Audi S4 problems by model year
NHTSA holds 10 or more owner complaints for 14 Audi S4 model years between 1993 and 2020, 558 complaints in all; the most: the 2000 (143) among the 2000–2020 model years. The counts are from NHTSA's complaints file of November 11, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year's age and sales.
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Audi S4 complaints, mileage and recalls by model year
Each row is a Audi S4 model year with 10 or more owner complaints in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026. Its page gives the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. A median is given with 10 or more mileages; medians rise with a year’s age, so the table does not rank the years.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Listing mileage | Median mileage | Recall campaigns listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 S4 | 16 | 2 | Under 10 mileages | 2 |
| 2000 S4 | 143 | 63 | 65,000 | 1 |
| 2001 S4 | 87 | 54 | 60,000 | 1 |
| 2002 S4 | 22 | 18 | 35,000 | 1 |
| 2004 S4 | 29 | 26 | 55,000 | 1 |
| 2005 S4 | 43 | 34 | 55,000 | 2 |
| 2006 S4 | 30 | 20 | 49,000 | 2 |
| 2007 S4 | 13 | 7 | Under 10 mileages | 2 |
| 2010 S4 | 60 | 54 | 58,000 | 0 |
| 2011 S4 | 26 | 26 | 61,794 | 1 |
| 2012 S4 | 22 | 19 | 70,000 | 1 |
| 2013 S4 | 33 | 29 | 5,100 | 1 |
| 2014 S4 | 17 | 15 | 42,430 | 1 |
| 2020 S4 | 17 | 0 | Under 10 mileages | 3 |
Every model year together: Half of the 372 NHTSA owner complaints on the 2000–2022 Audi S4 that list mileage came after 54,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will an Audi S4 last? →
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, and recent model years have had less time to collect complaints.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- A complaint mileage is the odometer when an owner reported a problem, not how long the vehicle lasted.
- The make, model and model year are the ones on each complaint. NHTSA records them as filed, so a few complaints sit under a model year the name was not sold in.
- The recall count is the number of campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list under these names for the model year. Recalls can be filed under another name, and a campaign covers a production range: check the VIN with NHTSA’s free recall lookup.
- NHTSA files the Audi S4 name for 1992–1995 and 2000–2022. A gap of three or more model years means the name covers different vehicles; each model-year page compares a year only with its own stretch.
- NHTSA also holds 31 complaints for 10 other model years with fewer than 10 each; those years have no page.
- NHTSA name counted: S4. NHTSA files some vehicles under several names (a series name and a trim name, for example); this page counts only this one.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Complaints file field layout (CMPL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls file field layout (RCL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA’s complaints file was downloaded on November 11, 2026 (FLAT_CMPL.txt, dated 2026-11-11 10:15, 2,265,416 rows), with its recall files (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.txt and FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.txt, dated 2026-11-11 08:02). Each complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, with the model year and mileage of its first row; a model year has a page only with 10 or more complaints. The collection script and its rules are in scripts/collect-nhtsa-model-year-longtail.mjs.
Audi S4 questions
Which Audi S4 model year has the most complaints?
NHTSA holds 10 or more owner complaints for 14 Audi S4 model years between 1993 and 2020, 558 complaints in all; the most: the 2000 (143) among the 2000–2020 model years. The counts are from NHTSA's complaints file of November 11, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year's age and sales.
Do complaint counts mean the S4 is a bad vehicle?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing model years of one model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Audi S4 before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the vehicle and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup, which reports open recalls within its coverage. For the vehicle's own past, VIN Lookup sells the original ClearVIN PDF for $14.99: title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.