FaultScore

Audi A4 airbag problems

520 of the 3,677 complaints filed about the Audi A4 are about the airbag system — 14% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2007.

520

Complaints

14%

Share of all complaints

61

Crashes

1

Fires

Airbags complaints by model year

1996 A4 6 1.2%

Median failure at 27,000 miles

1997 A4 3 0.6%

Median failure at 148,000 miles

1998 A4 17 3.3%

Median failure at 84,500 miles

1999 A4 9 1.7%

Median failure at 53,000 miles

2000 A4 7 1.3%

Median failure at 27,527 miles

2001 A4 11 2.1%

Median failure at 80,000 miles

2002 A4 8 1.5%

Median failure at 80,000 miles

2003 A4 12 2.3%

Median failure at 72,500 miles

2004 A4 26 5.0%

Median failure at 78,223 miles

2005 A4 55 10.6%

Median failure at 58,500 miles

2006 A4 73 14.0%

Median failure at 98,500 miles

2007 A4 119 22.9%

Median failure at 78,000 miles

2008 A4 116 22.3%

Median failure at 77,000 miles

2009 A4 33 6.3%

Median failure at 85,000 miles

2010 A4 1 0.2%

Median failure at 10 miles

2013 A4 1 0.2%

Median failure at 50,000 miles

2015 A4 1 0.2%

Median failure at 46,000 miles

2017 A4 13 2.5%

Median failure at 43,250 miles

2018 A4 4 0.8%
2019 A4 1 0.2%
2021 A4 1 0.2%

Median failure at 4,000 miles

2022 A4 1 0.2%

Median failure at 32,400 miles

2023 A4 1 0.2%
2024 A4 1 0.2%

What owners said

2018 Audi A4 Winchester, CA

AIR BAGS

The vehicle is subject to a Passenger Occupant Detection System / PODS safety recall involving the front passenger seat occupant-detection system and passenger airbag status. The concern is that the system may incorrectly detect whether a passenger is seated and may switch off or affect the front passenger airbag when the seat is occupied. This is being reported because the recall remedy was not completed, was delayed, was not properly resolved, or the concern remains unresolved. A malfunctioning passenger occupant detection system can affect whether the passenger airbag deploys as intended in a crash. The issue involves the airbag system, front passenger seat occupant detection, related sensors/modules, and related electrical components. No crash, fire, injury, or fatality occurred. The vehicle/component is available for inspection, and Audi recall documents, service records, communications, and any warning-light or passenger-airbag-status evidence are available if requested.

NHTSA complaint #11747852 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Audi A4 Hope Mills, NC

AIR BAGS

Purchased used 2023 Audi A4, driven less than 6 times, 30 days later with less than 36k miles the Safety Air Bag Scale & Sensor are illuminating as a "Warning" on the Display Panel" .....ALREADY! Cannot drive, Sunday, Service Centers CLOSED....SAFETY HAZARD to PASSENGERS if vehicle used. AUDI Parts need to be of better quality material for its "Brand", and Customer Safety. DGuthrie - Panthergirl42@yahoo.com

NHTSA complaint #11746993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2005 Audi A4 Irvine, CA

AIR BAGS

The contact's husband owned a 2005 Audi A4. The contact received several recall letters and cards from the NHTSA and Audi manufacturer for a Takata Air Bag recall. The contact stated that the last notification received stated that the owner could die if the recall was not completed. The contact was adamant and would like the mailing address to be removed from the recall distribution list because the vehicle was no longer owned. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11744972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Audi A4 at 32,400 miles Wayzata, MN

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2022 Audi A4. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle while the front passenger seat was occupied, the air bag warning light illuminated and a chime sounded. A dealer was contacted.  The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,400.

