2004 Audi A4 Problems and Recalls (180 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2004 Audi A4 is Fuel system (28% of 180 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 180 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2004 Audi A4?

51 of 180 filings named Fuel system (28% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (22 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights, Engine, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2003 has 201 reports on file; this year has 180. 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 2004 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.

Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 51 complaints · 28.3% of the file

Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:

Crashes 8
Fires 3
Injuries 6
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.

“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)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)	51	28.3%	1 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE)	22	12.2%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS)	21	11.7%	4 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)	15	8.3%	1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)	15	8.3%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)	13	7.2%	0 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)	10	5.6%	1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)	8	4.4%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES)	7	3.9%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover	109	60.6%	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.

Campaign 14E007000 was reported 3,447 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
Campaign 16V382000 was reported 4,334 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.

View timeline records as a table

Date	Record type	Count	Record identifier
2004-Q2	Owner reports	2
2004-Q3	Owner reports	6
2004-Q4	Owner reports	6
2005-Q1	Owner reports	1
2005-Q2	Owner reports	3
2005-Q3	Owner reports	2
2005-Q4	Owner reports	1
2006-Q1	Owner reports	3
2006-Q2	Owner reports	1
2006-Q3	Owner reports	1
2006-Q4	Owner reports	6
2007-Q1	Owner reports	1
2007-Q2	Owner reports	3
2007-Q3	Owner reports	1
2007-Q4	Owner reports	6
2008-Q1	Owner reports	6
2008-Q2	Owner reports	7
2008-Q3	Owner reports	9
2008-Q4	Owner reports	3
2009-Q1	Owner reports	4
2009-Q2	Owner reports	5
2009-Q3	Owner reports	10
2009-Q4	Owner reports	5
2010-Q1	Owner reports	9
2010-Q2	Owner reports	9
2010-Q3	Owner reports	8
2010-Q4	Owner reports	6
2011-Q1	Owner reports	8
2011-Q2	Owner reports	2
2011-Q3	Owner reports	4
2011-Q4	Owner reports	1
2012-Q1	Owner reports	1
2012-Q2	Owner reports	3
2012-Q3	Owner reports	2
2012-Q4	Owner reports	2
2013-Q1	Owner reports	1
2013-Q3	Owner reports	1
2013-Q4	Owner reports	1
2014-Q1	Owner reports	2
2014-Q2	Owner reports	1
2014-Q4	Owner reports	3
2015-Q1	Owner reports	1
2015-Q2	Owner reports	1
2015-Q3	Owner reports	1
2015-Q4	Owner reports	1
2016-Q1	Owner reports	1
2016-Q2	Owner reports	2
2016-Q3	Owner reports	2
2016-Q4	Owner reports	2
2017-Q4	Owner reports	1
2018-Q1	Owner reports	1
2018-Q2	Owner reports	2
2018-Q3	Owner reports	1
2019-Q4	Owner reports	1
2020-Q1	Owner reports	1
2020-Q3	Owner reports	1
2020-Q4	Owner reports	1
2021-Q3	Owner reports	2
2022-Q3	Owner reports	1
2023-Q2	Owner reports	1
Mar 2005	Recall campaign	1	05V096000
Mar 2014	Recall campaign	1	14E007000
Jun 2016	Recall campaign	1	16V382000
Apr 2008	Defect investigation	1	PE08027

NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

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

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

Recall campaign 05V096000

Lights

Report date

Mar 15, 2005

Component:

Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)

Consequence:

THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT A DRIVER'S FIELD OF VIEW, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT XENON HEADLAMP REFLECTORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 11, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.

View authoritative NHTSA record →
Recall campaign 14E007000

Engine

Report date

Mar 7, 2014

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 →
Recall campaign 16V382000

Airbags

Report date

Jun 1, 2016

Component:

Airbags (AIR BAGS)

Consequence:

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy:

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.

