RoadVitals

2010 Audi S4 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
60
Latest Sep 22, 2025
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.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
1
Reports on file since Aug 29, 2010

What this page shows

Our database holds 60 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2010 Audi S4. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 60 · page 1 of 3

EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 22, 2025

Unknown

NHTSA ID
11688973
Incident
Dec 31, 1969
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 4, 2020

ONCE CAR IS PUT INTO REVERSE IT LAUNCHES BACK ? ALSO IN FIRST ONE PUT IN COST IT WANTS TO MOVE PRACTICALLY FORWARD .

NHTSA ID
11320167
Incident
Mar 12, 2020
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 3, 2020

CAR SLAMMED INTO DIFFERENT GEAR, WASN'T ABLE TO SHIFT INTO 2ND AND THREW GEARBOX MALFUNCTION AND TPMS ERRORS. THANKFULLY I WAS NEAR HOME AND ABLE TO MAKE IT THERE WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT OR BEING STRANDED, BUT MY CAR IS NOW IMMOBILE. I SPOKE WITH AUDI AND THEY SAID IT WILL LIKELY BE A $4K REPAIR (MECHATRONICS UNIT). AFTER RESEARCHING THIS MORE, IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THERE'S ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO GET AUDI TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THEM.

NHTSA ID
11320125
Incident
Apr 1, 2020
Mileage
102,998 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 23, 2019

MY CAR FLASHED GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE I-264 IN LOUISVILLE KY. CAR SEAMED FINE FOR ABOUT 2 MILES AND THEN SUDDENLY WENT LIMP AND I HAD NO GEARS. HAD TO HIT FLASHERS AND COAST INTO MEDIAN. WAS ALMOST HIT BY SEMI TRUCK. REPAIR SHOP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HAPPENED AGAIN 1 DAY AFTER GETTING IT BACK FROM SHOP. TAKING IT TO AUDI NOW. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
11270568
Incident
Oct 23, 2019
Mileage
99,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 28, 2019

MECHATRONIC ISSUES.

NHTSA ID
11251998
Incident
Aug 15, 2019
Mileage
79,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 16, 2019

THE WHOLE CAR JERKED WHEN GOING TO 2ND GEAR AND THEN THETPMS, NO REVERSE, AND GEAR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS COMES ON. 2ND, 4TH, 6TH, AND REVERSE GEAR ARE GONE. RESTARTING THE CAR CLEARED THE WARNING AND DROVE FINE FOR 10 MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. TRY RESTARTING AGAIN TO CLEAR THE WARNING BUT LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN GOING TO 2ND OR REVERSE.

NHTSA ID
11232383
Incident
Jul 15, 2019
Mileage
72,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 4, 2019

GEARBOX FAILURE SEEMS TO BE COMMON ISSUE ON THE 2010 MODEL. SEEMS A REPLACEMENT MECHATRONICS UNIT OR FULL TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE DONE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
11229466
Incident
Dec 1, 2018
Mileage
56,000 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed May 30, 2019

IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING UP TO SPEED, AT ABOUT 50 MPH I GOT A "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION" ERROR MESSAGE IN THE CLUSTER AND IT WOULD NOT LET ME ACCELERATE ANYMORE, IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD JUST REV UP THE ENGINE. THE MECHATRONICS UNIT ON THESE VEHICLES ARE FAULTY, I KNOW 2 OTHER S4 OWNERS WITH THE YEARS OF 2011 AND 2012 WHO ALSO HAD THEIR MECHATRONICS FAIL ON THEIR S4. ALONG WITH THE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION ERROR ALSO COMES "PARKING BRAKE ERROR" WHO KNOWS WHAT IN THE WORLD CAN HAPPEN WHEN THAT MESSAGE COMES UP. IS IT GOING TO SUDDENLY APPLY THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE GOING 50-70 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSE A POSSIBILITY OF A VERY BAD ACCIDENT? THE REPAIR IS VERY PRICEY FOR THE MECHATRONIC UNIT THAT GOES BAD, IT IS NO COINCIDENCE MANY OF THESE S4 MODELS HAVE THESE GO BAD.

NHTSA ID
11217005
Incident
May 30, 2019
Mileage
67,455 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed May 29, 2019

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE MECHATRONICS UNIT ON MY CAR IS FAILING AND JUST MANY MANY OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. THE VEHICLE CAN STOP ENGAGING GEARS AT ANY SPEED AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AT ANY SPEED, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY

NHTSA ID
11210713
Incident
May 29, 2019
Mileage
67,320 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 15, 2019

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. LURCHING FROM A STOP AND LURCHING DURING SHIFT CHANGES.

NHTSA ID
11180272
Incident
Feb 4, 2019
Mileage
109,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 11, 2018

VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH BRAKE ENGAGED AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ENGAGED INTO GEAR AND TRIED TO SURGE FORWARD. HAD TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL TO DISENGAGE GEAR. IN OTHER INSTANCES, VEHICLE WILL SLAM INTO GEAR ABRUPTLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP, AND ALSO LUNGES FORWARD UNPREDICTABLY. THESE INCIDENTS ARE ALL RELATED TO A FAILING AUTOMATIC DSG TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ID
11128756
Incident
Aug 30, 2018
Mileage
125,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 9, 2018

GEARBOX MALFUNCTION AND TPMS MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD WITHIN THE CITY ABOUT 45MPH I FELT A SLIGHT JERK AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE WARNINGS CAME ON IN THE DASHBOARD "TIRE PRESSURE! SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" & "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION: NO REVERSE GEAR (YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING)" THROTTLE RESPONSE WAS OFF AND FORCED ME TO IMMEDIATELY PULLER OVER! WHILE STOPPED I RE-STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNINGS WENT AWAY, I SAT THERE FOR A COUPLE MINUTES AND THEN CONTINUED DRIVING. FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE JERKED AGAIN AND WARNINGS CAME BACK ON, I NEEDED TO GET TO WORK SO I CONTINUED DRIVING; THE CAR WOULD TAKE VERY LONG TO SHIFT GEARS AND IT WOULD JUMP FROM 1ST TO 3RD, FROM 3RD TO 5TH AND 5TH TO 7TH GEAR JERKING KIND OF VIOLENTLY EVERY-TIME AND THROTTLE RESPONSE BETWEEN SHIFTS WAS VERY LETHARGIC TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW DOWN SEVERELY AND I FELT UNSAFE DUE TO CARS GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO MY REAR AND THEM HAVING TO SLOW DOWN DRASTICALLY WHILE THE CAR SHIFTED GEARS. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I STRONGLY FEEL THAT AUDI SHOULD BE LIABLE AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL REPAIRS NECESSARY AND ACCIDENTS THAT THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE. IF THIS ISSUE WOULD OF PRESENTED ITSELF WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I BELIEVE IT COULD OF BEEN A CASE OF LIFE & DEATH. AUDI IS PUTTING THE PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR VEHICLES AND OTHERS AROUND AT RISK BY NOT RECALLING AN UNIT OR UNITS KNOWN TO CAUSE PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ID
11118724
Incident
Aug 9, 2018
Mileage
101,500 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 2, 2017

GEARBOX MALFUNCTION

NHTSA ID
11051893
Incident
Dec 1, 2017
Mileage
65,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 24, 2017

