Audi S4 Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
721 NHTSA complaints (1992–2022).Complaint rate: 141.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Audi S4?
Quick answer from 721 NHTSA complaints · 1992–2022
Audi S4 reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is transmission / drivetrain. Pick the right year and this S4 can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2021 Audi S4· 2 complaints
- 2019 Audi S4· 3 complaints
- 2018 Audi S4· 9 complaints
- 2000 Audi S4· 171 complaints
- 2001 Audi S4· 92 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- transmission / drivetrain — 94 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- electrical faults — 66 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- instrument cluster — 64 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- headlight/taillight failures — 57 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- steering defects — 30 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2000–2001 Audi S4. The 2021 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Transmission / Drivetrain.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Audi S4 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 94 | 0.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 66 | 0.0% |
| Instrument Cluster | 64 | 0.0% |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 57 | 0.0% |
| Steering Defects | 30 | 0.0% |
| Tire Defects | 29 | 0.0% |
| Airbags | 28 | 7.1% |
| Engine Problems | 28 | 0.0% |
| Tires:Sidewall | 20 | 0.0% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 16 | 18.8% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992NO DATA | — | 5 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1993NO DATA | — | 18 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1994NO DATA | — | 8 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2000AVOID | — | 171 | 9 | — | View → |
| 2001AVOID | — | 92 | 5 | — | View → |
| 2002 | — | 31 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2004 | — | 37 | 0 | 2 | View → |
| 2005AVOID | — | 54 | 4 | — | View → |
| 2006 | — | 37 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2007 | — | 21 | 3 | 4 | View → |
| 2008NO DATA | — | 4 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2010AVOID | — | 73 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2011 | — | 34 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2012 | — | 27 | 0 | 2 | View → |
| 2013 | — | 34 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2014 | — | 23 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2018NO DATA | — | 9 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2019NO DATA | — | 3 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2020 | — | 34 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2021NO DATA | — | 2 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (721 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Audi S4accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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