Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Audi A4, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags116
- Engine13
- Power train12
- Exterior lighting11
- Electrical system9
- Fuel/propulsion system8
- Tires6
- Vehicle speed control5
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Fuel system, gasoline3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 2008 A4 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 10 people died inside them, and 3 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 2008 Audi A4 failed the safety check 2.18% of the time — 12% less often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 123,179 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 Audi A4 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), 1.8 petrol (88 kW, 118 hp) and 2.0 diesel (105 kW, 141 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 1,481 |
| 1.8 petrol | 88 kW 118 hp | 317 |
| 2.0 diesel | 105 kW 141 hp | 250 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 196 |
| 3.2 petrol | 195 kW 261 hp | 169 |
| 2.0 petrol | 96 kW 129 hp | 81 |
| 2.7 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 79 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 68 |
| 2.0 petrol | 155 kW 208 hp | 67 |
| 2.0 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 54 |
| 3.0 diesel | 176 kW 236 hp | 51 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 44 |
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
2,986 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 32% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €44,446.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,376
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,278
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af847
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen844
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm767
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld762
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm563
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage364
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
11,700 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,439 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, 17,382 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.7% | 19.8% |
| Suspension | 13.4% | 17.2% |
| Tyres | 8.2% | 7.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.8% | 7.3% |
| Brakes | 7.5% | 11.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.0% | 6.2% |
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
2,705 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 314,000 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
993 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 77% arrived as used imports, 21% 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 6 variants: combined 9.7–12.7 L/100 km (about 19–24 mpg US), CO₂ 223–292 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.2 | 8.0 | 9.7 |
| A4 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 7.5 | 9.8 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.0 | 8.3 | 10.4 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.2 | 8.6 | 10.6 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 13.6 | 9.5 | 11.8 |
| A4 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 15.2 | 9.6 | 12.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Audi A4.
| 2018342 22 Jun 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2018059 30 Jan 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2017026 13 Jan 2017 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2016266 27 May 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2016065 9 Feb 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the 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." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever 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 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.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
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 2008 Audi A4: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10251038 | Brakes squeel |
| 10251035 | Brakes make moaning or "muh" noise when accelerating from stop or turning at slow speeds |
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10251025 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251023 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251018 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10250999 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250995 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
| 10250982 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250971 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250966 | Brake pulsation diagnostic guidelines |
| 10250959 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250949 | Steering wheel leather damage, all vehicles |
| 10250944 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250665 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250658 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250654 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
| 10250475 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10250453 | TCM software update for downshift concerns |
| 10250430 | Oil consumption measurement - Repair Authorization (CA) |
| 10250424 | MIL on (P1545, P0121, P0123, P0221 or P0222 stored in ECM) |
| 10250423 | Idle speed characteristic during cold start |
| 10250415 | Idle speed characteristic during cold start |
| 10250322 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to MMI Navigation database concerns. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)