AUDI 7SP DL501 'S-TRONIC' TRANSMISSION FOR: 2010-2015 AUDI S4 AND S5, 2013-2015 AUDI RS5, S6 AND S7. VEHICLES EXPERIENCE MECHATRONIC UNIT FAILURE AND CLUTCH FAULTS. RESULTING IN: SUDDEN SHAKING AND VIOLENT 'JUDDERING,' HESITATION FROM THE CAR WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, A 'SURGE' FORWARD THAT FEELS LIKE THE CAR HAS BEEN REAR-ENDED, AND HARD DOWNSHIFTING OR CLUNKING WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. ALSO CLUNKING AND TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS, DIFFICULTY ENGAGING INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. VEHICLE SHOWING "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING" "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, DO NOT CONTINUE DRIVING" VEHICLE GOING INTO "LIMP MODE" IN ANY DRIVING SITUATION. CLUTCHES NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY, SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS. ISSUES CAN OCCUR WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE, MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, DRIVING UP A HILL, SHIFTING GEARS AT A LOW SPEED. MY EXPERIENCE: WHILE SWITCHING VEHICLES IN DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE WHEN INTO REVERSE AND I BACKED UP, THEN STOPPED, PUT TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE AND AFTER A JOLT FORWARD, VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT STALLED, HOWEVER ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT NO FORWARD GEAR, (EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) VEHICLE THEN ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO PARKED VEHICLE, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC HAD IT JUMPED BACK INTO DRIVE AS 3RD CAR, FATHER, AND GARAGE WERE IN FRONT PATH. 2ND TIME: VEHICLE COULD NOT REVERSE,(EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) RAN INTO PARKING CURB WHILE EXPECTING TO GO BACKWARDS. 3RD TIME: AFTER FINALLY GETTING OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT (RESTARTING CAR FOR THE 4TH TIME AND EPC LIGHTS) PUT INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, THEN TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED,(EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) LEAVING ME AND VEHICLE VULNERABLE FOR REAR COLLISION,WITH LEG OUT OF THE DOOR I WAS ABLE TO PUSH AND COAST MY VEHICLE OUT OF THE WAY, JUST TO MISS BEING REAR ENDED, AS CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN DRIVE AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS OF CYCLING IGNITION.

NHTSA ID
11039221
Incident
Oct 20, 2017
Mileage
98,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 11, 2017

VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION BECAME NON-OPERATIONAL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DUE TO MULTIPLE FAILED SENSORS IN THE "S TRONIC TRANSMISSION INTEGRATED SENSORS" MODULE. EARLY SENSOR FAILURE HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE AS AUDI ISSUED TSB 35 12 08 2032211/1 ON DECEMBER 21, 2012 (ONLY 3 YEARS AFTER ORIGINAL MODEL PRODUCTION BEGAN) OUTLINING THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE CAUSES AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.

NHTSA ID
11022732
Incident
Sep 3, 2017
Mileage
62,148 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 13, 2017

MY S4 THREW THE "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, REVERSE DISABLED" AS WELL AS A TPMS ERROR CODE WHILE IN TRAFFIC, AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE. VERY DANGEROUS, AND INCONVENIENT. LIMPED HOME AT VERY SLOW SPEED WHILE TRANSMISSION CLUNKED AND STRUGGLED TO CHANGE GEARS. THE CODE HAS GONE AWAY SINCE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND NOW IT LUNGES FORWARD WHEN YOU'RE COMING TO A STOP, WHICH MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. TAKING OFF FROM A STOP IS BOUNCY AND SUPER JERKY. IF I HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, IT WILL SOMETIMES GO SMOOTHLY. THE ENGINE RPM'S SURGE WHILE COASTING TO A STOP, OR GOING DOWN, HILL ESPECIALLY WITH FOOT OFF THE PEDAL.

NHTSA ID
10985522
Incident
May 7, 2017
Mileage
83,380 mi
ElectricalExterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 8, 2017

WHEN DRIVING IN REGULAR DRIVE BOX INDICATOR COMES ON. SAYING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION LIMITED FUNCTION. I ONLY HAVE 63125 MILES AND KEEP MY CAR MAINTENANCE.

NHTSA ID
10971272
Incident
Apr 7, 2017
Mileage
63,102 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 9, 2017

ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASING CAR, CAR EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF MECHATRONICS UNIT FAILURE (BANG/JERK WHEN STOPPING, RPM JUMPY IN 1/2ND GEAR, REVERSE IS JUMPY).

