RoadVitals

2020 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.
127
+3 complaints in 30 days
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.
3
Latest Jan 26, 2022
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.
0
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 127 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 Audi A4, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and suspension categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1,039 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

  • Electrical9262.2%
  • Driver assistance4933.1%
  • Suspension21.4%
  • Other / unspecified10.7%
  • Brakes10.7%
  • Visibility10.7%
  • Interior & seats10.7%
  • Exterior lighting10.7%

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

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
22V034000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY; TIRES

Jan 26, 2022
31,058 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
The risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 42L5View on NHTSA.gov
21V874000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER; SEATS

Nov 10, 2021
208,332 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
The risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 74E3View on NHTSA.gov
21V295000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Apr 26, 2021
40,993 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
The risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 42L1View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

View all 127
Electrical
Filed Aug 12, 2026

My 2020 Audi A4 has an open safety recall campaign. Audi Corporate and my local dealership are formally refusing to perform the recall remedy unless I pay over $2,000 out-of-pocket to replace a broken J949 SOS Telematics Module. The manufacturer claims the module is separate from the recall, but its total failure physically blocks their diagnostic tools from applying the mandatory safety update. Conditioning a federal safety recall on a customer-paid repair violates recall compliance regulations, and has left my automatic emergency crash reporting and vehicle communication systems completely disabled.

NHTSA ID
11756511
Incident
Aug 7, 2026
Electrical
Filed Aug 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message SOS module no longer connected was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle failed to shut off. The contact believed that the failure was a safety issue due to the loss of communication, including the hands-free features, mobile phone connectivity, and the regular safety features failing to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the communication module failure was the same as the SOS module failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.

NHTSA ID
11756226
Incident
Jan 1, 2025
Mileage
54,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Audi A4. The contact stated that the emergency-call/communication system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under TSB: 91-20-29; however, the software update was unsuccessful due to the module. The dealer informed the contact that the module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure prior to the vehicle being taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID
11755871
Incident
Jun 28, 2026
Mileage
26,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 24, 2026

A metal bracket on the back left side of the driver seat snapped suddenly while driving straight and at a constant speed. Since this part is broken the seat is no longer connected to the track in that corner. The car is drivable for me because I am tall and sit with the seat at its lowest height setting. When turning or breaking quickly the seat moves, and it would obviously be a safety issue if I get into an accident. If the seat is adjusted higher it is not supported in that corner and it leans back. Yesterday I dropped it off at the dealer service center and they said it is the seat frame. I have not heard back from them yet. I am the first owner of this car, and it has not been in any serious accidents (I hit a deer once roughly 2 years ago). I am not unusually heavy.

NHTSA ID
11733679
Incident
Aug 16, 2025
BrakesOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Apr 3, 2026

Since I purchase my vehicle I have had to continuously replace my tires on the front. Going through my carfax acct I came across some recalls that showed up that I had no idea of the car may had which was prior to purchase from the dealers. I would think that these issues were fixed prior to reselling. I recently had to pull over on the freeway due to the tire making noises then realized that the tire wear was uneven again but this time shredded apart. I could feel metal poking out which the tires hadn’t been on for long. The loss pressure warning light went off. I later found the missing tire that has came off wrapped around the rotor which the tire shop near me hadn’t seen while replacing with new tires again. The wear on the brake pads were off as well as the rotors which I also ended up having to replace just recently. I’ve made an appointment with a dealer which is out of my way to hopefully have this resolved but needed to make a report of this safety issue.

NHTSA ID
11728966
Incident
Mar 3, 2026
Electrical
Filed Aug 9, 2025

MMI module keeps resetting. This causes sudden lost of navigation display and sudden lost of backup camera when reset happens while backing up. Release version: MHI3_US_AUG45S_P3243 Software version: 3243

NHTSA ID
11679554
Incident
Jul 25, 2025
Electrical
Filed Aug 7, 2025

Many times while driving the Audi MMI system which controls all radio/navigation/controls screen will completely shut off and reboot, leaving the screen blank and functionality gone. When researching online many others have reported the same issue, with Audi unable to provide a definitive cause or a fix for the issue. This is a safety issue as it could cause distraction while driving

NHTSA ID
11678974
Incident
Aug 1, 2025
Filed Aug 2, 2025

Audi MMI system randomly goes dark and reboots during driving - this turns off the rear camera and any GPS system being used to navigate along with the sound system, etc.

NHTSA ID
11678028
Incident
Aug 1, 2025

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.

TSB_2081573_4

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.

TSB_2078648_2

STRUCTURE:BODY

This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel.

TSB_2073747_4

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing.

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_2069596_3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information when the pop-up for massage functions does not appear.

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
2020Viewing1273048.0
2019101059.4
2018441049.2
2017541040.6
2016110035.5
2015190046.4
2014310032.2
2013240044.8
2012190039.7
2011110027.6
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.