RoadVitals

2003 Audi Cabriolet

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.
5
Latest May 23, 2012
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 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Audi Cabriolet, most frequently naming the body & structure, electrical and engine categories. 24 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

  • Body & structure225.0%
  • Electrical112.5%
  • Engine112.5%
  • Fuel system112.5%
  • Steering112.5%
  • Transmission112.5%
  • Visibility112.5%

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

Body & structureElectricalEngine
Filed May 23, 2012

I PURCHASED AN AUDI BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING QUALITY. I HAVE A BROKEN HING ON MY GLOVE BOX THAT RARELY IS USED (EST $450), OIL LEAK FROM A CAM SHAFT CHAIN ADJUSTER SEAL (EST $517), BROKEN TRUNK BIN (EST $675), AND NOW A RADIO THAT DOESN'T WORK AND AUDI WANTS ($1,900) SO I CAN GET RADIO RECEPTION. I AM SHOCKED THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY WORN OUT ON A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 50,500 MILES AND IS ONLY USED FOR PLEASURE. *TT

NHTSA ID
10459334
Incident
Jan 2, 2012
Mileage
50,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 11, 2011

I HAVE A 2003 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 3.0 WITH CVS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE REPLACED ONE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF OVER 7,500 DOLLARS. THE CAR ONLY HAD 65,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED BY AUDI DEALERSHIP IN TORONTO , CANADA. THE DEALER TRIED TO GET OUT OF PAYING FOR THE REPAIR AND AFTER SEVERAL ARGUMENTS ONLY PARTIALLY COVERED THE COSTS. THE CAR NOW HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT AND AGAIN I AM EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE PRND LIGHTS FLASH BACK AND FORTH AND THE TRANSMISSION IS WINING AND SHAKY AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. OBVIOUSLY AUDI HAS DONE A POOR JOB OF DESIGNING THIS TRANSMISSION AND REPAIR COSTS ARE RIDICULOUS. I HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH DASH BOARD LIGHTS , BRAKE LIGHTS BURNING OUT REGULARLY AND POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. MY ADVICE. DON'T BUT AN AUDI UNLESS YOU PLAN ON SELLING IT BEFORE THE WARRANTY IS UP AND IF YOU LIKE SARCASTIC TREATMENT AT DEALERSHIP LEVEL THEN THESE CARS ARE FOR YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID
10376264
Incident
Mar 10, 2008
Mileage
65,000 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Jul 16, 2010

2003 AUDI A4 CABRIO. VERY LOW MILEAGE, LOW USE. REAR WINDOW DELAMINATES FROM CANVAS ROOF, RAIN WATER COMES IN & SHORTS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10343659
Incident
Jul 13, 2010
Mileage
29,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 6, 2006

WHEN THIS CARS GAS TANK GOES BELOW A HALF TANK, THE GAS CHAMBER DOES NOT ALLOW GAS TO FLOW INTO THE TANK. FOR SOME REASON,THE GAS PUMP RELEASES OR WORSE THE FUEL OVERFLOWS. THE SAFETY OR RISK HERE IS THAT ONE CAN GET STRANDED, BE IN A STRANGE TOWN, FAR FROM HOME LATE AT NIGHT, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO FILL THE TANK. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS BUT WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. *JB

NHTSA ID
10156899
Incident
Oct 10, 2003
Steering
Filed Nov 13, 2003

2003 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET STEERING WAS EXTREMELY NOISY FROM DATE OF PURCHASE ON. GRADUALLY GOT WORSE. STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED BY AUDI SERVICE 3 TIMES TO NO AVAIL. AT ONE POINT, A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING CAUSED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AUDI MECHANICS AND DEALER ADMITTED TO FAULTY POWER STEERING IN SOME A4 CABRIOLET MODELS BUT WILL NOT OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE. AFTER ALMOST 4 MONTHS I'M STILL WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT CAR. *LA

NHTSA ID
10046837
Incident
May 14, 2003
Mileage
250 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

SAC-28F2-REV

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

AUDI: GASOLINE ENGINE VEHICLES; INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IGNITION COILS. VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION MAY HAVE IGNITION COILS THAT COULD MALFUNCTION UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. ADDED FINAL MAILING PHASE-8/10 VIN INFORMATION. MODELS A4/CABRIOLET; TT; A3; A8; A6; S4; ALLROAD; RS4; Q7; S6; S8. *PE

SA-28F2 J1

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

AUDI: (REVISED) VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION MAY HAVE IGNITION COILS THAT COULD MALFUNCTION UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) WILL ILLUMINATE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE SOME DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE. IN SOME CASES, A MALFUNCTIONING IGNITION COIL MAY CAUSE A VEHICLE TO EXCEED FEDERAL AND/OR CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS STANDARDS. *PE UPDATED 8/9/10. *PE UPDATED 8/11/10. *PE UPDATED 11/8/10. *PE UPDATED 11/10/10. *PE UPDATED 1/10/11. *PE

TSB-00-10-02

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

AUDI: SOFTWARE VERSION MANAGEMENT (SVM) OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS. DETAILING THE GENERAL PROCESS FOR CARRYING OUT A SOFTWARE VERSION MANAGEMENT (SVM) SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR ANY TSB OR REQUIRED VEHICLE UPDATE (RVU). TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION IS INCLUDED. *PE

TSB-01-09-06

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

AUDI: SOFTWARE VERSION MANAGEMENT (SVM), OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS. SVM IS A PROCESS TO UPDATE THE PROGRAMMING IN FLASHABLE (RE-PROGRAMMABLE) CONTROL MODULES AND/OR TO DOCUMENT CHANGES IN SOFTWARE LEVELS IN AUDI VEHICLES. THIS SYSTEM USES THE VAS 5051B OR VAS 5052 DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS TO SEND VEHICLE SPECIFIC DATA TO THE SVM DATABASE, TO DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SVM DATABASE, AND TO FLASH CONTROL UNITS FOR IDENTIFIED SOFTWARE UPDATES. *PE

TSB-01-08-33

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

AUDI: SOFTWARE VERSION MANAGEMENT(SVM) OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS. ITS A PROCESS TO UPDATE THE PROGRAMMING IN FLASHABLE (REPROGRAMMABLE) CONTROL MODULES AND/OR TO DOCUMENT CHANGES IN SOFTWARE LEVELS IN ALL AUDI VEHICLES. *PE

TSB-44-08-14

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

AUDI: WHEEL BOLTS REQUIRE TORQUE ADJUSTMENT. TORQUE STICKS AND TORQUE EXTENSION BARS ARE NOT APPROVED BY AUDI OF AMERICA, INC. AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO APPLY TORQUE TO WHEEL BOLTS. ALL AUDI MODELS INCLUDED. *PE

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 Cabriolet by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003Viewing500—
2002000—
2001000—
2000100—
1999000—
1998100—
1997210—
1996820—
1995330—
1994220—
1993010—

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.