIC AND INSTANTLY NOTICE THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT ACTIVATING PLEASE HELP. *TR
2014-03-19Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10573561
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I AM WRITING REGARDING A SAD STORY ABOUT MY 2002 AUDI A4 QUATTRO 3.0 SEDAN . WHILE I REALIZE THAT THE CAR IS NOT NEW, AND WITH 152,000 MILES ON THE ROAD; I AM STILL DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE NOW! ABOUT A WEEK AGO, AS I TURNED THE ENGINE ON, I HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING LIKE SOMETHING HAD BEEN HIT AND FALLEN APART IN THE ENGINE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (FLASHING). I TOOK IT TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC. AT THIS POINT, I AM THINKING THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH A COIL ? BUT NOT REALLY SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND NOT THAT LONG AGO, MIGHT I ADD! WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING INSPECTED, THE MECHANIC HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM CAMSHAFT ADJUSTERS. ONCE THEY OPENED THE CASE, THEY FOUND SCREWS LOSE THAT HAD LITERALLY FALLEN OFF AND BROKEN. THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT HOUSING WAS ALSO DAMAGED, AMONGST OTHER PARTS (I HAVE PICTURES). HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE? AFTER ALL, THE BOLTS ARE ENCASED, AND IT IS NOT LIKE ANYONE MESSED WITH THEM. THE SAD PART IS THAT THE SAME HAD HAPPENED ON THE OTHER SIDE A YEAR AGO. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2002 Audi A4?

Owners named Electrical most often — 66 of 174 reports (38%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2002 Audi A4?

NHTSA lists 2 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 2002 Audi A4?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. 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