Audi
A4
Compact Cars · model years 1996 to 2025
Includes A4, A4 Avant, A4 Avant quattro and 3 more as listed by the EPA.
The verdict
Best year: 2025. complaints: 1, below this model's typical 15; recalls: 0, below this model's typical 3.
Worst year: 2017. complaints: 86, about 1.9x this model's typical 45; recalls: 6, about 2x this model's typical 3.
Year by year
| Year | Trims | MPG | HP | Fuel cost | Recalls | Complaints | TSBs | Top complaints | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 4Gas | 19.5 | no data | $3,950 | 4 | 89 | no data | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22%, SUSPENSION 16%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 9% | |
Score: 43 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 1997 | 6Gas | 19.5 | no data | $3,950 | 6 | 98 | no data | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 30%, SUSPENSION 17%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 13% | |
Score: 38 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 1998 | 11Gas | 20 | no data | $3,850 | 4 | 258 | no data | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 38%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9%, SUSPENSION 8% | |
Score: 32 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 1999 | 12Gas | 20 | no data | $3,850 | 4 | 190 | no data | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 36%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 7% | |
Score: 52 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2000 | 13Gas | 20 | no data | $3,850 | 2 | 96 | no data | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 43%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 10% | |
Score: 74 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2001 | 11Gas | 20 | no data | $3,850 | 1 | 131 | no data | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 21%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 19% | |
Score: 74 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2002 | 11Gas | 20 | no data | $3,850 | 1 | 181 | no data | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 36%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13%, EXTERIOR LIGHTING 8% | |
Score: 66 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2003 | 13Gas | 21 | no data | $3,650 | 3 | 210 | no data | POWER TRAIN 16%, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 15%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12% | |
Score: 53 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2004 | 14Gas | 21 | no data | $3,650 | 2 | 189 | no data | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 21%, AIR BAGS 12%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 8% | |
Score: 64 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2005 | 22Gas | 22 | no data | $3,500 | 3 | 219 | no data | EXTERIOR LIGHTING 38%, AIR BAGS 20%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9% | |
Score: 62 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2006 | 13Gas | 22 | no data | $3,500 | 4 | 298 | no data | EXTERIOR LIGHTING 46%, AIR BAGS 21%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6% | |
Score: 38 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2007 | 14Gas | 22 | no data | $3,500 | 5 | 219 | no data | AIR BAGS 57%, ENGINE 7%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 5% | |
Score: 52 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2008 | 14Gas | 22 | no data | $3,500 | 6 | 191 | no data | AIR BAGS 60%, ENGINE 6%, POWER TRAIN 6% | |
Score: 42 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2009 | 8Gas | 23 | no data | $3,350 | 6 | 144 | no data | AIR BAGS 30%, ENGINE 26%, STEERING 9% | |
Score: 36 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2010 | 4Gas | 24 | 211 | $3,225 | 0 | 64 | 835 | ENGINE 48%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 12%, POWER TRAIN 12% | |
Score: 78 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.7 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014). | |||||||||
| 2011 | 4Gas | 24.5 | 211 | $3,150 | 0 | 43 | 953 | ENGINE 38%, POWER TRAIN 11%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10% | |
Score: 80 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.7 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014). | |||||||||
| 2012 | 4Gas | 24.5 | 211 | $3,150 | 0 | 45 | 1,039 | ENGINE 50%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9% | |
Score: 77 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.5 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014). | |||||||||
| 2013 | 4Gas | 25 | 211 | $3,075 | 4 | 111 | 1,330 | STEERING 42%, ENGINE 15%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8% | |
Score: 27 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.8 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014). | |||||||||
| 2014 | 3Gas | 26 | 211 | $2,950 | 4 | 78 | 1,024 | ENGINE 29%, STEERING 26%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7% | |
Score: 36 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.7 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014). | |||||||||
| 2015 | 3Gas | 26 | 216 | $2,950 | 4 | 44 | 837 | ENGINE 29%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, POWER TRAIN 11% | |
Score: 57 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2016 | 3Gas | 26 | 216 | $2,950 | 3 | 26 | 770 | ENGINE 20%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13% | |
Score: 71 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2017 | 3Gas | 27 | 252 | $2,850 | 6 | 86 | 1,079 | AIR BAGS 22%, ENGINE 19%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13% | |
Score: 21 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2018 | 2Gas | 27 | 252 | $2,850 | 4 | 53 | 959 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 21%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21%, AIR BAGS 7% | |
Score: 39 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2019 | 2Gas | 28.5 | no data | $2,700 | 1 | 13 | 930 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19%, ENGINE 14%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14% | |
Score: 84 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2020 | 2Gas | 28.5 | no data | $2,700 | 3 | 158 | 969 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 42%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 26%, BACK OVER PREVENTION 21% | |
Score: 30 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2021 | 1Hybrid | 28 | no data | $2,750 | 4 | 12 | 960 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 15%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 15% | |
Score: 65 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2022 | 1Hybrid | 29 | no data | $2,650 | 3 | 6 | 821 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER 30%, ENGINE 20%, AIR BAGS 10% | |
Score: 79 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2023 | 1Hybrid | 28 | no data | $2,750 | 1 | 11 | 757 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17%, ENGINE 17%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11% | |
Score: 80 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2024 | 1Hybrid | 30 | no data | $2,550 | 0 | 6 | 655 | ENGINE 20%, TIRES 20%, AIR BAGS 10% | |
Score: 89 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
| 2025 | 1Hybrid | 29 | no data | $2,850 | 0 | 1 | 407 | SERVICE BRAKES 50%, STEERING 50% | |
Score: 94 of 100, where higher is better. | |||||||||
How the numbers moved
How we score each year
We compare each year of the Audi A4 to the model's own typical numbers, not to other cars. A year reads solid when its recalls, owner complaints, and federal investigations sit at or below what is typical for this model, mixed when some of those numbers run above typical, and avoid when they run far above it. Deaths, reported fires, and an NHTSA advisory to park outside count against a year no matter what this model's baseline looks like.
A year is scored only when NHTSA has both complaint and recall counts for it. Complaint data often lags for the newest years, so a recent year can read not enough data even while its recall count already shows in the table. When the history is too thin, we say not enough data instead of guessing. Service bulletins are routine maintenance guidance from the manufacturer and do not lower a year's score.
Scores run 0 to 100, higher is better. Recall, complaint, and investigation figures come from NHTSA records. Fuel economy, fuel cost, and horsepower figures come from the EPA, shown as the median across the year's trims.
Information is gathered on a best-effort basis from public sources, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not purchasing or financial advice. Verify with the manufacturer or dealer before buying.