RoadVitals

2000 Audi S4 Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical reportsComplaints 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.
51
Latest Aug 23, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
36%
of 143 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Audi S4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 51 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.

Owner reports naming electrical

The 25 most recent of 51, in the owner's own words

ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 23, 2012

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON ALL THE AUDI S4S AND ALSO ON VW LOOSE PIXELS ON THE DASH AND IT GOES OUT, IT IS A HAZARD BECAUSE THIS IS A GAUGE THAT DOES A SYSTEM CHECK EVERY TIME YOU START THE VEHICLE, THE CAR TELLS THE DRIVER IF THERE ARE BRAKE PROBLEMS, ENGINE PROBLEMS, ALSO IF LIGHTS ARE OUT I.E. BRAKE LIGHTS TURN SIGNALS, AND ALSO FLUID STATUS OF THE CAR. WHEN THIS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES OUT OR AS AUDI CALLS IT LOSES PIXELS, THE DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE CAR WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY AND HARM TO THE OPERATOR. IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MANY TIMES AND HAS BEEN REPLACED ON MY CAR OVER 4 TIMES AND IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH OTHER AUDI OWNERS. ALSO THE WINDOW REGULATOR CLIP THAT HOLDS THE WINDOW BREAKS AS WELL, AUDI AND VW DID A RECALL VIN SPECIFIC MODELS OF THE BEETLE JETTA AND A4 BUT NOT THE S4, THE CLIP IS THE SAME DESIGN THAT IS USED IN MY VEHICLE. IT ALSO HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MANY TIMES OF FAILING AND CAUSES ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE, IF THE CLIP BREAKS THE WINDOW WILL ROLL DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY, I.E. CAUSING THE WINDOW TO BREAK WHICH THROWS GLASS ALL OVER THE OCCUPANTS IN THE CAR AND ALSO EXPOSES LIMBS TO OBJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE. MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES WITH AUDI MULTIPLE TIMES AND PHONE CALLS AND MULTIPLE EMAILS, REGARDLESS OF THE AGE AND MILES ON MY CAR, IT IS THE SAME THINGS THAT KEEP BREAKING, CAUSING THESE SAFETY ISSUES. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE WHEN THESE DESIGNS WERE PUT ON THE MARKET. AND REPLACING THESE ITEMS IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY OCCUPANTS AND MYSELF. THEY NEED TO BE REDESIGNED AND REVAMPED TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES. REPLACING THEM EVERY SINGLE YEAR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND EVEN MORE SO WHEN SOMEONE'S LIFE IS AT RISK, DUE TO A BAD AND CARELESS DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10471969
Incident
Jul 18, 2001
Mileage
19,955 mi
BrakesElectrical
Filed Mar 16, 2010

ABS SENSOR FAILURE ON 2000 AUDI S4 QUATTRO. LIGHT CAME ON AT 114,213. LEADING TO THE BRAKE LIGHT TO FLASH ALONG SIDE OF IT AND BEEP EVERY OTHER MINUTE WHEN YOUR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HAVEN'T CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT COST 1,700. SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM ON VW'S AS WELL AS THE AUDI IN YEARS FROM 1996-2001. *TR

NHTSA ID
10320252
Incident
Feb 27, 2010
Mileage
114,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 5, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL CLUSTER DOES NOT WORK IN HIS VEHICLE. OCCASIONALLY, HE IS UNABLE TO READ THE DISPLAY PANEL. THE DEALER QUOTED HIM A COST FOR THE REPAIR, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID
10279486
Incident
Jul 5, 2008
Mileage
100,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 2009

I OWN A 2000 AUDI S4. MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS AN LCD DISPLAY THAT DISPLAYS INFORMATION LIKE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE, POSSIBILITY OF ICY CONDITIONS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS LOW ENOUGH TO WARRANT THESE CONDITIONS, AVERAGE MPG AND OTHER INFORMATION OF THIS NATURE. THIS SCREEN ALSO GIVE SAFETY WARNINGS LIKE BAD HEADLIGHT, TAILLIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LIGHT, WORN BREAK PADS, LOW WASHER FLUID, LOW ENGINE OIL AS WELL AS OTHERS. THIS SCREEN, AS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, DOES INDEED PROVIDE CRITICAL SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTOMOBILE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10267213
Incident
Mar 11, 2009
Electrical
Filed Apr 28, 2009

