2013 Audi A4 Allroad Owner Complaints

The rear carrier frame has rusted through. There are trim pieces that are attached to the frame , they trap and hold moisture and salt like a cup under the frame, not visible during a regular inspection. My car only has 95k has been garage kept and taken through car washes in the winter with undercarriage wash (to no avail). After some investigation it seems that Volkwagon /Audi corp. has known about this issue since 2009 , but has kept it internally and not made owners aware of this. It would have been so simple to just remove these trim pieces and I wouldn’t have this hole in my car frame, which has basically made it unsafe as this frame holds my suspension and rear differential. There has been a class action lawsuit filed in The NJ District Court by an owner but it is only for Q5 and S5 thus far. In looking for a frame it seems that A4 shares this same frame. One of the guys in service told me, Audi knows about this, they stopped using the trim because of it and they might help you out. The bill from Audi to repair my car is $7417.00 they offered to give me $500 off( gee thanks) My car hasn’t been driven much the last three winters ( RV travel) and had someone notified me my car would have been in the 12 year unlimited mileage corrosion warranty period, now it is just outside of that. There is an article that I read about the Lawsuit and it says that it’s not so much the rust issue as it is the fact that they’ve been handling it internally for over a decade to avoid a recall. I’m really bummed out, I love this car that looks amazing but basically has cancer. No warning lamps, I’ve been told not to drive it by the dealer (Audi Stratham) because it’s a Safety issue. My son found it when the trim piece fell off ( because the bolt rusted out of the frame, resulting in a hole the size of my fist) No other symptoms, this rust didn’t just start it’s been brewing for years . I had an independent shop tell me that it’s a known problem and to take it to the dealer.

NHTSA ID

11752972

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

The contact owned a 2013 Audi A4 Allroad. The contact stated that while parked and occupied in the vehicle, after starting the vehicle, her friend heard a puff noise coming from under the vehicle. No warning light illuminated however, after starting the vehicle, the electronic power control illuminated. In addition, the contact's friend lifted the hood of the vehicle, and he noticed smoke and flames coming from the engine. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The fire was extinguished by the contact and her friend. A fire department arrived at the scene however the fire was already extinguished upon their arrival. The fire report was unknown. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to Accu-Tech Auto Body. The vehicle engine was destroyed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by her insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11680186

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

Excessive abnormal corrosion of rear subframe.

NHTSA ID

11651333

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

Audi installed plastic covers over sections of the subframe on allroad, Q5 models, and other models. These covers held in water and salt causing severe rusting and corrosion of the rear subframe. Subframes of these models are seriously structurally compromised and also hidden from view due to these plastic covers. It’s seems Audi is repairing some under their 12 year rust/corrosion/penetration warranty, but the response varies based on dealership (some people are being told this warranty only applies to body panels, others are told that they are ineligible due to not regularly servicing their vehicles at the dealer). Many others are past the warranty timeline. This issue requires immediate attention and a full recall. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11643895

Incident

Feb 20, 2025

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE'S RPM WOULD GO UP, BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WITH THE INCREASED ACCELERATION. STRONG SMELL OF BURNT CLUTCH FLUID. AND SOME SMOKE WAS COMING FROM ENGINE BAY. DRIVING VEHICLE HOME, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED IN EVERY GEAR. VEHICLE STRUGGLED TO GET UP TO SPEED AND RPM WOULD RISE AND FALL WITH THE PRESS/DEPRESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. VEHICLE HAS 80K MILES, NEVER ABUSED AND HAS ALL RECALLS COMPLETED.

