Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2014 Audi A4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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.
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.
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
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.
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
RACK AND PINION, STEERING LOCKED UP
VEHICLE CAN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. SOMETIMES IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. OTHER TIMES IT ALTERNATES BETWEEN LOOSE AND STIFF, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE HAD MANY NEAR-COLLISIONS IN THIS STATE.
THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE MAKING NOISE @ 76,756 MILES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE OPEN ROAD, SO BOTH WERE CHANGED OUT. UPON CHECKING THE INTERNET I FOUND TSB NO. 401548 REFERRING TO THE PROBLEM IN MANY AUDI MODELS FROM 2009-2016. WITH THIS EXTENSIVE PROBLEM, A RECALL SHOULD BE ENFORCED. A MONTH LATER @ 78998 MILES THE ELECTRONIC RACK AND PINION STEERING STARTED TO MAKE A RUBBING NOISE WHEN TURNED, SITTING OR TRAVELING AND AN ON BOARD RED NOTICE CAME UP INDICATING STEERING PROBLEM SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP. THE UNIT WAS ELECTRICALLY DIAGNOSED WITH A FAILED AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING AND AN ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. THE CODES WERE ENTERED AND THE RACK AND CLOCKSPRING WERE REPROGRAMMED TO THE VEHICLE ONCE INSTALLED, SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THIS ALSO SEEMS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM IN THIS VEHICLE, SINCE THE MECHANIC HAD KNOW OF TWO OTHER ALREADY THIS YEAR. THE CAR DID DRIVE FINE WITH THE OLD RACK AND PINION IN IT.
I BOUGHT THIS 2014 AUDI A4 USED IN 1/2019. THE CAR SEEMS TO HAVE MAJOR STEERING AND SUSPENSION ISSUES. ALTHOUGH I'VE HAD IT CHECKED BY PROFESSIONALS MULTIPLE TIMES,?ALIGNED MULTIPLE TIMES, AND TIRES REBALANCED MULTIPLE, NO ONE CAN DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. IT'S HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR ON FREEWAYS. SOMETIMES IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE CAR WANDERS ALL OVER THE FREEWAY. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. UNFORTUNATELY I'M UNABLE TO SUE USING THE LEMON LAW BECAUSE I BOUGHT IT USED.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .