U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Audi A4 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

181 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

30,900 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 114 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 50 of 181 complaints (27.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	17	9.4%
Transmission and shifting	13	7.2%
Braking behavior	11	6.1%
Electrical and battery issues	7	3.9%
Fuel system concerns	5	2.8%
Steering behavior	3	1.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System:Ignition

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine

Air Bags:Frontal

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System:Ignition	50
Electrical System	17
Exterior Lighting	15
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	13
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	11
Engine And Engine Cooling	9
Engine	5
Air Bags:Frontal	4

Electrical System:Ignition: 50; Electrical System: 17; Exterior Lighting: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 11; Engine And Engine Cooling: 9; Engine: 5; Air Bags:Frontal: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 52; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 16; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 7

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (52). 67 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2018

2019

2020

2002: 41; 2003: 57; 2004: 6; 2005: 5; 2006: 10; 2007: 13; 2008: 10; 2009: 3; 2010: 16; 2011: 5; 2012: 4; 2014: 2; 2015: 2; 2018: 4; 2019: 1; 2020: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 17 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 11 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000577 · 2002-12-24 (December 24, 2002)

IGNITION COIL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN A SHAKY VEHICLE, LOSS OF POWER AND A RED HOT GLOWING CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AUDI IS REFUSING TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE COILS UNTIL EACH ONE FAILS. AUDI EVEN REFUSES TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COILS AT THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSE.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,960 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000577 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000582 · 2002-12-24 (December 24, 2002)

IGNITION COIL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN A SHAKY VEHICLE, LOSS OF POWER AND A RED-HOT GLOWING CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AUDI IS REFUSING TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE COILS UNTIL EACH ONE FAILS. AUDI EVEN REFUSES TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COILS AT THE CUSTOMER''S EXPENSE.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,960 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000582 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000695 · 2003-01-02 (January 2, 2003)

AN ACCIDENT OCCURED IN MY 2002 AUDI A4 WITH THE NEW-FOR-2002 CVT TRANSMISSION (CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION) RESULTING FROM A CONDITION THAT I BELIEVE IS DEFECTIVE RELATING TO THE FUNCTION OF THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FROM A DEAD STOP, THERE IS A LONG LAG BETWEEN BEFORE THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO MOVE. AS A RESULT, IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY IN TRAFFIC, ONE MUST PRESS THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR IN ADVANCE. THIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IF ONE MUST QUICKLY STOP, RIGHT AFTER STARTING. IN THIS CASE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000695 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10056815 · 2004-02-09 (February 9, 2004)

THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT HESITATION WHEN YOU ACCELERATE. WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR WE LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN THAT WAS VERY FLAT WITH NO HILLS. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN ON MOSTLY BACK ROADS AT APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH. AFTER A FEW MONTHS WE MOVED AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FASTER, NOW THE PROBLEM WAS BECOMING VERY NOTICEABLE. AS YOU ACCELERATE THE CAR HESITATES AND YOU HAVE TO PUSH HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR THEN THE CAR JERKS FORWARD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR DIFFERENT ADJUS…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10056815 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000464 · 2003-01-01 (January 1, 2003)

RIGHT SIDE MIRROR AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS WHEN CAR IS IN REVERSE, HOWEVER WHEN YOU GO BACK IN FIRST THE MIRROR DOES NOT RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL SPOT. AUDI HAS SAID THAT THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE ISSUE. IT IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE BECAUSE EVERYTIME YOU NEED THAT MIRROR IT IS POINTED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION (USUALLY INTO THE SKY). IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND GENERAL DRIVING, THE MIRROR IS NEVER IN THE CORRECT SPOT. I HAVE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE CALLS BECAUSE IN ORDER TO SEE IN THAT VEHICLE YOU NE…

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000464 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10004086 · 2003-01-17 (January 17, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY COME ON CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004086 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000339 · 2002-12-21 (December 21, 2002)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION - TWO IGNITION COILS FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. WAS ON FREEWAY IN FAST TRAFFIC WHEN COIL FAILED. CAR SLOWED DOWN ABRUPTLY AND TWO CARS BEHIND HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID COLLISION. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000339 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010540 · 2003-03-16 (March 16, 2003)

HOMELINK SYSTEM STOPS WORKING. DEALER REPROGRAMS THE SYSTEM (WHICH I HAD ALREADY DONE 5X), AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. THE VISOR WITH CONTROL BUTTONS IS ORDERED & REPLACED. THE HOMELINK STARTS WORKING AGAIN. 7/2002--HOMELINK STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN--IT IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. 8/2002--HOMELINK TRANSCEIVER IS REPLACED AND IT STARTS WORKING AGAIN. LATER THAT MONTH, IT BEGINS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN. 9/2002--DEALER FINALLY INVESTIGATES FURTHER, AND FINDS CORROSION IN THE WIRING HARNESS/CONNECTORS. THAT SOUNDS VERY STRANGE TO ME. WHAT…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010540 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003442 · 2003-01-27 (January 27, 2003)

FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILURE, "GAS TANK" FAILURE, COILPACK FAILURE ON AUDI A4, 2002

Owner-reported narrative. 9,832 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003442 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005856 · 2003-02-14 (February 14, 2003)

GAS GAUGE FAILED. ENGINE DIED ON FREEWAY DUE TO FUEL TANK BEING EMPTY; AT THE TIME, GAUGE SHOWED TANK WAS 1/2 FULL. DEALER REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, BUT PROBLEM REMAINS.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005856 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10107301 · 2005-01-13 (January 13, 2005)

WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO POWER AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONSUMER LET THE VEHICLE COAST. THE CONSUMER WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10107301 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10255168 · 2009-01-15 (January 15, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 AUDI A4. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE GRINDING NOISE PERSISTED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WORSENED WHEN MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW. THE FLUID WAS REFILLED AND THE GRINDING NOISE CEASED. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, THE NOISE RETURNED AND WAS WORSE THAN EVER. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AGAIN AND THE MECHA…

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10255168 at NHTSA ↗