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

Showing 10 of 180 complaints · page 1 of 8

2023-05-05Airbags (AIR BAGS)

NHTSA ODI 11520694

CrashFireInjuryDeath

******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

2022-09-16Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11484914

CrashFireInjuryDeath

This took place about a week ago. The car was parked in our driveway when the fire started. My husband had returned home just 15 minutes prior to the fire starting. I noticed there was smoke coming in our living room window. Then I looked at our security camas. And saw smoke pouring out from underneath the hood of my car. We tried to put the fire out with our two hose system set up and it wouldn't go out. So we knew it was electrical. We couldn't get close enough to open the hood so I couldn't pour baking soda on it. Two fire extinguishers later like 10 minutes the firefighters showed up and we're able to put it out. They confirmed that the arch came from the battery terminals /cables. Two of the fireman said they'd never seen anything like this before. Then the car tried to START ITSELF as my husband and the two fireman were standing right in front of the Audi. They had to cut the remaining battery cable that wasn't completely burned through before it stopped. My neighbor has a recording of the whole incident. The engine compartment is destroyed! The engine might be all right but we don't have the finances to do anything but clean up. Oh and for extra fun one of the fireman took an ax the the hood of the A4 cabriolet I have had for maybe a month. Now we have no car and no real means of being able to fix it.

2021-09-29Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11434910

CrashFireInjuryDeath

The contact owns a 2004 Audi A4. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear windshield became detached from the soft top. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

2021-08-23Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11430229

CrashFireInjuryDeath

PRNDS appeared in red on my dash and then started blinking. Went on line regarding this and read about a TCM switch or a lever switch malfunction.Have an appt with mechanic on 8/26/21. From what I have read we are looking at a cost prohibitive repair of several thousands of dollars. Does Audi have any responsibility? Apparently it is a common complaint with the A4 model. Felt loss of power when decelerating.

2020-10-27Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)

NHTSA ODI 11366758

CrashFireInjuryDeath

I WAS DRIVING TO JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA AND CAR HAD SHUT OFF ON ME ON THE HIGHWAY IN YULEE FLORIDA I WAS STUCK ON THE HIGHWAY FOR 7 HRS MY CAR IS STUCK IN FLORIDA

2020-08-14Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)

NHTSA ODI 11349159

CrashFireInjuryDeath

I ORIGINALLY HAD 3 RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE I CALLED IN TO SEE ABOUT GETTING THEM FIXED FREE OF CHARGE AS EXPLAINED IN THE RECALL TECH BULLETIN .THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDED IN GETTING ALL OF MY INFORMATION THEN AFTER DOING SO TELLS ME THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO UPDATE MY CARS INFO SHORTLY AFTER I WENT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SITE OF THIS RECALL PUT IN MY CARS INFO AGAIN AND ALL THE RECALLS THAT WAS ONCE AVAILABLE FOR MY VEHICLE WAS MYSTERIOUSLY GONE.I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE AND NEVER GOT IT FIXED. NOW THE RECALL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ARE STARTING TO BE NOTICEABLE ON MY VEHICLE SUCH AS THE DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP, DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND DEFECTIVE AIRBAG SITUATION WHAT CAN I HAVE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE

2020-02-03Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 11306781

CrashFireInjuryDeath

WHEN ENGINE IS UNDER LOAD WITH A FAULTY FUEL PUMP, THE ENGINE WILL STALL WHILST MOVING WITHOUT TURNING MOTOR OFF. ONLY REMEDY IS TO TURN ENGINE OFF AND ON, SINCE THE FUEL PUMP WILL NOT START ITSELF BACK ON AFTER THE STALL.

2019-10-11Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11267983

CrashFireInjuryDeath

MY VEHICLE STARTED UP FINE AND I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, I WAS IDLING AT THE RED LIGHT AND MY CAR SHUT OFF AND SIGNALED THE BATTERY LIGHT. WE TRIED TO JUMP IT THINKING IT WAS THE BATTERY LIKE IT SIGNALED, AND IT WASNT SO WE HAD TO TOW IT. THE CAR STILL DOESNT START. IT CRANKS BUT WONT START AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE HAND AT ALL.

2018-08-21Airbags (AIR BAGS)

NHTSA ODI 11121507

CrashFireInjuryDeath

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V427000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI NORTH MIAMI (1995 NE 142ND ST, NORTH MIAMI, FL 33181, ([redacted]) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

2018-05-07Engine (ENGINE)

NHTSA ODI 11092200

CrashFireInjuryDeath

MY AUDI STOPPED BLOWING OUT HEAT FIRST AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I TOOK IT TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE TESTED IT READ PRESSURE DEFAULT. NOT LONG AFTER MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. NOW MY CAR IS LEAKING COOLANT.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2004 Audi A4?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 51 of 180 reports (28%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2004 Audi A4?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights, 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 2004 Audi A4?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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

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