NHTSA ID

11266502

Incident

Oct 5, 2019

Mileage

82,000 mi

ENGINE AT 39,600 MILES. HAD AN OIL CHANGE PERFORMED AT 37,000 MILES. CAR THREW ROD INTO ENGINE BLOCK RESULTING IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. REMEDY IS A NEW ENGINE VALUED ROUGHLY AT $4,000 AND LABOR VALUED AT $4,000 BEFORE TAXES. CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED BY AUDI BUT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT OIL. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING STRAIGHT AT 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AT TIME OF INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11253286

Incident

Aug 19, 2019

Mileage

39,600 mi

THE STEERING WHEELS PRESENT TEMPORARY PROBLEMS SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW, SHOWING NOISES (LIKE A PRESSURE VALVE AIR LEAKING), AND CHANGE IN RESISTANCE TO STEERING THE VEHICLE. I'VE ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK IT SOMETIMES, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. LAST SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2019, AFTER STOPPING THE CAR, THE STEERING WHEEL LOST ALL POWER, STOP WORKING, AND SEND A MESSAGE NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I TOW IT TO A DEALER WHICH RECOMMEND CHANGE THE STEERING RACK AND MADE ALIGNMENT ($2900). THE CAR IS IN THE DEALER RIGHT NOW. READING THIS SITE, I REALIZE IT MAY BE A MORE GENERIC PROBLEM, WITH SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATION, ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF AUDI. I HAVE TO SYA THAT OTHERWISE IT IS AN EXCELLENT CAR.

NHTSA ID

11234299

Incident

Jul 21, 2019

Mileage

35,000 mi

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR STOPPED RUNNING--WAS UNABLE TO START IT. AUDI DEALERSHIP SERVICE IDENTIFIED IT TIMING TENSIONER FAILURE AT JUST 70000 MILES. REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT $3100. RECENT CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT IDENTIFIES THIS AS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH AUDI/VW BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VIN. HOWEVER, THIS IS IDENTICAL ISSUE AS OTHER AUDI UNDER RECALL

NHTSA ID

11232160

Incident

Jul 13, 2019

Mileage

70,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. IN ADDITION, "DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE, STEERING WHEEL FAILURE" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED AUDI WEST HOUSTON (LOCATED AT 15865 KATY FWY, HOUSTON, TX 77094, (855) 627-2941) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

NHTSA ID

11220191

Incident

Jun 6, 2019

Mileage

52,000 mi

WHEN THE VEHICLE AS AT A STOP OR MOVING FORWARD VERY SLOWLY AND THE GAS PEDAL (ACCELERATOR) IS DEPRESSED THE TRANSMISSION (WHICH IS IN DRIVE) DOES NOT ENGAGE - THE ENGINE WILL SIMPLY REV AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THE TRANSMISSION WILL ULTIMATELY ENGAGE WITH A RATHER SEVERE JOLT. THIS PRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE UPON COMMAND. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THIS HAS PUT ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IN ONE INSTANCE, A CAR WAS STALLED AHEAD OF ME ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY. I STOPPED MY CAR ABOUT 15 FEET BEHIND THE STALLED VEHICLE. IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT I BE ABLE TO TURN INTO THE ADJOINING LANE AND BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY WHILE DOING SO, AS TRAFFIC IN THAT LANE WAS BUSY AND MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE CONDITION I DESCRIBED OCCURRED AND I WAS FRANKLY LUCKY TO AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER DOES NOT INDICATE ANY MALFUNCTION, AND THE DEALER ASSURES ME THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OPERATING FEATURE OF THIS AUTO.

NHTSA ID

11219494

Incident

May 16, 2019

Mileage

50,000 mi

POWER STEERING GETS STIFF AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THE ISSUE HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING AT ANY TIME. IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

11210187

Incident

May 24, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

2013 AUDI A4 QUATTRO WITH APPROX. 61K MILES - THE STEERING WHEEL HAS STARTED TO OFFER INCONSISTENT RESISTANCE TO DRIVER INPUT. THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO INTERMITTENTLY LOSE THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST WHICH IMPACTS DRIVERS ABILITY TO JUDGE THE AMOUNT OF FORCE IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE A TURN OR CHANGE A LANE. ISSUE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING THE VEHICLE BEING STATIONARY. WHILE ROTATING THE WHEEL, IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING HAS HIT A DEAD END AFTER TURNING A MERE 20 DEGREES, UPON ADDITIONAL FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL ROTATE FURTHER. THIS BEHAVIOR IS INTERMITTENT WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY THROUGH TURNS AND AT HIGH SPEEDS.

