2018 Audi A4: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
42
Complaints
1
Recalls
1
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
0
Injuries
9.5
Severity index
Severity index 9.5 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Audi A4 ranks 119 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 2% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 18 | 42.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 16 | 38.1% |
| STRUCTURE | 6 | 14.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 14.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 5 | 11.9% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 11.9% |
| AIR BAGS | 4 | 9.5% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 4 | 9.5% |
The single most-reported system is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, cited in 18 of 42 complaints (42.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 17 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.7x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V874000 | 10/11/2021 | SEATS | 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.