CENTER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY DOES NOT FUNCTION. PIXELS WHICH DISPLAY CRITICAL VEHICLE WARNING INFORMATION ARE OUT AND ILLEGIBLE. PROBLEM IS PERMANENT AND ENTIRE CLUSTER HAS TO BE REPLACED TO FIX PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10267158
Incident
Jan 1, 2009
Mileage
100,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 24, 2009

THE 2000-2002 AUDI S4S HAVE A VERY LARGE PROBLEM WITH THE INFORMATIONAL GAUGE CLUSTER SCREEN FAILING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM. IT FAILS TO ALERT YOU OF THINGS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE LIKE BRAKE PAD WEAR, TAILLIGHT MALFUNCTIONS, ENGINE ISSUES, VEHICLE SPEED, TEMPERATE (ISSUE WHEN ITS GETS FREEZING). THIS IS MOSTLY DUE TO RELYING ON THIS SCREEN FOR SO MANY YEARS. MANUAL CHECKS CAN BE DONE OBVIOUSLY BUT IT FAILS WITHOUT WARNING AND THAT CAN BE TO LATE IN MANY CASES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10266593
Incident
Jan 26, 2007
Mileage
178,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 20, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 AUDI S4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE LED INDICATORS DIMMED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM TO PURCHASE A NEW CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AT THE TIME, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS. RECENTLY, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LED INDICATORS WERE TOO DIM TO ASSIST WITH THE WARNING INDICATORS NOTIFYING HIM OF A FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 03-06-09 *BF UPDATED 03/10/09. *JB

NHTSA ID
10255744
Incident
Aug 19, 2004
Mileage
45,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Dec 24, 2008

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS PIXEL LINES NOT SHOWING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION DISPLAYED BY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10252722
Incident
Feb 15, 2006
Mileage
40,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 5, 2008

SCREEN IN GAUGE CLUSTER IS GOING BAD AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE I CAN NOT READ IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MY VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244450
Incident
Oct 2, 2008
Mileage
90,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 5, 2008

THE PIXELS IN THE CLUSTER ARE GONE. THE CLUSTER DISPLAYS VITAL SAFETY INFORMATION AND I CAN'T SEE THEM BECAUSE THE PIXELS ARE DEAD. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244411
Incident
Mar 17, 2008
Electrical
Filed Oct 4, 2008

MY INFORMATION DISPLAY IN MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAVE TOTALLY BLACKED OUT. IT USE TO WARNING ME IF BRAKES ARE WORN, IF ANY LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. FLUIDS NEED REFILL AND SO ON... *TR

NHTSA ID
10244376
Incident
Jul 1, 2007
Electrical
Filed Oct 4, 2008

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. I HAVE NO WAY TO VIEW THE IMPORTANT VEHICLE INFORMATION ON MY CLUSTER AS THE PIXELS IN THE DISPLAY HAVE FAILED AND ARE NOW UNREADABLE, TEMP, ENGINE ISSUES ETC ALL APPEAR ON THIS SCREEN AND ARE UNREADABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244366
Incident
Nov 7, 2007
Mileage
40,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 3, 2008

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEM IN 2000 AUDI S4 THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DIGITAL SCREEN HAS ALL OF ITS PIXELS MISSING OR MESSED UP. IT IS ESPECIALLY WORSE WHEN THE HEAT INCREASES. THIS PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS TO ME BECAUSE THIS SCREEN TELLS ME WHAT PROBLEMS MY CAR IS HAVING, WEATHER MY COOLANT IS LOW, HEADLIGHTS WORKING, ETC. IT WARNS ME OF NOTHING IF I CANNOT SEE IT. I FIND THIS DANGEROUS TO ME AND COULD ALSO CAUSE MECHANICAL FAILURE IN THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244297
Incident
Sep 25, 2007
Electrical
Filed Oct 2, 2008

PIXELS ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN TO GET SCRAMBLED THE CAR WAS SERVICED LAST MONTH AND BECAUSE I COULD NOT READ THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATING LOW OIL MY MOTOR WAS NEARLY BLOWN. ALL WARNING LIGHTS COME ACROSS THAT PART OF THE CLUSTER AND NO WARNING IS VIEWABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244257
Incident
Feb 20, 2007
Mileage
60,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 1, 2008

