2001 Audi S4Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 87 owner complaints about the 2001 Audi S4, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 21V-470 the manufacturer reports only 5% of affected cars repaired.

CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.3× the S4 median · #2 of 14 years by complaints

Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 5%Owner complaints874 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage70kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 1, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Audi S4 has problems

87 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

47Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury

11Engine and engine cooling

10Tires

6Seats

3Air bags

3Exterior lighting

2Visibility

2Service brakes, hydraulic

1Seat belts

66 other systems1 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Electrical system	47	1
Engine and engine cooling	11	0
Tires	10	0
Seats	6	0
Air bags	3	1
Exterior lighting	3	1
Visibility	2	0
Service brakes, hydraulic	2	1
Seat belts	1	0
6 other systems	6	1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2001 Audi S4 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.

repaired · 2023 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 21V-470 · Jun 23, 2021 · 62,812 vehicles · 3,259 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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 electrical system problems start?

70kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 34 electrical system complaints. 82% were reported before 100,000 miles.

4under 30k miles28under 100k miles6100k miles or more

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other S4 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 S4 median. How we score

0 0 0 5 16 7 1 0 14387 22 1 29 43 30 13 4 0 60 26 22 33 17 1 7 2 17 2 1

'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'18'19'20'21'22

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

In owners' words

What S4 owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK UP RECALLS AND SAW THE COMPLAINTS ON THE AUDI S4 2001. I NOTICED MY CAR WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHERE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS LOST PIXELS AND ENDS UP UNREADABLE FOR ALL WARNINGS AND MANUFACTURER PROGRAMMED SAFETY WARNINGS. IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS AND DID ASK MY DEALER…
Complaint 10722761 · Jun 1, 2015

1. ALL THE TIME 2. THE FAILURE MAKES ME UNABLE TO SEE THE WARNING ICONS DUE TO THE DEAD PIXELS IN MY CLUSTER (DASH COMPUTER) 3. NO REPAIR WAS DONE. *TR
Complaint 10266642 · Apr 24, 2009 · 60,000 miles

INFORMATION DISPLAY ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS FAILING; PIXELS NO LONGER OPERATE RENDERING THE DISPLAY USELESS. DISPLAY IS USED TO INFORM THE DRIVER OF VITAL SAFETY INFORMATION BUT WITH FAILED DISPLAY THE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CANNOT BE READ! *TR
Complaint 10261020 · Mar 7, 2009 · 75,000 miles

Own a 2001 S4?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.