2014 Audi A4 Owner Complaints

The timing chain and tensioner in my 2014 Audi A4 Quattro (VIN: [XXX] ) failed without warning, causing the engine to suddenly stall and become inoperable while in motion. This presented a serious safety hazard. Although my vehicle is slightly outside the settlement mileage and time limit, timing chains are considered a lifetime component and are not a maintenance item, meaning they are not expected to fail and are not listed as requiring inspection or replacement under any Audi maintenance schedule. This failure was sudden, catastrophic, and safety-related. Audi and Volkswagen have already acknowledged this timing chain defect in federal class-action litigation (Opheim et al. v. Volkswagen Group of America), and my VIN is included in the affected vehicle list. Audi’s own dealership technician confirmed that the timing chain is stretched, the tensioner is fully extended, and the intake camshaft timing is off by a tooth—clearly matching the known defect. The vehicle stalled suddenly while arriving at a repair facility, and it would not restart. Had this occurred on a highway, a collision could have easily resulted. This is a known safety defect, affecting engine timing, power loss, and stall risk. The manufacturer denies responsibility despite known defects, safety implications, and VIN eligibility. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate Audi’s refusal to address a known and documented safety-related defect involving a critical non-maintenance engine component that is expected to last the life of the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11700399

Incident

Nov 3, 2025

Hi My name is [XXX] and I have an 2014 Audi A4 that has been consuming to much oil ever since I bought it . I see the vehicles contained defective pistons that caused excessive oil consumption. Can you please help with this ? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11639781

Incident

Sep 28, 2020

The contact owns a 2014 Audi A4. The contact stated while at a stop sign and attempting to proceed, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The contact and her boyfriend shifted into neutral and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road for a while until the vehicle eventually restarted. The Electronic power control (EPC) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the residence where the boyfriend used a diagnostic scanner to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the fuel pump sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was scanned a second time and it was determined that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The diagnostic scan tool was used again to diagnose the vehicle and it was determined that the fuel pressure regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ID

11607526

Incident

Jul 9, 2024

Mileage

98,000 mi

The contact owns a 2014 Audi A4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a message advising to stop the vehicle immediately was displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot, where the contact noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and another dealer, Audi North Atlanta (11505 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA 30076), were then notified of the failure, but the contact was not informed that the VIN was included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. The contact later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V229000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact had not received a recall notification in the mail. The contact submitted a claim for reimbursement to the manufacturer, but the reimbursement was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ID

11601482

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

Mileage

82,000 mi

The third brake light intermittently stops working. Being that it is intermittent, it tells me the led and circuitry are working. Also, a warning alert will illuminate on my dash instrument cluster and not when the light is working again. Upon further searching on-line, there is an issue with a solder joint cracking. I believe this is the case because when i jiggle the connector, the light will illuminate. Since this light is required by law, this is a very important safety issue. And a rather expensive one since the replacement part alone is $150-$200.

NHTSA ID

11579220

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

Heating/ cooling system is not functioning correctly, continues to get warning meage from car heating/coolant warning, and engine coolant is leaking out

NHTSA ID

11575230

Incident

Feb 16, 2024

Loss of power / Turning onto oncoming traffic there was severe hesitation. Which caused the car to not move onto oncoming traffic quick enough causing both oncoming vehicles to maneuver around. Upon going to the mechanic he states I have oil in the engine from faulty piston rings which he states he has seen multiple times in these models.

NHTSA ID

11554967

Incident

Nov 10, 2023

I was driving down the highway and my sunroof suddenly exploded randomly. No signs of anything hitting it at all.

NHTSA ID

11528827

Incident

Jun 26, 2023

With out warning vehicle engine shut down in the middle of the highway causing loss of power to breaks and steering. Mechanics assessment states engine is mechanically or electrically blocked. Upon investigating issue I found numerous law suits regarding engine piston failure. Please see civil action docket number L-001632-21. Found on class action .org