NHTSA ID

11208214

Incident

May 16, 2019

Mileage

61,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V229000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. PRESTIGE NEWPORT (9201 WEST COLFAX, LAKEWOOD, CO 80215, (303) 238-8101) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11204833

Incident

Sep 14, 2018

THE PROBLEM: A CLICKING OR CLACKING NOISE MAY EMANATE FROM THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS DUE TO A LACK OF WHEEL-BEARING LUBRICANT ON THE BEARING HOUSING ASSEMBLY. VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SERVICE BULLETIN: 2008 AUDI A4 2009 AUDI A4 2010 AUDI A4 2011 AUDI A4 2012 AUDI A4 2013 AUDI A4 2014 AUDI A4 AUDI DOES HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE ON FRONT WHEEL BEARING AFFECTED 2008-2017 AUDI. I CALL THE DEALER AND THEY SAID NO RECALL. I DO EXPERIENCED THE NOISE/ VIBRATION ASSOCIATED WITH WHEEL BEARING

NHTSA ID

11196622

Incident

Mar 30, 2019

Mileage

100,050 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V229000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI HAWTHORNE (LOCATED AT 151 SAW MILL RIVER RD, HAWTHORNE, NY 10532, (914) 747-1077) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11195827

Incident

Mar 12, 2019

EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED, ROUGH IDLING, LOSS OF POWER, CAR WILL NOT TURN ON. 2017 IT DID THE SAME THING, FOUND ELECTRICAL FAULT NEAR GAS TANK (COULD HAVE BLOWN UP). AUDI FIX AT GOODWILL. COMPRESSION OF ENGINE WAS NEVER CHECKED. 2019 SAME THINGS HAPPENING, ENGINE LOST COMPRESSION IN 2 CYLINDERS. ALL SERVICES DONE AT AUDI. TOLD NEW ENGINE $10K-13K AND THEY WILL NOT HELP COVER COSTS. ONLY 60'000 MILES DONE ON THE CAR AND NO OVERHEATING ISSUES EVER.

NHTSA ID

11193795

Incident

Apr 1, 2019

Mileage

60,000 mi

I HAVE A 2013 AUDI A4, I LOVE MY CAR, BUT AT 39K MILES I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY STEERING. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, IN THE BEGINNING I FELT LIKE AT TIMES THE STEERING WAS JUST VERY HARD TO TURN, NOW IT IS DOING IT MORE AND MORE OFTEN AND THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT COME BACK ON ITS OWN ONCE YOU TURN A 90 DEGREE TURN. PLUS THE WHEEL GETS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AT TIME I HAVE TO USE BOTH HANDS TO REALLY PUT ON THE WHEEL TO MAKE A TURN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, THEY STATED THAT THEY PLACED IT ON THE COMPUTER AND THAT NO FAILURE CODES WERE REGISTERED. I HAVE THREE SMALL KIDS, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT AUDI DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS, WHEN I SEE THAT WERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINS ON THIS ISSUE. I JUST HOPE THAT THERE WON'T BE A FATAL ACCIDENT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11187388

Incident

Feb 25, 2019

I EXPERIENCED ROUGH HALF A DOZEN INTERMITTENT WARNINGS OF A "DYNAMIC STEERING FAULT. YOU MAY STILL DRIVE THE VEHICLE." (YELLOW WARNING SYMBOL) WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING TURNS WHICH LASTED 15 SECONDS, AT MOST BEFORE GOING AWAY. DURING THESE INTERVALS THE STEERING BECAME MILDLY STIFF AND NOTCHY. YESTERDAY I ATTEMPTED TO CRANK THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY AND IT WOULDN'T CRANK BUT GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING ERROR, "STEERING DEFECTIVE! DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE! NOW THE CAR WON'T START.