NHTSA complaint #11743692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Audi A4 at 140,000 miles Williamsburg, VA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2008 Audi A4. The contact received an unknown recall notice related to the air bags. The contact scheduled an appointment at a dealer and had the recall serviced. The contact then stated that while idle in the parking lot of a hospital, a speeding vehicle clipped the front end, driver's side of her vehicle, which caused the entire front bumper to detach from the vehicle. The driver also hit a gate, guardrail, and utility box in the parking lot. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact was then treated at the hospital for an injury to her neck and left shoulder. The contact sustains severe headaches weeks after the accident. The contact received an X-ray and had been assigned to physical therapy for the next few months. The other driver was not injured as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic and was later towed to a storage unit. The contact family member, who is mechanically inclined, stated that the vehicle's air bag sensors were defective. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired by dealer. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer; the manufacturer gave the contact a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA complaint #11732410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Audi A4 Bremerton, WA

AIR BAGS

I just purchased this vehicle from a private owner. I am already aware of the driver side airbag recall. Went to turn key to auxiliary to close sun roof and the steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The vehicle had been parked and not driven for over 12 hours. Vehicle is available for inspection any time.

NHTSA complaint #11721510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Audi A4 Bentonville, AR

AIR BAGS

Audi is wanting me and another driver to drive 2.5 hours to their dealer drop off the car for repairs, then drive back. Then after the repairs are complete make that trip again. They want us to spend 20 man hours driving, plus gas, food, and mileage. None of this is reimbursed. I have called and written Audi several times with the same answer. This is unreasonable when they have a local VW dealer and other Audi certified mechanics that can do the job within 20 minutes. Our zip code is [XXX] . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11715084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2005 Audi A4 Alsip, IL

AIR BAGS

The car is completely defective,total engine, gasket,water pump,intake manifold,airbag, transmission,torque,drive shaft, universal joints,all rear axles,wheel bearing,bought at auction Aug 19,2024, $4000, the as is was so small and on the back of a sheet we did not see it,we are senior,

NHTSA complaint #11634360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2007 Audi A4 Tumwater, WA

AIR BAGS

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2007 Audi A4. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V427000 (Air Bags), the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be completed because the odometer did not display the mileage as per the manufacturer's policy. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The contact's granddaughter had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11631819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2009 Audi A4 St Augustine, FM Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS

The negligent driver yielded to the flow of traffic without stopping. When he collided with us, the airbags (exploded) deployed so strongly that they damaged the windshield and our bodies: face, neck, etc. Our beloved Audi A4 2009 was totaled and after that we had several operations: 2 eye operations (need 2 more), dental surgeries, 3 neck surgeries ... multiple unpaid medical expenses.

NHTSA complaint #11606543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Audi A4 Montgomery Village, MD

AIR BAGS

Every time I start the car, a message comes on saying that the passenger airbag is off even when I have an occupant next to me. I spoke with the dealer and he told me that this recall was claimed and fixed in 2022 in Texas by the previous owner but I replied that the problem continues and he told me that this was no longer an Audi problem. Furthermore, every time it accelerates over 40 miles per hour, a message about the driving system in malfunction appears and also the automatic on and off system at stops stops working and when I drive it at low speed there is no problem. I took it to Audi and they told me that they should change the turbo and I told them that the car only has 100,000 miles and why they should change a turbo that only has 100,000 miles of use and they told me that’s how it is

NHTSA complaint #11590889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2009 Audi A4 Pomona, CA

AIR BAGS

The turbo sounds like it's not going in/out of gear, oil going into spark plugs, radiator fluid leaking system getting real hot. Low engine poer picking up speed an issue. Air bag rear brake light malfunction, oil pressure not correct

NHTSA complaint #11579192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Audi A4 Collierville, TN