NHTSA ID

11511349

Incident

Jun 6, 2022

I've purchased this out of state, in 2017 December. The place was an Audi Dealers Belle Audi , in Elizabeth, New Jersey. I bought an extended on the paint and they failed to cover it when it was peeling, I since had the hood repainted, had a recall Fuel pump ( after run) , and steering column repair hbut at around 85,000 miles I saw an add oil light on my dash that indicated I needed oil, and then a service engine light- so I took it to South Burlington Audi in Vermont for a servicing and they said all was okay. Every servicing I've had done on it was at that dealership. They changed the oil/ filter etc.. but came accross as nothing was wrong when I asked and I was told - are you sure you need oil? and the girl who worked in their service department said to bring it by, and I did just 2 weeks later after the servicing that light came on again, She added a half a quart in the area I parked in. She said its fine and I left. Next thing I went buy 2 other times reporting it and their was only a sales agent and a man who worked in the Manager for servicing is english/autralian accented told me to just add oil. Then yesterday I went back after I was told on Monday evening this could be a breather valve. Well Audi has an issue with piston seals being bad- causing this and ever 150-200 miles I need to add a half a quart- and if not my engine light comes on. I've had 2 mis-fires and they told me up to 100,000 miles the class action suit covered- and they deliberately ignored this so they did not have to tear down my engine and fix the oil consumption issue. There was oil on the botton in one small area and on top, I had to fill it on the highway it blew oil over the top while filling I explained ,so they did a dye test and cleaned it and no oil leaks shown. They refused me a repair covered under the defective piston / ring/ seal class action suit 3 times. I would like to report them and file a law suit. Can you refer and assist me in this. It is an 2014 A4 2.0 Turbo.

NHTSA ID

11508479

Incident

Apr 14, 2020

Driving on a two lane busy road, car started to jerk and shut down. Lost steering capability immediately, car veered toward ditch, stopped. Called 911 immediately because the road was busy and cars could not safely get around my stalled vehicle. I told 911 that I was exiting the vehicle for my safety. I could not restart the vehicle. There were no warning lamps or messages or symptoms alerting me to a problem UNTIL after the occurrence. I had no idea what was happening, and it was frightening. Never had this situation with any of my Audi's and I only have approximately 41,000 miles on it. After about 15 minutes a person stopped and was able to restart my vehicle (911) never got to me and I cautiously drove home. Called the dealer and had it serviced immediately. Diagnostics performed on it. It required a replacement of the fuel pump and fuel rail sensor. It found fuel pump control module to be shorting out. It seems that this type of issue should not be occurring on the vehicle with such low mileage.

NHTSA ID

11482567

Incident

Aug 12, 2022

The TCM doesn't properly communicate with sensors in the transmission of my Audi A4 such as one of the speed sensors and this issue is inspectable by most certified technicians. The equipment failure can result in the transmission not being able to engage the gears into a "forward" motion causing the vehicle to seemingly stall in traffic. It can also cause it to shift roughly, which could further damage equipment and pose higher safety risks to not only to me, but other drivers on the roads as well, both of which issues I mentioned have occurred to me on multiple occasions. I've recently had this issue diagnosed by an Audi technician. A "transmission malfunction" message also is present on the dashboard as a result of the aforementioned issues.

NHTSA ID

11459394

Incident

Mar 25, 2022

This is my second time contacting you in reg. this vehicle, it was previously in the shop for the same repairs the engine was replaced and the coolant system was fixed, now it has been about two mo and again it is having issues with the coolant system and now transmission issues, I also just found out that this vehicle was in a accident in 2014, in which I was told t had not been, so I am currently reaching out to the Audi dealership trying to receive previous service history done to vehicle Oasis report. I feel this vehicle is a safety hazard, I am a single mom and grandmother and I do not feel safe in this vehicle and wish I was informed of previous accident. In the time I have had the vehicle it has spent over 30 days in the shop and now its back in there.

NHTSA ID

11456007

Incident

Mar 9, 2022

Car is feeling jerky and shaky at the steering wheel when driving or sitting still. Very common problem on these cars. Will probably need new steering rack. This issue needs to become a recall. Very frustrating.

NHTSA ID

11439794

Incident

Oct 15, 2021

INTAKE VALVE SPRING ON CYLINDER 4 ( THE ONLY WARNING I RECEIVED WAS THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A RATTLING NOISE AND THE WHOLE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND THE EPC LIGHT THEN CAME ON, WHEN IT STARTS IT IS HESITANT TO START) I PURCHASED CAR ON 7/24/2020 THE FIRST TIME IT BROKE WAS ON/AROUND 10/27/2020 AND THE CAR HAS NOW ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ISSUSE ON /AROUND 10/28/202, I AM UNSURE IF THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH PREVIOUS OWNER, BUT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT IN A SAFTY DUE TO THE WHOLE ENGINE GOING.

NHTSA ID

11439711

Incident

Oct 28, 2021

The contact owns a 2014 Audi A4 Allroad. The contact stated that water had leaked into several electrical components including the back-up camera and the sound system. The contact stated that the radio could not be turned off and remained on with the volume on high. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who stated that water had leaked through sunroof rails that opened and closed the sunroof. The certified mechanic replaced the radio receiver. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the back-up camera system. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11432744

Incident

Sep 13, 2019

Mileage

85,000 mi

The parking break malfunction light keeps coming on and off for the past few months. Last year the malfunction light came on and I was unable to release the parking break. My car had to be towed to mechanic for reviews. The light is now back; on and off for several months. I fear using my parking brakes.