I DRIVE A 2000 AUDI S4. TODAY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. DUE TO THIS I WAS UNABLE TO KNOW HOW FAST I WAS GOING OR READ ANY OF THE VEHICLE SAFETY WARNINGS, WHICH MY VEHICLE'S DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM DISPLAYS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WHILE SPEAKING WITH THE AUDI DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE FLAW THAT MUST BE CORRECTED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10236699
Incident
Aug 1, 2008
Mileage
122,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 24, 2008

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WARNING SYSTEM IS MISSING PIXELS AND I CAN'T SEE CERTAIN WARNINGS TO TELL ME IF MY CAR IS HAVING A SERIOUS PROBLEM OR NOT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10225658
Incident
Apr 12, 2008
Electrical
Filed Mar 31, 2008

2000 AUDI S4 PURCHASED USED AND CENTER TRIP ODOMETER IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. TRIP ODOMETER IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU VEHICLE INFORMATION SO WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK YOU MAY NOT GET VALUABLE INFO THAT COULD HELP YOU AVOID AN ACCIDENT OR JUST A MAJOR CAR PROBLEM WHICH COULD COST A LOT TO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID
10222961
Incident
Mar 25, 2008
Mileage
87,285 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 11, 2008

INFORMATION DISPLAY IS ILLEGIBLE...DEAD PIXELS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10214486
Incident
Jan 10, 2008
Mileage
513,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Dec 13, 2007

DASHBOARD/INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INFORMATION SCREEN HAS MORE THEN HALF OF IT PIXELS MISSING. I CAN NOT READ ANY INFORMATION FORM THE CAR, FOR EXAMPLE( CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE PADS ARE LOW, TEMP WARNINGS, DOOR AJAR. PUSH IN CLUTCH TO START, ETC. IT STARTED AS JUST A COUPLE OF PIXELS MISSING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE TO THE POINT THERE WILL BE NOTHING JUST A BEEP AND I WON'T KNOW WHY THE CAR IS BEEPING AT ME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10211818
Incident
Jan 1, 2005
Mileage
50,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 18, 2007

MY GAUGE CLUSTER, THE CENTER DISPLAY IS MISSING A THOUSAND PIXELS AND YOU CANT READ THE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ON THE CENTER DISPLAY AND MY RADIO KEEPS CUTTING IN AND OUT AND I FEEL IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10209271
Incident
Nov 10, 2007
Electrical
Filed Nov 18, 2007

MY 2000 AUDI S4 HAS MANY BAD PIXELS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT WARNS ME ABOUT SAFETY RELATED ITEMS. AUDI WILL NOT FIX THE ITEM WITHOUT CHARGE. *TR UPDATED 02/15/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO 70% OF THE REPAIR WHICH COST $ 1,894.99 AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR FREE. UPDATED IVOQ 02/23/11

NHTSA ID
10209253
Incident
Nov 16, 2007
Mileage
111,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 15, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENTAL PANEL DISPLAY HAS LINES ACROSS IT, WHICH PREVENT HIM FROM READING THE SCREEN. THIS IS A PERSISTENT FAILURE. WHEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED, HE WAS INFORMED THAT HE NEEDED TO PURCHASE A NEW CLUSTER FOR THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

NHTSA ID
10209086
Incident
Nov 15, 2006
Mileage
65,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 15, 2007

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAYING THE DASHBOARD IS UNREADABLE PREVENTING THE OWNER FROM READING VITAL SAFETY ALERTS OR POSSIBLE HAZARDOUS FAILURES OF THE VEHICLE AND/OR ENGINE PARTS/COMPONENTS. ALSO REARVIEW MIRROR HAS TINTING DEFECTS CAUSING OBSTRUCTION OF VIEW. *TR

NHTSA ID
10209054
Incident
Nov 15, 2006
Mileage
48,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 10, 2007

2000 AUDI S4 INSTRUMENT DISPLAY FAILURE. DEAD PIXELS OR LINES DO NOT SHOW UP MAKING IN HARD TO READ DISPLAY INFORMATION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10208596
Incident
Nov 6, 2007
Mileage
50,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 10, 2007

DRIVERS INFORMATION DISPLAY FAILURE. NO WAY TO DISPLAY SAFETY INFORMATION, VEHICLE MONITORING ETC. *TR

NHTSA ID
10208591
Incident
Sep 17, 2002
Mileage
50,000 mi

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.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .