2018 Audi A4: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
44 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
12,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 18 of 44 complaints (40.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 14 | 31.8% |
| Braking behavior | 8 | 18.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 5 | 11.4% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 6.8% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 4.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 4.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 18 |
| Electrical System | 16 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 6 |
| Structure:Body | 6 |
| Engine | 5 |
| Power Train | 5 |
| Air Bags | 4 |
| Service Brakes | 4 |
Unknown Or Other: 18; Electrical System: 16; Fuel/Propulsion System: 6; Structure:Body: 6; Engine: 5; Power Train: 5; Air Bags: 4; Service Brakes: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 40 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 |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 | 17 |
2019: 1; 2020: 3; 2021: 1; 2022: 5; 2023: 8; 2024: 5; 2025: 4; 2026: 17
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 14 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 5 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11279066 · 2019-11-08 (November 8, 2019)
NEW FACTORY BRAKES MAKE VERY LOUD AUDIBLE SCREECHING SOUND WHEN COMING TO A STOP.THIS HAPPENS JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AND SOMETIMES IN THE BEGINNING OF BREAKING. MECHANIC HAS WORKED ON THIS ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES AND REORDERED BRAKES FROM LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP AND IT IS STILL MAKING THE SOUND. DEALERSHIP SAID ITS 4TH GENERATION BRAKES AND ITS A PROBLEM WITH THE COATING.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11279066 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11327100 · 2020-06-03 (June 3, 2020)
FRONT OF BODY RIDES TOO LOW TO GROUND. BODY DAMAGE OCCURRED ON LEFT FRONT FENDER FROM DRIVING UP A STEEP HILL AFTER MAKING LEFT TURN ONTO ROAD WITH THE STEEP HILL. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11327100 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11343855 · 2020-08-07 (August 7, 2020)
I WENT TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO DISABLE START/STOP MODE. THE BUTTON TO DO THIS IS NEXT TO THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL BUTTON. I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE ESC BUTTON AND SHUT OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY. **THESE TWO BUTTONS SHOULD NOT BE NEXT TO EACH OTHER. ** THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO DEFAULT TO DISABLED START/STOP MODE.
Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11343855 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11349755 · 2020-08-17 (August 17, 2020)
ENGINE MALFUNCTION PREVENTED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE AND A SIGNIFICANT LAG. CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE AND A THIRD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WITH NO MOVEMENT AS OF YET. GAS TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND REFILLED AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. DEFINITELY NOT A GASOLINE TYPE ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11349755 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11441169 · 2021-11-20 (November 20, 2021)
While driving the emergency parking brake engaged itself without warning or cause. This caused the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop. Luckily I was in a parking lot but if I had been in a high traffic area or intersection, it could’ve caused a collision. I had 2 passengers who witnessed this sudden bizarre event. There was nothing that could’ve caused this to happen. It scares me & now I’m worried this could happen again without warning. The sensor screen was beeping with a message to put my car in park before setting the brake. Made no sense w…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11441169 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11452846 · 2022-02-18 (February 18, 2022)
I received a message on my dashboard to turn the engine off and check the coolant when starting the vehicle each morning for the last two days. I brought the car into the Audi Dealership in Paramus/Fair Lawn, NJ. They stated the water pump was not working. I researched and found that a recall for ALL ROAD station wagons (Audi) had occurred for 2013-2017 for water pumps that could start a fire in the car. My car, although a 2018 model, was manufactured in January 19, 2018 (the beginning of 2018; recall noted for 2017)- water pump is defective wi…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11452846 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11453407 · 2022-02-22 (February 22, 2022)
Due to the AT&T 3G turndown, Audi of America is removing a critical safety feature from certain MY 2018 vehicles, with no solution offered to the vehicle owner except to pay an additional $650-$1000 out of pocket to install a retrofit device to restore some of these safety features. As sold, MY2017-2018 and certain MY 2019 Audi A4/A5/Q5/Q7 vehicles came with an emergency call feature, both automatic in the event of a severe accident, and manual. From the owners manual: "The vehicle electrical system initiates an automatic emergency call under …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11453407 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11469403 · 2022-06-15 (June 15, 2022)
The forward collision warning system (Audi PreSense) identified a shadow from an overpass as another car and alerted me to use the brakes. My car did figure out there was not another vehicle before performing an emergency brake. If the car had done an emergency brake I would have surly been rear ended on the highway. This is not the first time forward collision warning has activated due to a shadow on the road. I have not mentioned this to the dealer but have read of this happening to others that own Audi cars that use Audi PreSense. The Audi …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11469403 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
21V874000 · Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Seats
Reported: 2021-11-10 (November 10, 2021)
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.
Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