2018 Audi A4 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (4) · Service Brakes (3) · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings (3)
🧭 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 (1)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2021-11-10 · campaign 21V874000 · 208,332 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Service bulletins (773)
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.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-22 · TSB_2020552_15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning.
Structure:body 2026-09-18 · TSB_2078648_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 773 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-14 · Tires:valve“i am reporting a serious vehicle safety incident involving my 2018 audi a4. on xxx, while traveling from [xxx] to [xxx] with my [xxx] son in the vehicle, all four tire valve stems failed during a single interstate journey. the first failure occurred on the front-left tire, causing nearly instantaneous tire deflation. after an emergency repair, i c…”
2026-07-02 · Unknown Or Other“a vehicle diagnostic scan dated 04/15/2026 showed electrical communication faults involving vehicle control modules. the scan showed u014100, described as “lost communication with body control module ‘a’,” with status listed as passive/sporadic. the scan also showed u112100, described as “data bus message missing,” with status listed as active/stat…”
2026-07-02 · Unknown Or Other“a vehicle diagnostic scan dated 04/15/2026 at approximately 88,502 miles showed a stored transmission electronics fault: p084100, described as “transmission fluid pressure sensor/switch a range/performance,” with status listed as passive/sporadic. this indicates a transmission / powertrain control concern involving the transmission fluid pressure s…”
2026-07-01 · Unknown Or Other“visible wiring has become exposed in the windshield/a-pillar area. there is no airbag/srs warning light at this time, and i am not able to determine from visual inspection whether the exposed wiring is related to the restraint system. however, this is a safety-sensitive area because it can contain or route electrical wiring near trim, sensors, and …”
2026-07-01 · Unknown Or Other“the vehicle displayed a low coolant warning and the coolant reservoir was low. audi dealer service records dated on or about 02/14/2025 document the concern as: “client states low coolant warning was on, coolant reservoir is low, diagnose and advise.” the dealer performed coolant-related work involving the thermostat gasket / coolant hoses or conne…”
2026-07-01 · Unknown Or Other“the sunroof has a recurring mechanical/electrical malfunction. during operation, the sunroof binds and makes a loud popping or cracking noise, and the rubber seal became torn or damaged. this suggests a possible track, guide, cable, motor, regulator, frame, seal, or alignment failure. this is being reported as a safety concern because a binding or…”
2026-07-01 · Unknown Or Other“the rear-view camera intermittently fails to engage when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. when the camera does display, the image sometimes shows horizontal glitch lines/artifacts. this affects backing visibility and parking safety and creates a risk of collision with pedestrians, objects, vehicles, or property. the concern was reported to aud…”
2026-07-01 · Structure:body“the fuel filler door/gas door intermittently fails to open, preventing normal access to the fuel filler area. this appears to involve the fuel door latch, release mechanism, lock actuator, body component, electrical control, or related wiring/module issue. this is being reported as a safety concern because inability to open the fuel door can preve…”
2026-07-01 · Visibility/Wiper“the exterior side mirrors have intermittent electrical/memory malfunctions. when locking the vehicle, the side mirrors begin to fold, pause or glitch briefly, and then continue folding. separately, when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the right-side mirror tilts downward to assist with backing/parking, but when shifted back to drive or park, t…”
2026-07-01 · Wheels“an audi dealer installed 245/40r18 93h tires on this 2018 audi a4, while the vehicle placard/specification requires 245/40r18 97h. the lower load index reduces capacity from 1,609 lb per tire to 1,433 lb per tire, approximately 704 lb total across four tires. this creates a safety risk because load-rated tires affect vehicle stability, heat buildup…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.