NHTSA ID
10959707
Incident
Mar 8, 2017
Mileage
42,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 4, 2017

TPMS & GEARBOX MALFUNCTION CAR WILL NOT DRIVE IN REVERSE AND JERK IN FORWARD GEARS WHILE ALSO INCREASING REVS ALL BY ITSELF. MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AS THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON A MAJOR BUSY ROAD!

NHTSA ID
10939780
Incident
Jan 4, 2017
Mileage
46,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 30, 2016

MY S4 LUNGES AT STOPS, OR IT FEELS LIKE I'VE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. TAKEOFF FROM A STOP IS BOUNCY, BOUNCY REVERSING, ESPECIALLY UPHILL. IF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BREAKS AND HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING, SOMETIMES IT'S SMOOTH. THE TAC BOUNCES WHILE COASTING TO A STOP, OR GOING DOWN HILL WITH FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT ARE NOW MORE PROFOUND. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. VERY FRUSTRATING TO PAY 50K FOR A CAR THAT DRIVES LIKE THIS, WHILE AUDI PRETENDS IT'S NOT A PROBLEM. LOTS OF THESE ISSUES IN VARIOUS FORUMS.

NHTSA ID
10928737
Incident
Nov 30, 2016
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Sep 13, 2016

MY AUDI S4 2010 IS HAVING A MECHATRONIC ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE STREET IT DROPPED A GEAR AND A ERROR MESSAGE POPPED UP STATING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION: NO REVERSE GEAR. MY VEHICLE WAS THEN UNABLE TO REVERSE AND ALSO KEPT DROPPING AND JUMPING TO DIFFERENT GEARS. IT MADE A VERY UNSAFE AND SCARY DRIVE,I HELD UP ALOT OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO DRIVE BACK TO MY HOUSE. TO GET A NEW MECHATRONIC COST BETWENN 3-8 THOUSAND DOLLARS. ALSO THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF AUDI OWNERS ON THE WEB WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I THINK AUDI SHOULD RECALL THIS PART THAT IS CAUSING SO MANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
10906235
Incident
Sep 13, 2016
Mileage
122,769 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 3, 2016

POSSIBLE DSG TRANSMISSION FAILURE GEARBOX MALFUNCTION ERROR MESSAGE ON DASH.

NHTSA ID
10903489
Incident
Sep 3, 2016
Mileage
44,500 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 11, 2016

"WARNING: GEARBOX MALFUNCTION- YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING" APPEARS AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. THE CAR DOES NOT MALFUNCTION, CHANGES GEARS WITHOUT PROBLEMS, AND WARNING REMAINS ON SCREEN. CAR HAS 58K MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. TOOK TO AUDI DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED MODULE G676 IS BAD. COST TO REPAIR: $5334.39. THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS WARNING ON THIS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OF AUDIS. AUDI WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THE COSTS TO REPAIR ALTHOUGH THEY REALIZE THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE!! WHY ARE THEY NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE?

NHTSA ID
10895174
Incident
Aug 11, 2016
Mileage
58,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 11, 2016
Crash reported

FOLLOW UP ON AUDI S4 2010: ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED WHILE PARKED IN SLOPED PARKING LOT. CAR ROLLED BACK INTO ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING 1800 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. CALLED THE AUDI DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY CLAIM "THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. " I DID SOME RESEARCH AND APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY APPROXIMATELY 6 OTHER PEOPLE ON AUDI FORUMS SUCH AS AUDIFORUM.COM

NHTSA ID
10894986
Incident
Aug 8, 2016
Mileage
68,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 11, 2016
Crash reported

AUDI S4 2010, ELECTRONIC PARKING BREAK RANDOMLY DISENGAGED WHILE PARKED IN A SLOPED PARKING LOT. CAR ROLLED BACK INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING 1800 DOLLARS OF DAMAGE.

NHTSA ID
10894981
Incident
Aug 8, 2016
Mileage
68,000 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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