RoadVitals

2011 Audi A4

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
11
Latest Jul 14, 2024
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Audi A4, most frequently naming the engine, powertrain (other) and fuel system categories. 532 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine741.2%
  • Powertrain (other)317.6%
  • Fuel system211.8%
  • Seat belts15.9%
  • Brakes15.9%
  • Suspension15.9%
  • Driver assistance15.9%
  • Electrical15.9%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 11
Engine
Filed Jul 14, 2024

Engine oil consumption, timing chain. This is a massive problem among Audi vehicles across the board. Engine oil consumption is abnormal and if unnoticed leads to engine dying in the middle of the road which is dangerous and I’ve personally had this happen to me on multiple occasions. The engines timing chain goes bad and causes the entire engine to need to be replaced which consumers have to pay for out of pocket. Damage from timing chain, rough idle, sluggish engine performance, rattling, engine failure. There are large amounts of consumers experiencing the exact same issues. Something needs to be done it’s not safe at all and Audi should be held responsible and liable to fix these issues. The engines are deteriorating at an abnormal and accelerated rate.

NHTSA ID
11601913
Incident
Jul 14, 2024
Engine
Filed Apr 24, 2024

So there have already been recalls on some audis for oil consumption. I have a 2011 Audi A4 quattro and it goes through oil like crazy. It's ridiculous I believe it's because of faulty piston rings which led to faulty head gasket witch leads to the spark plugs, and coils.

NHTSA ID
11585103
Incident
Jul 28, 2023
Seat belts
Filed Oct 19, 2023

As of yesterday 10/18/2023, the drivers seat belt would not connect, I forced it to connect, but the dash light indicator remains on. also, difficult to release. I'm concerned that in an accident the air bags won't deploy and worse I may be trapped in the vehicle. My mechanic told me that there were recalls on these Audi's, however I can't find any and the dealer said there is no recall and that they would charge me $200 dollars just to inspect it.

NHTSA ID
11550773
Incident
Oct 18, 2023
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 22, 2023

Vehicle has horrible oil consumption due to piston rings being defective upon manufacture. Vehicle will have slew of problems, including stopping in the middle of the street, risking the lives of everyone in the car. Audi Dealer knows of the problem with the model from this year (B8) and they refuse to fix.

NHTSA ID
11528374
Incident
Jun 15, 2023
BrakesDriver assistanceFuel system
Filed Apr 9, 2021

ON MY CAR WHEN I'M DRIVING ANYWHERE AFTER I PUT MY CRUISE CONTROL ON IF I PRESS UP OR DOWN ON THE CRUISE CONTROL TO CHANGE THE SPEED THE CAR WILL EITHER BRAKE OR SPEED UP AND IT WON'T STOP UNTIL I HIT MY BRAKES HARD AND TURN THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPLETELY OFF WHICH IS ALSO AN ISSUE BECAUSE MY BRAKES ARE GOING OUT EXTREMELY FAST LIKE I NEED A NEW PAIR EVERY 2-3 MONTHS AND THE CAR ALSO BURNS THROUGH OIL SO QUICKLY THAT I NEED TO ADD MORE WITHIN 2-3 DAYS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE WITH NO LEAKS AND IT'S BURNING MORE OIL THAN GAS WHICH IS CLOGGING UP MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER........ AND CAUSING MY EMISSIONS TO BE BAD.....

NHTSA ID
11407333
Incident
Apr 2, 2021
Mileage
112,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 25, 2020

APPARENTLY AUDI HAD. ARE ALL FOR THIS CAR BECAUSE OF A BAD CYLINDER STATE FORCED AUDI TO DO A RECALL ON THE CAR I JUST PAYED 7K FOR THIS CAR AND THE CYLINDER IS BAD AUDI DOESN'T WANNA HELP ME UNLESS I PAY BUT IT'S AN ISSUE STRAIGHT FROM AUDI WHICH IS NOT FAIR OF AUDI TO DO THAT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS EVEN IF I DIDN'T BUY THE CAR FROM AUDI IT IS STILL A PROBLEM FROM THEIR END EVEN THE GOVERNMENT FORCED THEM TO DO THE RECALL BUT THE TIME FRAME OF THE RECALL IS OVER NOW AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO DO I JUST LOSE 7K DOWN THE DRAIN

NHTSA ID
11376314
Incident
Nov 24, 2020
Mileage
111,000 mi
Fuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 24, 2020

PURCHASED CAR USED FROM AUDI OF NORTH PARK IN SAN ANTONIO, TX WITH APPROX 73K MILES ON IT. I HAVE DRIVEN IT FOR LESS THAN 2K MILES. THE CAR WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE IN REVERSE. I SEARCHED FORUMS AND SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
11330683
Incident
Jun 2, 2020
Mileage
75,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 21, 2020

VEHICLE HAS 73,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS SEVERE JUDDERING. TRANSMISSION JERKS CONTINUALLY WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS, AND MAKES IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S. FIX IS $6000.00, MAKING CAR WORTHLESS.

NHTSA ID
11329870
Incident
Mar 26, 2020
Mileage
73,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB_2082846_1

This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.

SM 01-2026

ENGINE

This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.

TSB_2073282_1

STRUCTURE:BODY

This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.

TSB_2034863_5

POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides infomraiotn when there is a gearbox malfunction message in the instrument clostuer; DTC P0706; vehicles with 0AW gearbox.

TSB_2074729_3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.

TSB_2028405_5

POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides infomraiton when there is a Gearbox warning light; DTC P060B00 stored in the Transmission Control Module.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Audi A4 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025000—
2024200—
2023100043.4
2022630—
2021114065.1
20201273048.0
2019101059.4
2018441049.2
2017541040.6
2016110035.5
2015190046.4
2014310032.2
2013240044.8
2012190039.7
2011Viewing110027.6
2010640031.8
20091202047.1
20081754050.8
20071963046.5
20062953047.0
20052194049.4
20041893150.9
20032104049.2
20021812050.4
20011313157.3
2000965358.5
19991907559.8
19982586559.0
1997988462.0
1996896356.1
1995120—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.