no report yet
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. IF FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE IS INTERRUPTED, THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND THUS PRESENT A POTENTIAL RISK OF CRASH.
2003 Audi A4Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 210 owner complaints about the 2003 Audi A4, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 11, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Jones028 from Hong Kong, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Audi A4 has problems
210 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
43Power train
41Fuel system, gasoline1 crash/fire/injury
32Electrical system5 crash/fire/injury
23Exterior lighting
22Vehicle speed control1 crash/fire/injury
19Visibility
17Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
14Structure
12Air bags
5115 other systems8 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 43 | 0 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 41 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 32 | 5 |
| Exterior lighting | 23 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 22 | 1 |
| Visibility | 19 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 17 | 2 |
| Structure | 14 | 1 |
| Air bags | 12 | 7 |
| 15 other systems | 51 | 8 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2003 Audi A4 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. IF FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE IS INTERRUPTED, THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND THUS PRESENT A POTENTIAL RISK OF CRASH.
no report yet
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT A DRIVER'S FIELD OF VIEW, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Audi.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
75kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 37 power train complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles26under 100k miles11100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
9 owners mentioned a cost$2,500median
Middle half: $2,400 – $7,300
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other A4 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the A4 median. How we score
'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Audi A4 safety ratings
2003 Audi A4 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What A4 owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
2003 AUDI A4 3.0 CABRIOLET CONVERTIBLE STARTED SHIFTING ROUGH AND HESITANT AND SHUT OFF, CRANKED BACK UP WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND ALL THE SHIFTING GEAR LIGHTS CAME ON R N D 2, BARELY MADE IT BACK HOME, PUT CODE READER ON CAR HAD A LOT OF CODES ON IT I RESET CODES BUT RND2 LIGHTS STILL ON, POSSIBLE…
TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF DRIVE WHILE DRIVING INTO LIKE NEUTRAL AND WHEN I ACCELERATE THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE AND COMES TO A FULL STOP AND I HAVE TO STOP AND TURN THE CAR ON AND OFF TILL IT WORKS AGAIN
ON JANUARY 28, 2019 I WAS DRIVING TO MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENT AT 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY CAR FROZE UP THEN BUCKED AND NOW NO LONGER THE TRANSMISSION WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE. UPON RESEARCH AUDI HAS KNOWN OF THIS TRANSMISSION HAVING SERIOUS FAULTS AND THAT IT WILL BREAK DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. AUDI HAS…
Own a 2003 A4?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.