NHTSA ID

11187191

Incident

Mar 15, 2019

Mileage

78,452 mi

PURCHASE A AUDI A4 2013 IN FEBRUARY OF 2019. STEERING WHEEL IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH AUDI ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK AND NEEDING IT TO BE REPLACED. ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE TURNING TAKES STRENGTH AND A HANDFUL OF EFFORT. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE TO THE POINT WHERE I DONT WANT TO RISK MY LIFE DRIVING THE CAR. AFTER RESEARCHING THE "ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK" ISSUE MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE IT. SEARCHING YOUTUBE, AND GOOGLE MULTIPLE OWNERS HAVE THE ISSUE AND AS A RESULT SOME DONT DRIVE OR HAVE TO SPEND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIXED. IT IS AN ISSUE FOR MULTIPLE MODELS THE STIFFNESS OF THE STEERING WHEEL IS SEVERE. NEARLY CRASHED MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE STIFFNESS AND HAD TO REVERT BACK TO MY OLDER CAR. I WANT TO SEE WHETHER THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE "ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK" AND WOULD LIKE TO GET A RECALL OR SOMETHING SINCE THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. GOT IT CHECKED BY DEALER AND THEY ALSO SAID THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE BUT, THERE IS NO RECALL AS OF NOW.

NHTSA ID

11186907

Incident

Feb 15, 2019

Mileage

108,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11182785

Incident

Feb 21, 2019

Mileage

88,763 mi

YOU KNOW OF THE ISSUE I AM WRITING ABOUT, AS I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM AUDI IN JUNE 2018 TELLING ME ABOUT RECALL 19N4, THE AFTER RUN COOLANT PUMP. THE LETTER SAID TO PARK OUTSIDE, NOT IN A GARAGE, UNTIL FIXED. KIND SCARY. WILL MY CAR BURST INTO FLAMES? AUDI DID NOT HAVE THE PART. I RECEIVED A SECOND LETTER IN SEPTEMBER 2018. STILL NO PART. I RECEIVED A THIRD LETTER IN JANUARY 2019. IT IS NOW FEBRUARY 2019 AND STILL NO PART (ALTHOUGH IN JANUARY THEY PERFORMED A TEMPORARY FIX RECOMMENDED BY AUDI. I AM WRITING AS I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW LONG THIS PROCESS IS DRAGGING OUT. IT MUST BE SERIOUS FOR MY ENGINE AS WELL, AS THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

11180956

Incident

Jan 3, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RANDOMLY BECOMES INOPERABLE LEADING TO HARD STEERING OR WHEELS NOT RETURNING TO CENTER. FEEL CAN BE NOTCHY WHERE STEERING ASSIST IS INCONSISTENT AS A FUNCTION OF STEERING WHEEL POSITION. ISSUE HAPPENS RANDOMLY WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS

NHTSA ID

11174925

Incident

Feb 6, 2019

Mileage

107,000 mi

REFERENCE: 2013 AUDI A4 QUATTRO. THE STEERING HAS SUDDENLY BECOME VERY STIFF. STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER AFTER MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN ON URBAN STREETS. I MUST TURN IT BACK MANUALLY. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING NON-POWER STEERING VEHICLES AND POWER STEERING VEHICLES FOR 60+ YEARS. THIS IS NOT THE WAY THAT ANY STEERING SYSTEM THAT I HAVE EVER DRIVEN WORKS. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL OF ALL AUDI VEHICLES SO AFFECTED.

NHTSA ID

11170579

Incident

Jan 9, 2019

Mileage

53,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUDI VALENCIA (23923 CREEKSIDE RD, VALENCIA, CA 91355, (661) 735-1778) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,029.

NHTSA ID

11140029

Incident

Sep 28, 2018

Mileage

43,029 mi

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN APRIL, ANOTHER LETTER IN JUNE, AND A 3RD LETTER IN SEPTEMBER. THIS IS THE AFTER RUN COOLANT PUMP RECALL 19N4. NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AFTER MANY MONTHS, AND AUDI RECOMMENDS THAT CAR BE PARKED OUTSIDE, NOT IN GARAGE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AS WE LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND WINTER IS COMING SOON.

NHTSA ID

11131950

Incident

Apr 1, 2018