2012 Audi A4 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (10) · Fuel/Propulsion System (3) · Power Train (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi A4 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (591)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2083409_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2074846_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · TSB_2030471_9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · TSB_2074436_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
Service Brakes 2026-08-21 · TSB_2069904_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
Showing the 6 most recent of 591 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-01-20 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 175,000 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2012 audi a4. it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. the vehicle was a private sale. at the time of the purchase, the mileage was 90,512 and at the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 175,000.…”
2024-10-02 · Engine“there is a recall for the year after this when many audi owners of this model have the same issue per the audi forums. we have the coolant leaking issue as well and it should have been included in the recall …”
2023-07-11 · Engine“1) turbo, not because i'm looking to replace it 2) the car could stall when merging into highway or passing on the left lane 3) yes 4) no 5) yes, check engine light came on afterward check engine light came on after i tried to merge into a lane, while i was stepping on the gas peddle hard there was no acceleration. while the car did not stall, bu…”
2023-03-06 · Engine“there have been wide-spread reports & complaints with audi a4's starting in 2009. audi settled a class-action lawsuit in 2015 but it only covered vehicles madein 2009-2011. if you look at any audi owner blog or any car blog you'll find thousands of complaints about excessive oil consumption resulting in owners needing to replace pistons. in my cas…”
2022-07-06 · Engine“i have continued to notice increasing oil consumption on my 2012 audi a4. i have mentioned this to my dealership, however they kept dismissing it as an old car. i noticed that there have been numerous reports of this with audi vehicles. i requested for 2 part oil consumption test, which failed. nonetheless, they keep suggesting that there is nothin…”
2021-12-21 · Engine“owned 1 year and just over 120ish miles timing chain jumped required head rebuild and the timing replacement. soon as those were completed and car back on the road, oil consumption every 150miles with carbon buildup regularly on the rear bumper. low oil pressure light soon to appear following up with water pump housing cracking, replaced the water …”
2021-10-25 · Power Train“this vehicles water pump has failed and has been replaced 3 times in the last 3 years. i fear for the safety of the vehicle. we've received numerous correspondence regarding class actions suits and such for cooling system issues.…”
2021-05-13 · Engine · 99,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 audi a4. the contact stated that the vehicle received an oil change however, after driving only 300 miles, the minimum oil level warning light illuminated. the contact added two quarts of oil to the engine however, after several hundred miles of driving, the oil level warning light illuminated. the failure persisted and …”
2021-04-27 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 86,000 mi“having acceleration problems. varies not consistent. when applying pedal to accelerate. the car doesn't respond. rpm drops to zero. engine still runs but no movement. releasing pedal and trying again works intermittently. scary when trying to get car out of danger.…”
2021-04-12 · Engine“timing chain broke at approximately 104k miles.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.