2013 Audi A4 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (10) · Engine (4) · Fuel/Propulsion System (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 (662)
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.
Structure:body 2026-09-08 · TSB_2068999_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this tsb describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · TSB_2074436_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
Showing the 6 most recent of 662 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-03-25 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“after run collant pump caught fire and damaged the engine wiring harness. i reported it to progressive insurance and they came and inspected it at a body shop. they concluded it was due to an open recall on the vehicle so insurance refuses to cover it. had car towed to audi dealership and they reported it to audi usa. they came back and told me tha…”
2024-09-28 · Engine“component that failed is a/an electric coolant pump for turbo. yes, it is available for inspection. safety was compromised due to increased risk of fire. yes, the issue has been confirmed by audi service department. yes the vehicle has been inspected by manufacturers local service department. yes, the check engine light and ecu light were …”
2024-06-25 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 127,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owned a 2013 audi a4. the contact stated that his grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed when he heard a loud unidentified sound coming from the engine compartment. suddenly, white smoke and flames were emerging from the engine compartment. the vehicle was successfully pulled to the side of the road by the contact's grandson. afte…”
2023-02-10 · Unknown Or Other“my audi a4 failed to start on the coldest day of the year when my daughter was out doing errands and left it for an extended time parked outside. when she returned and tried to start the car, she got an error message: "steering defective! do not drive vehicle!" she re-tried over a dozen times, leaving the vehicle and returning to try again....to no…”
2022-12-12 · Engine“i purchased this vehicle on 10/16/2022 and the very next day took it back and informed them that it was leaking oil. it was repaired and from that point on it was telling me to add a quart of oil once every week. was diagnosed by the audi dealership of the pistons needing to be replaced and that my car fell under the lawsuit that has yet to be sett…”
2022-07-27 · Engine“i have a 2013 audi a4 2.0. i was driving home at night close to my home and the car started puttering and wouldn’t go and i found out that the timing chain had “jumped” and caused sudden engine failure. i later found out that same issue is the subject of class action lawsuits for the second time around because audi didn’t properly take action a…”
2021-12-06 · Steering“august of 2021. it was raining out and i drove through a puddle and my electric steering shut down. this has been a known defect for at least 10 years with audi and nhtsa has done nothing about it. …”
2021-10-15 · Steering“2013 audi a4 with a 2.0 turbo engine approximately 62.5k miles and up to date with all services. i was driving on the highway at highway speeds when the engine suddenly started to misfire with a partial loss of power making the car difficult to steer. at that time the check engine light was not illuminated. i was able to get off the highway and…”
2021-09-30 · Seat Belts“two of my four kids were in the rear seat. my 7 year old panicked because her seatbelt came unbuckled and she couldn’t get it back. my initial reaction was to hit the breaks and slow down. my daughter was ejected from her seat into the passenger seat head first and then landed on the floor with her booster seat on top of her. i pulled over and chec…”
2021-07-08 · Electrical System“coolent migration from the coolant valve through the wire into the connection to ecu. this caused corrosion which in turn caused an unsafe driving condition by shutting the throttle pedal control to the engine off. this has been recalled on many other models and is quite prevalent in the a4 with manual transmission as mine is.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.