RoadVitals

1999 Audi A4 Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jan 28, 2016
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 190 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Audi A4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Jan 28, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 308,000.

NHTSA ID
10822780
Incident
Mar 1, 2015
Mileage
308,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 18, 2006
1 injury reported

THE DRIVER SEAT CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON SATURDAY OF THANKSGIVING WEEKEND 11/25/06. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *NM

NHTSA ID
10176472
Incident
Nov 25, 2006
Airbags
Filed Dec 18, 2005
Crash reported2 injuries reported

ON 9/28/04 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT WHERE ANOTHER DRIVER IN A SUBURBAN FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT AWAY, TURNED IN FRONT OF ME, I HIT HER WITH MY 1998 AUDI AVANT WAGON. THE COMBINED SPEEDS OF THE TWO VEHICLES COMBINED WITH WHERE I HIT THE SUBURBAN, FLIPPED THE SUBURBAN. THIS DRIVER WAS TRAPPED IN HER VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS INVOLVED IN LIFTING HER VEHICLE OFF OF HER ARM. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF STITCHES IN HER ARM. IN CONTRAST, I SHATTERED MY RIGHT WRIST SCAPHOID BONE. THIS REQUIRED A RATHER MAJOR SURGERY INVOLVING BONE GRAPH AND TITANIUM SCREW IN 11/04. THE BONES NEVER FUSED, AND I AM LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL SURGERY. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED IN THIS ACCIDENT, AND MUCH OF THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT I SUSTAINED WAS IN MY RIGHT WRIST/ARM. I AM ALSO RIGHT HAND DOMINANT. *JB

NHTSA ID
10145542
Incident
Sep 9, 2004
Mileage
50,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 9, 2004
Crash reported1 injury reported

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. UPON IMPACT,FRONTAL AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THIS RESULTED IN THE DRIVER'S HEAD IMPACTING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD SEVERE FRONT END DAMAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10087435
Incident
Aug 9, 2004
Mileage
56,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceEngine+1 more
Filed May 16, 2003

WHEN THE CAR WAS ABOUT A YEAR OLD, THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE REPAIR FACILITY NOTED TO ME THAT I WAS LUCKY TO BRING IT IN WHEN I DID, AS IT WAS AT RISK FOR SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS INCLUDED AN OIL PUMP FAILURE ($750) AT ABOUT THE THREE YEAR MARK; AND OCCASIONAL SUDDEN LURCHING/RPM REVVING OR SUDDEN ONSET OF A 'LAG' IN POWER, WHICH THE DEALER NOTED WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN BUT COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL INDICATOR GAUGE BEING GROSSLY INACCURATE - INDICATING I HAVE USED ONLY A QUARTER TANK OF FUEL TO DRIVE 350 MILES. HOWEVER, THE MOST BOTHERSOME ONGOING PROBLEM IS FOUR OR FIVE TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR A NON-FUNCTIONING CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. EACH TIME THEY HAVE 'REPLACED THE VACUUM HOSES' BUT THIS 'REPAIR' WILL BEGIN TO FAIL AGAIN LATER THAT SAME DAY. THE SYSTEM WILL EITHER FAIL TO ENGAGE ALTOGETHER, OR IT WILL BE ENGAGED DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, THEN WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE SPEED WILL CONTINUALLY DECREASE UNTIL I HAVE TO MANUALLY DISENGAGE THE SYSTEM AND TURN IT OFF. I REPORTED THIS TO AUDI OF AMERICA'S CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE (VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL) WHO HELPED ME ARRANGE ANOTHER SERVICE VISIT, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN RESOLVED. CRUISE CONTROL HAS NEVER WORKED AND I'M GIVING UP ON IT EVER WORKING. I JUST HAVE TO PRETEND THAT I DON'T HAVE IT, WHICH IS VERY ANNOYING DURING HIGHWAY TRAVEL. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10018789
Incident
May 16, 2003
Mileage
15,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Oct 1, 2001

THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A DEFECTIVE OR MALFUNCTIONING AIR BAG SYSTEM, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY, NOW THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR IT AGAIN SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS 68000 MILES CITING THAT ALL REPAIRS HAVE A 12000 MILE WARRANTY. NLM

NHTSA ID
563578
Airbags
Filed Aug 1, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
749545
Incident
Jul 29, 2001
AirbagsPowertrain (other)Visibility
Filed Sep 29, 1999

DEFECTIVE SUN ROOF WOULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY AND NOT CLOSE. DLR REPLACED SUN ROOF. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS NOT READNG THE SPEED ACCURATELY. DEALER REPLACE SPEEDOMETER SENSOR AND GEAR. FINALLY, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG. DEALER REPLACE DTHE AIRBAG SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
849249
Incident
Mar 1, 1999

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .