2005 Audi S4 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
43 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
56,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: . 34 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 29 of 43 complaints (67.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 4.7% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 4.7% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 4.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 2.3% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 29 |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 5 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Air Bags | 2 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 29; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 5; Electrical System: 3; Air Bags: 2; Air Bags:Frontal: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 12 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 9 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
2006: 1; 2007: 3; 2008: 1; 2009: 3; 2010: 11; 2011: 7; 2012: 4; 2013: 2; 2014: 3; 2015: 2; 2016: 1; 2017: 3; 2018: 2
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 2 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 10326620 · 2010-04-20 (April 20, 2010)
FRONT HEADLIGHTS (BOTH SIDES) FLICKER(BLINK) BUT NOT ALL THE TIME. WHEN THEY FLICKER I TURN THEM OFF AND THEN TURN ON AGAIN, THEN THEY ARE FINE. BUT I AM WORRIED THAT IT MAY GO BAD DURING DRIVING CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES. ITS NOT THE BULB ISSUES AS ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS WOULDN'T DETECT THE PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I TRIED FINDING SOLUTION ONLINE AND FOUND THIS FORUM HTTP://FORUMS.AUDIWORLD.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?P=23809262. THIS TELLS ME THIS PROBLEM IS PART OF NOTORIOUS DESIGN BY AUDI OF AMERICA. MY CAR IS OU…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10326620 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10345903 · 2010-07-28 (July 28, 2010)
CAR STARTED MISFIRING AND WITHIN LESS THAN 5 MILES IN THE HIGHWAY THEN STARTED TO BUILD UP SMOKE INSIDE THE CABIN, CAR THEN STOPPED AND TOWED TO A MECHANICS WHO CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS OF MISFIRING OF 3 CYLINDERS AND FOUND OVERHEATING OF THE PASSENGER SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT LEAD TO A MELTING A CONNECTOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 70,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10345903 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10191844 · 2007-05-28 (May 28, 2007)
IN AUGUST 2006 WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 AUDI S4 CONVERTIBLE ON A BUSY STREET IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA AT 45-50 MPH, MY CAR DIED WITHOUT WARNING...I.E. NO POWER STEERING, BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE IT OFF-ROAD AND THEN TOWED TO ROYAL AUDI IN BLOOMINGTON, IN. THEY KEPT THE CAR OVER A MONTH THINKING MAYBE I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HOWEVER, EVENTUALLY THEY SAID IT WAS A FUSE WHICH WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR DROVE FINE. HOWEVER, DRIVING CROSS-COUNTRY IN JANUARY 2007 WHILE ON I40 IN WEST OKLAHOMA, TRYING TO PASS AN ENORMOUS TRUCK, I FOUND I HAD NO BRAK…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10191844 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10384675 · 2011-02-27 (February 27, 2011)
HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURS MOSTLY UNDER DECELERATION BUT CAN FREQUENTLY OCCUR DURING ACCELERATION AND TURNING. HEADLIGHTS RUN NORMALLY UNDER STEADY STATE SPEED OR AT REST. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO ISSUE. INDEPENDENT AUDI SPECIALIST HAS CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND SWAPPED BULBS (LEFT-RIGHT) WITHOUT EFFECT. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER FOUR YEARS AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, TO THE POINT THAT EACH TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN THE LIGHTS NEED TO BE RE-IGNITED A MINIMUM OF 5 TIMES DURING A 30 MINUTE DRIVE. SAFETY ISSUE AS LIGHTS…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10384675 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11023457 · 2017-09-14 (September 14, 2017)
I WAS ON MY WAY TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SANTA CRUZ, CA AND SO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EARLY TRAFFIC AT A LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN I HEARD A VERY STRANGE RUMBLE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER CAR AS MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR A 95,000 MILE SERVICE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. HOWEVER, PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING A BICYCLIST AND TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN STOPPED STEERING AND DIED. AT THAT POINT IT WAS BLOCKING TWO CARS IN A …
Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11023457 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10300160 · 2010-01-18 (January 18, 2010)
"INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 7-8 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED, THEN BE FINE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS AT …
Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10300160 at NHTSA ↗