2014 Audi S4: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STOP CAR STEERING SYSTEM DEFAULT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,900.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10681722 at NHTSA ↗

STEPPED IN MY CAR TO GO OUT, STARTED CAR AS I PUSHED THE CLUTCH DOWN. CLUTCH PEDAL SNAPPED TO THE FLOOR. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. PART THAT FAILED WAS SLAVE CYLINDER. CAR ONLY HAS 12,200 MILES. CAR IS USED TO COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK, NO UNUSUAL STRAIN OF ANY KIND ON THE CAR. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE CYLINDER FAILED. I WOULD BEEN UNABLE TO CHANGE GEARS TO SAFELY STOP THE CAR. PERHAPS I COULD HAVE PULLED IT OUT OF GEAR BUT I AM NOT SURE HOW I WOULD HAVE REACTED. MY COMMUTE TO WORK HAS ME TAKE A HIGHER WITH LOTS OF …

Owner-reported narrative. 12,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10746892 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKES LIGHT CAME ON AND PADS ARE WORN AND ROTORS ARE WARPED AT ONLY 16,000 MILES. HAD THE AUDI DEALER IN WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIFORNIA REPLACES BOTH PADS AND ROTORS. SEVEN MONTHS AND 8,000 MILES LATER, WHILE DOING THE MAINTENANCE OIL CHANGE, A DIFFERENT AUDI DEALER IN WOODLAND HILLS, CA NOTIFIED THAT BRAKE PADS ARE WORN AT 4MM AND ROTORS ARE WARPED. THIS WEAR OUT PATTERN IS BEYOND THE MINIMUM EXPECTATION OF THE LIFE OF THE BRAKES UNDER AVERAGE DRIVING CONDITION. BRAKES PADS ARE WORN TOO SOON, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE ROTORS ARE ALSO…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,631 miles reported. Look up ODI 10747592 at NHTSA ↗

2014 AUDI S4 HAS DANGEROUS STEERING BEHAVIOR. THE STEERING SLIPS AT THE CENTER POSITION, WILL NOT GO STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY, AND REQUIRES CONSTANT STEERING INPUT. THIS IS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY A CONSTANT NOTCHY FEELING AT ANY SPEED BETWEEN THE 10 AND 2 OCLOCK POSITION. IT IS PARTICULARLY BAD IN LONG SWEEPING TURNS WHERE YOU CAN DISTINCTLY FEEL A NOTCH. WHEN IN ONE OF THESE TURNS YOU WILL HAVE CONSTANT LINEAR STEERING FOLLOWED BY A NOTCH THAT WHEN SURPASSED RESULTS IN A LARGE STEERING INPUT WHICH IS UNEXPECTED AND DESTABILIZING TO THE VEHI…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10761528 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING, A SUDDEN BRAKE FOLLOWED BY A QUICK ACCELERATION LEADS TO BUCKING WITH ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE REMAINING REVVED UP. WITH BRAKING, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE IT IS BY SHUTTING THE CAR OFF ENTIRELY. HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 7 TIMES IN PASSED 2.5 YEARS. RESEARCH INDICATES A FAULTY MECHATRONICS UNIT, BUT 2 NY DEALERSHIPS CONTINUE TO STATE NO ISSUE.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10916285 at NHTSA ↗

FOR THE PASSED 2.5 YEARS, THE HEATING SYSTEM SMELLS, BURNS MY EYES, GIVES ME A HEADACHE, AND MAKES ME NAUSEATED. REPEATED VISITS TO DIFFERENT AUDI DEALERSHIPS WITH NO CHANGE. ISSUE REMAINS, DEALERSHIPS STATE NO ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT EXHAUST IS PROBABLY ENTERING VIA THE AIR SYSTEM.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10916287 at NHTSA ↗

AFTER 2 ENGINE OIL LEAKS, IN 2.5 YEARS, I SMELLED GAS FUMES IN THE CABIN NUMEROUS TIMES, SCHEDULED AN APPT FOR A CHECK WITH THE WEST ISLIP NY AUDI DEALERSHIP. PICKED UP CAR FROM DEALERSHIP, WITH WORK ORDER AND SERVICE REP. SIMPLY STATING "NO PROBLEM FOUND" UNDER EACH OF MY 5 CONCERNS, WHICH TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE ISSUES. WITH EVERY WORK ORDER, WHICH ARE NUMEROUS ON THIS CAR, IT IS STATED WHAT WAS DONE, BUT NOT THIS "SERVICE". TWO DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY VEHICLE, AUDI REPORTED A RECALL DUE TO GAS LEAKS IN THEIR VEHICLES. MY …

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10916288 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING MY 2014 AUDI S4 ON THE HIGHWAY AND IN TURNS, THE STEERING GOES FROM FEELING TIGHT TO VERY LIGHT AND BACK TO TIGHT AGAIN WITHIN A MATTER OF SPLIT SECONDS. THIS CAUSES DRIFTING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN CORNERING BECAUSE YOU'RE COMPENSATING FOR THE LACK OF FEELING FOR AN INSTANT AND USING MORE INPUT THAN YOU SHOULD, THEN THE STEERING GETS TIGHT AGAIN AND YOUR CAR STEERS MORE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. NOTE THAT THE CAR GOES STRAIGHT WHEN HANDS ARE NOT ON THE WHEEL. THIS IS MOST PREVALENT AT TIMES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN THE STRAI…

Owner-reported narrative. 42,430 miles reported. Look up ODI 10937935 at NHTSA ↗

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.