AIR BAGS

I purchased a 2024 Audi A4 with 20 miles as a birthday present for my son on 12/20/2023 for $45,028.81 cash, plus traded my son’s 2012 BMW 328i with 22,000 miles and they applied $8,500.00 credit. This is an Atlanta, Georgia Audi dealership. My son drove the car for one week and his salesman had an appointment set for him to bring his car back one week later to add Audi Connect Software to vehicle and my son’s phone. We took his car back to the dealership and they added the software and we left. My son told me several lights starting turning on in his dashboard but he could not take the car back that day because the dealership had closed as we were leaving the dealership. I called the salesman the next morning and he said to bring car back and they would check it. My son could not bring it back until 10 days later on [XXX], because he was sick in bed. His apartment is about 20 mins from the dealership so when he returned his car had 100 miles from only driving the vehicle to and from the dealership those four trips. Oscar in service dept said he needed to leave the car over weekend and they would check it Tuesday [XXX] since that was a holiday weekend, and Oscar gave [XXX] a loan car. Oscar texted my son on [XXX] saying his car had a defective air bag module and that module was causing all the trouble lights to appear on his dashboard, and they could not fix it until 30 days because they had to order part from Sweden. Oscar also said they had to keep the vehicle and it could not be driven until that part was fixed because of all the trouble lights in dash and he wanted to make sure the car would be ok when my son starts to drive it again. I don’t like the fact that the dealer has my son’s car we traded in and they have my full payment of the remaining balance after my trade in was applied to balance of car. Is this car a lemon and is it normal to buy a car only to have dealer keep it one week after Audi Connect software was downloaded? Thanks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

NHTSA complaint #11565547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2005 Audi A4 Hampstead, NH Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS

The airbags in our 2005 Audi A4 were recalled. We had the airbag replaced due to the recall in Audi of Stratham, 58 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham, NH 03885 in February 2023. On 12/8/23, my daughter was involved in a serious front-end collation with another vehicle. The airbags in the Audi did not deploy. The other vehicle (which sustained less damage) did deploy. Without the airbags, her face hit the steering wheel, causing a large laceration to her eyelid and significant bruising and swelling to her face.

NHTSA complaint #11559327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Audi A4 Monroe Twp, NJ

AIR BAGS

I first received notice of this recall in 1/22. My Audi dealer has continuously stated that Audi does not send them enough kits to remedy this recall

NHTSA complaint #11524991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2004 Audi A4 Miami, FL

AIR BAGS

******* 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 *******

NHTSA complaint #11520694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Audi A4 Portland, OR

AIR BAGS

Without cause a passenger airbag malfunction light has come up, dealership says this is not covered under recall or vehicle warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11512210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Audi A4 Yakima, WA

AIR BAGS

After dealership did the second repair to the airbag recall, the airbag light came on and has been on solid . When taking the car back to The dealership to have it fixed ,We were clear about the whole thing over the phone .the dealership proceeded to charge me for a diagnostic test as well as claiming to not have seen any recalls on the car .dealership claimed the whole airbag needed to be replaced yet the car has never been in an accident. Bottom line The initial recall isn’t finished . Dealership explained car would be safe to drive , even tho the safety system is currently malfunctioning .

NHTSA complaint #11511483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2007 Audi A4 Seffner, FL

AIR BAGS

My 2007 Audi A4 is part of the Takata airbag lawsuit so I scheduled an appointment to have it repaired at Audi of Tampa. I had my car towed there because the battery recently died and I was told I needed to have the key reprogrammed because it would not start after replacing the battery and figured I could have both repairs done at the same time. My appointment was at 7pm but when I arrived nobody had any knowledge of my appointment and was told they do not make appointments that late in the day but a technician would give me a call. I leave my car there and receive a call today from the repair technician Tyler King who proceeded to tell me that prior to doing anything to the car he'd have to run a diagnostics test that would cost me $500! WHAT? Just to give a diagnosis that I've already been given? Insane. So now that I do not have that kind of money what am I supposed to do? Tow it back home and have a locksmith reprogram the key and ignore the airbag issue? I feel unsafe in the Audi I once loved and relied on daily and don't know how I am supposed to proceed with this.

NHTSA complaint #11507705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2007 Audi A4 Saint Paul, MN

AIR BAGS

2007 AUDI A4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIRBAG WAS REPLACED ON MAY 30, 2018.

NHTSA complaint #11500764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Audi A4 problems