2015 Audi A4 Problems: Engine (19 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2015 Audi A4 is Engine (47% of 19 owner reports). There are 0 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 19 complaints · 0 recalls

What problems show up on the 2015 Audi A4?

9 of 19 filings named Engine (47% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (2 reports).

This snapshot lists no safety recalls for this year. That is not a clean bill of health. Still check the VIN at nhtsa.gov.

The 2014 has 32 reports on file; this year has 19. 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 2015 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 even if this page lists none.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. 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: Engine 9 complaints · 47.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 2
  • Deaths 0
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 Engine (ENGINE) appears in 9 of 19 owner complaints (47.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 9 complaints, 47.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 9 · 47.4% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 10.5% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 · 10.5% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 1 · 5.3% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 5.3% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 · 5.3% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 5.3% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 · 5.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 · 5.3% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 1 complaints, 5.3% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 · 5.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 3 complaints, 15.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 · 15.8% 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)
Engine (ENGINE) 9 47.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 10.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 5.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 15.8% 0 crashes · 0 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 Oct 2019. 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2019 Jul 2026
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (0)

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

No safety recalls are on file for this model year in this snapshot.

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 19 complaints · page 1 of 1
2026-07-15Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11750557
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Oil consumption is extremely high this vehicle burns way to much oil in short amount of time. Oil has to be added every 300 to 400 miles and there are no leaks present
2025-12-04Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11703017
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A4. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted after 20 minutes, and the coolant warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,177.
2025-02-18Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11643290
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Spark plug for damaged due to oil seeping into it. This could lead to overheating of engine or cylinders getting damaged potentially leading to vehicle malfunction when I drive. Audi inspected the part and recommended to reseal the top of the engine. There was a warning for check engine which led to identifying the problem
2025-02-18Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11643289
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle has an oil consumption issue whereby I top off the oil in about every 400 miles. The dealership indicated that this is a known problem with Audi. The issue first started with warnings that engine is overheating and with further warnings that oil level is low
2024-12-05Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11629116
CrashFireInjuryDeath
No 3 cylinder piston ring failure .Loss of compression.
2024-03-28Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11579965
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Piston ring defect and blew from over oil consumption. All years from Audi A4 2012-2019 recall law suit but they did not include 2015 which all years and models have same piston ring manufacturer defect it blew on me while I was driving home . Lucky I was in neighborhood and not on highway very unsafe.
2023-03-12Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11511420
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MMI system worked during test drive and then NOT worked after final sale: Safety systems included: The Multi Media Interface (MMI) system is an in-car user interface media system developed by Audi, and was launched at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show. MMI operates a large number of in car entertainment components, car electronics, and other functions. The list below indicates systems controllable by MMI. However, depending on the car model, along with version specified, only some functions will be available. Satellite navigation Radio tuner Media sources Telephone HVAC, climate control Car setup (e.g. central locking), global audio settings, suspension settings Rear view camera and parking sensors Driver information (e.g. fuel economy…) User manual Apple CarPlay 2014 and later model.
2023-02-20Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11508170
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Turn signal switch malfunction. When turning right turn direction on, the left turn goes on instead of the right turn. After researching the issue, it looks like it’s a common issue with Audi. This is a safety issue and need to be recalled asap.
2022-09-26Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11486356
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The second (not movable) glass pane of the "panoramic sunroof" spontaneously shattered. That happened three days ago, because of the potential for water damage I need to have this repaired as soon as possible. However, until I get it repaired it is available for inspection. Apparently many Audi owners have experienced a similar phenomenon, commonly called "exploding sunroof", and other people have had the glass completely explode out. I did not have that happen but the glass did shatter entirely and completely. There was no rock or anything else that hit the sunroof as far as we know. It did leave significant cracks in the glass and I have photos of it. If the glass had completely blown out, it would have showered glass pieces into the passenger compartment. I did not involve the police or ask for a report. I will be taking the car to the Audi dealer and probably making an insurance claim because the repair will be fairly expensive. My car has always been dealer serviced on schedule. It is in excellent condition (outside of the shattered sunroof glass anyway). There were and are no warning lights or indicators related to the damaged glass.
2022-06-04Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11467486
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The engine had catastrophic damage. I was driving, full oil, and the engine just died. The mechanic said the engine was destroyed and believes it was a manufacturing mistake.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2015 Audi A4?

Owners named Engine most often — 9 of 19 reports (47%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2015 Audi A4?

NHTSA lists 0 safety recall campaigns. This snapshot lists none, which is not a clean bill of health. 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 2015 Audi A4?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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