Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Audi A4, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline46
- Air bags26
- Engine and engine cooling18
- Tires16
- Vehicle speed control16
- Visibility16
- Electrical system15
- Exterior lighting14
- Power train12
- Engine7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 2004 A4 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Audi A4 failed the safety check 1.98% of the time — 10% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 135,578 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 Audi A4 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (96 kW, 129 hp), 1.8 petrol (120 kW, 161 hp) and 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 96 kW 129 hp | 326 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 239 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 87 |
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 78 |
| 1.9 diesel | 96 kW 129 hp | 64 |
| 2.4 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 62 |
| 3.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 60 |
| 1.8 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 45 |
| 1.9 diesel | 74 kW 99 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,058 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 21% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €48,846.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde497
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen414
- Band onvoldoende profiel367
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm304
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af267
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld254
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm254
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt189
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
4,017 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 4,100 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 8,327 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.9% | 21.8% |
| Suspension | 15.5% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 13.6% | 13.8% |
| Tyres | 7.6% | 6.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.4% | 7.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.4% | 9.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,437 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 325,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
371 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 64% arrived as used imports, 32% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 5 variants: combined 10.3–12.9 L/100 km (about 18–23 mpg US), CO₂ 237–297 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 8.7 | 10.3 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 8.6 | 10.8 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 13.2 | 9.0 | 11.3 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.9 | 12.4 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 15.1 | 10.3 | 12.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2004 Audi A4.
| 2005062 14 Mar 2005 | Lights And Instruments On certain Audi A4 cabriolet and S4 cabriolet, the Xenon headlamp reflectors may experience coating degradation. The luminous transmittance of the headlamp may… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2008 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 Audi A4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF XENON HEADLAMP COATING DEGRADATION OVER TIME. THE LUMINOUS TRANSMITTANCE OF THE HEADLAMP MAY DECREASE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2004 Audi A4: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250453 | TCM software update for downshift concerns |
| 10250430 | Oil consumption measurement - Repair Authorization (CA) |
| 10249085 | Google Maps Street View (NVLW)) |
| 10249054 | Due to new Minnesota state regulations regarding biofuels, biodiesel blends of B5 or less may not be available in the State of Minnesota. |
| 10244036 | 2004 Scheduled Maintenance Intervals |
| 10243930 | This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries. |
| 10243790 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243789 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243787 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243780 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243761 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243756 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10241749 | Quick Reference Update Guide |
| 10231144 | Technical bulletins and updates |
| 10231135 | Technical bulletins and updates |
| 10231130 | Idenifying and mixing factory fill engine coolants |
| 10231128 | Technical bulletins and updates |
| 10231127 | ElsaPro Software update and technical bulletins |
| 10228314 | The use of contaminated gasoline or gasoline with a low content of deposit control additives may result in one or more conditions. |
| 10228302 | High quality media files (video and sound) are now integrated into technical service bulletins on a case-by-case basis. Media files can now be viewed on any smartphone or tablet. |
| 10228297 | This Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) details the general process for carrying out a Software Version Management (SVM) software update for any TSB or Update. |
| 10226530 | ATF pan leaks |
| 10226529 | Vehicle lacks power or will not move after stop due to simultaneous depressing of the brake and accelerator pedals |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
ENGINE STALLING - FUEL PUMP FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation