2013 Audi S4: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
33 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
5,100 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 29 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 19 of 33 complaints (57.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 19 | 57.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 8 | 24.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 6.1% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 3.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 3.0% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Steering | 19 |
| Power Train | 9 |
| Engine | 4 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Steering: 19; Power Train: 9; Engine: 4; Electrical System: 2; Unknown Or Other: 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 | 19 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 8 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 19; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 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 (19). 4 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 |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 15 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2013: 15; 2014: 3; 2015: 2; 2016: 3; 2017: 4; 2019: 1; 2020: 1; 2022: 1; 2024: 1; 2025: 1; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 8 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10494645 · 2013-01-24 (January 24, 2013)
LOST ALL COOLANT DUE TO RADIATOR LEAK FROM ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE CAUSED BY BAD DESIGN OF FRONT LOWER GRILL. IT HAS NO PROTECTIVE MESH AND CLEAR OPENINGS FOR ROCKS TO PROTRUDE. I FOUND THIS ON AUDI FORUM TWO PEOPLE NOW ON THE VAIRIOUS BOARDS HAVE THOUGHT THEY LOST THEIR WATER PUMP, BUT IN FACT HAVE HAD HOLES PUNCHED IN THEIR INTERCOOLING RADIATORS BY ERRANT ROAD DEBRIS WHICH STRIKES THE RADIATOR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND PERFORATES IT. SINCE THE ENGINE AND SUPERCHARGER COOLING SYSTEMS SHARE THE SAME OVERFLOW CONTAINER, BUT ARE SEPERATE LOOPS, IT'S …
Owner-reported narrative. 1,529 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494645 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10495010 · 2013-01-28 (January 28, 2013)
MY 2013 AUDI S4 EXHIBITS AN ALARMING TENDENCY TO WEAVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE WITHOUT A STEERING INPUT. THIS OCCURS WITHOUT A CHANGE IN STEERING WHEEL POSITION, VEHICLE SPEED, OR CHANGE IN ROAD SURFACE OR PREVAILING WIND DIRECTION. IT IS MORE PRONOUNCED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WHEN WHEEL IS CENTERED AT 12 O'CLOCK BUT DOES OCCUR AT ALL SPEEDS AND STEERING VECTORS. AUDI DEALERSHIP NOTES THE PROBLEM AND BLAMES THE NEW ELECTRIC STEERING SYSTEM BUT STATES IT IS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE SYSTEM AND IS NOT A DEFECT. I DISAGREE AND FEEL ANY DIRECTION CHAN…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10495010 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10498341 · 2013-02-16 (February 16, 2013)
STARTING AROUND FEBRUARY 2, 2013 MY VEHICLE STARTED DISPLAYING INTERMITTENT BIZARRE STEERING BEHAVIOR. THE ISSUES WERE TWO FOLD. FIRST, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BUT MOST COMMONLY OVER 50 MPH THE STEERING EXHIBITED A "SLIP AND CONNECT FEELING" WHERE THE STEERING WOULD FEEL DISCONNECTED (OR VERY LOOSELY CONNECTED) TO THE WHEELS. LARGE DRIVER STEERING INPUTS RESULTED IN ONLY MINOR CORRECTIONS. ONLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL ABOUT TWO INCHES IN EITHER DIRECTION WOULD THE STEERING GRAB AND FEEL NORMAL AGAIN. THIS PHENOMENON HAS RESULTED IN …
Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498341 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10498457 · 2013-02-18 (February 18, 2013)
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) RANDOMLY GETS A "NOTCHY" FEELING AND LOSES ITS TRUE CENTER. THE WHEEL CANNOT BE HELD AT A PERFECT "12 O'CLOCK." IT IS EITHER AT 11:57 OR 12:03, SO GOING STRAIGHT DOWN A ROAD REQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTION ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. THESE NOTCHES PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL. IN OTHER WORDS, BY MAKING A HARD LEFT, THE WHEEL WILL PASS THROUGH 8-10 DIFFERENT NOTCHES. AT SOME POINT, THE PROBLEM WILL THEN GO AWAY AND DISAPPEAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 3,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498457 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10498470 · 2013-02-18 (February 18, 2013)
MY STEERING IS UNABLE TO KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE AT TIMES. THE STEERING WHEEL FEELS LIKE IS IN NOTCHED LIKE A GEAR WOULD BE. MY CAR WILL START MOVING TOWARDS THE LEFT LANE LIKE THE ALIGNMENT IS OFF. WHEN I TRY TO CORRECT THIS THE STEERING MAKES A NON FLUID MOVEMENT TO NEXT LANDING NOTCH TO THE RIGHT, THEN THE CAR STARTS MOVING OFF TO THE RIGHT LANE. I HAVE TO MOVE BETWEEN THESE TWO LANDING NOTCHES EVERY FEW SECONDS TO REMAIN WITHIN MY LANE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IS VERY CONCERNING! I TODAY STARTED RESEARCHING THIS AND IT APPEARS THIS IS A …
Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498470 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10498541 · 2013-02-18 (February 18, 2013)
AUDI'S ELECTRONIC ASSISTED STEERING ON MY S4 EXHIBITS UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOR WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. IT HAS A "NOTCH" AT 12 O'CLOCK WHERE THE CAR USUALLY DOES NOT RESPOND TO WHEEL INPUTS UNTIL YOU TURN IT MORE THAN AN INCH IN EITHER DIRECTION. WHEN IT DOES FINALLY REACT, IT OFTEN OVERCOMPENSATES. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN HOWEVER. SOMETIMES THE NOTCHINESS IS PRESENT, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT EVEN ON THE SAME STEERING SETTINGS/SAME SPEED. I CAN NOT KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT AT TIMES. THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT TO THE RIGHT STEPS IT OVER IN…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498541 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10498547 · 2013-02-18 (February 18, 2013)
WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED ON CITY ROADS, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. IT FELT AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOTCHING/RATCHETING AS I TURNED IT. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, BUT STEERING FELT LOOSE AND INACCURATE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 5,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498547 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10499851 · 2013-02-24 (February 24, 2013)
THE STEERING HAS A NOTCHING JUST OFF CENTER TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. FEELS LIKE THE STEERING FALLS INTO A DETENT POSITION. MAKES CONTROLLING THE CAR AWKWARD. THE FEEL IS NOT PROGRESSIVE. THE STEERING CANNOT BE HELD IN THE DESIRED POSITION. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10499851 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.
14V667000 · Air Bags
Reported: 2014-10-24 (October 24, 2014)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 vehicles manufactured February 16, 2012, to October 21, 2014, and 2013-2015 Audi Allroad vehicles manufactured March 12, 2012, to October 21, 2014. Due to an improper algorithm in the air bag control module, if a crash necessitates deployment of the side air bags, a second impact to the front of the vehicle may not command the front air bags to also deploy.
Consequence: If the front air bags do not deploy in the event of a secondary impact to the front of the vehicle, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will update the air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on November 14, 2014. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69K5.
NHTSA campaign record ↗