NHTSA ID

11431321

Incident

Jun 1, 2021

Steering wheel doesn’t want stay center. Kicks left or right, in a kind of ‘notchy’ way. Almost feels like it wants to click from side to side and won’t stay centered. Vehicle was recently aligned and utilizes all OEM parts.

NHTSA ID

11421222

Incident

Jan 11, 2021

THE STEERING LOCKS UP OUT OF NO WERE WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT SEEM LIKE POWER STEERING FAILURE AND GIVES YOU A STUCK THEN LET GO FEELING. I'M A MECHANIC AND HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THE STEERING UNIVERSAL JOINTS SEIZED AND RUSTED BAD MAKING IT WELL NOT STEER SMOOTH IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AND A CAR ONLY 6 YEARS OLD WITH 80000 MILE SHOULD NOT HAVE AN ISSUE LIKE THAT BUT IT'S VERY VERY COMMON AFTER RESEARCH

NHTSA ID

11403177

Incident

Feb 15, 2021

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE IN A TURNING MOTION THRU A WATER PUDDLE, THE STEERING DEFECTIVE WARNING LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASH AND THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF AT SLOW SPEED. ERROR WAS ANALYZED AS A DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC STEERING RACK AND PINION. ONE YEAR AGO THIS SAME PROBLEM AROSE AND IT WAS CORRECTED WITH A USED RACK, BECAUSE A NEW ONE COULD NOT BE FOUND, SUCH IS THE CASE AT THE CURRENT TIME, ONLY USED RACKS ARE AVAILABLE, WHICH DID NOT WORK OUT WELL THE FIRST TIME AND THE LEAD TIME ON A NEW RACK IS 3 MONTHS. I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT NUMBER: 11300855 ON THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM A YEAR AGO. I FEEL AUDI NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE RACK P/N 8K1 423 055BA OR ANY OTHER THAT FIT THIS DESCRIPTION. THE INTERNET HAS PLENTY OF AUDI FORUMS ABOUT THIS MOISTURE PROBLEM, SINCE THE RACK IS CONDUCIVE TO WEATHER RELATED CONDITIONS THAT SHORT OUT CONTROL MODULE, LEAVING THE RACK WITH NO ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST. THE MODULE IS INTEGRATED INTO THE RACK WITH NO WAY TO JUST REPLACE JUST THAT PART, LEAVING YOU WITH A $3000.00 BILL.

NHTSA ID

11399524

Incident

Mar 5, 2021

Mileage

88,540 mi

THIS VEHICLE IS NEEDING A QUART OF OIL EVERY 300-400 MILES. IT'S A 6 YEAR OLD CAR, THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH AUDI ENGINE DESIGN. A QUART OF OIL EVERY 300-400 MILES IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. SINCE DAY 1 THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD AN OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM NOW AT 75K MILES AND THE PROBLEM JUST CONTINUES TO GET WORSE.

NHTSA ID

11376353

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE AUDI SERVICE CENTER AND THEY EXPRESSED TO ME THAT MY ENGINE COOLANT PUMP WAS NOT WORKING AND THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT TELL ME IT WAS APART OF A RECALL. HAD I KNOWN THIS, I FEEL AS THOUGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED APPROXIMATELY $2,300 TO GET IT FIXED WHEN IT WAS RECALLED FROM SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

11363694

Incident

Aug 8, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD A WARNING LIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING AND WHEEL STOPPED TURNING. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION EVENTUALLY STARTED TURNING BACK AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR AND PUT ON HAZARDS AND KEPT PLAYING WITH STEERING BUT WAS STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. HAD TO TOW VEHICLE TO AUDI AND TOOK A WEEK AND A FEW DAYS WITH THE CAR. NOW AFTER I GOT IT FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS MY OIL SENSOR HAS GONE BAD AFTER I ASKED THEM TO CHECK EVERYTHING. I FIND THIS VERY STRANGE

NHTSA ID

11362097

Incident

Sep 7, 2020

Mileage

61,415 mi

RACK AND PINION, STEERING LOCKED UP

NHTSA ID

11355094

Incident

Sep 14, 2020

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, I GET AN 'ALTERNATOR FAILURE - BATTERY MIGHT NOT BE CHARGING' WARMING, FEW SECONDS LATER THE CAR ALMOST COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES SUPER STIFF, CAN'T ACCELERATE, I ALMOST HIT A CAR NEXT TO ME WHILE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD AND PARK IN A SAFE PLACE! LUCKILY WAS A 35 MPH ZONE, IN THE HIGHWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY DANGEROUS! I TOWED TO A SHOP AND YES, IS THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAR SHOULD GIVE AN EARLIER WARNING AND DEFINITELY NOT SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING!

NHTSA ID

11342774

Incident

Jul 31, 2020

Mileage

64,000 mi