2016 Audi A4 Problems: Engine (11 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 Audi A4 is Engine (55% of 11 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 11 complaints · 0 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 Audi A4?

6 of 11 filings named Engine (55% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Steering (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 2015 has 19 reports on file; this year has 11. 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 2016 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. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  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 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 6 complaints · 54.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 0
  • 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 6 of 11 owner complaints (54.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 6 complaints, 54.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 6 · 54.6% Steering (STEERING): 2 complaints, 18.2% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 · 18.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 9.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 · 9.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 1 complaints, 9.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 · 9.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 1 complaints, 9.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 · 9.1% 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)
Engine (ENGINE) 6 54.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 2 18.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 9.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 9.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 9.1% 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 Jan 2020. 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2020 Oct 2023
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 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 7 of 11 complaints · page 1 of 1
2023-10-19Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11550868
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car has 69,700 miles. All Audi suggested maintenance has been done. Synthetic oil changed every 5,000 miles (more frequently than Audi 10,000 mile recommendation). At 60,000 mile oil change, engine used 1 qt of oil. At 65,000 miles engine used 2 qts oil. At 69,500 mile oil change engine used 3.5 qts of oil. Audi is not sure this is excessive oil use. Must perform oil consumption test at our expense. Really?!?! Audi solution is for us to pay $8,500 for new pistons and rings. From what I see online, this is a common problem, a manufacturer defect that Audi is unwilling to stand behind. Please share my complaint with Audi USA. Registered a complaint with them also.
2023-02-12Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11506847
CrashFireInjuryDeath
We live in Montana where it gets very cold on a regular basis while driving our Audi the steering wheel ceased to function and would not allow us to control the vehicle this occurred three times. A warning on the dash came up that said steering malfunction stopped vehicle but it was very scary and intimidating to know that your steering wheel could quit at any time we got stranded and took it to a dealer and they said that the steering rack computer had failed and could not get the part for at least a month since they had so many of these vehicles having the exact same issue in the United States the dealership stated that the other three dealers locally to them all were waiting on the same exact part for the same problem they charge us $6,000 to repair it I would think that if so many of the same vehicles are having the same problems that there's no parts available in the country that it should be a recall and the manufacturer should be responsible for the issue what can we do?
2022-03-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11457549
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Ok before my previous incident it must’ve been 2 weeks ago that my car just sped up and broke on it’s on on a 65 mile road it’s to the point that I’m very hesitant to drive the car but it’s my only means of commute it’s just a total safety problem and I don’t feel safe one bit
2022-03-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11457543
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car is completely not safe it seems to have a mind of its own and that’s saying that I’ve maintained everything up to par and it’s still a safety hazard
2022-03-02Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11454933
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Brucken motors, I purchased an Audi a4 that was advertised on your Facebook as safe, reliable, and dependent. I came to you with a down payment in hand, stating that I needed a car that drove without issues. I can afford minor repairs, but I wanted something with a clean HISTORY and service RECORD. Zachary Laney, the salesman, claimed that there was nothing wrong with this car. I asked about the headlight and was told, "Oh no, it's just a bulb! I will buy it so you can replace it." Asked about any issues and was told the car was absolutely clean. Sure enough, less than a week after I bought it, it started acting up. I took it to the mechanic to remedy the issue, paid out of pocket even though I was sold a warranty (mistake number two on your part) that I was told would cover most issues. My mechanic is experienced and has taken care of many cars, and sure enough, the issue was not fixed. It was only covered up with makeup per say. I gave it another chance and the vehicle broke down again. This vehicle, which mind you, I put a 4000 dollar down payment on, pay a 17!!!! percent interest rate even though I was told 7 and lied to on paper, is costing me over 470 a month for just the payment. Let alone the repairs. I haven't driven the car a month. Literally. I've paid on it for four months, and it's been in the shop. I let you guys know this and was ignored constantly. I was told that the check engine codes were cleared at one point which means that you KNEW this vehicle was bad. ONTOP of it all, this car was STOLEN and had title ISSUES. THERE WAS ALSO MINOR DAMAGE and a LONG service history
2022-01-25Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11448765
CrashFireInjuryDeath
According to TSB 401548, car dealership/manufacture will not provide extended warranty to repair premature wheel bearing due to vehicle VIN not in their system as an affected vehicle. The 2016 A4 has premature wheel bearing as described in the TSB 401548. Covered vehicles are 2016 Audi A4. Faulty wheel bearing may result in loss of control of vehicle and will not pass Pennsylvania State Inspection. This is a safety defect and a wheel bearing should not fail with only 63,000 miles on the vehicle. Please assist. Thank you.
2021-06-30Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11423011
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Rubber boot around the electronic steering rack wore out after only 30k miles. This has caused no warning lights, and very dangerous behaviour from the steering mechanisms. To include the steering wheel locking up mid turn, and the steering wheel "stuttering" due to the electronic motor failing.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Audi A4?

Owners named Engine most often — 6 of 11 reports (55%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 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 2016 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