Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 RS 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 2007 | 4 | 2 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Suspension3
- Unknown or other1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Electrical system1
- Air bags1
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 2 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 15.6–15.7 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | RS 4 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 18.7 | 12.0 | 15.7 |
| 2007 | RS 4 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 18.6 | 11.9 | 15.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In the Netherlands
576 RS 4 cars are on Dutch roads; 94% arrived later as imports, and 9 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.
| First registered | On the road | Median list price |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 23 | €166,459 |
| 2022 | 38 | €158,914 |
| 2021 | 53 | €155,368 |
| 2020 | 74 | €151,012 |
| 2019 | 83 | €154,039 |
| 2018 | 163 | €146,286 |
| 2014 | 34 | €133,441 |
| 2013 | 74 | €128,605 |
| 2012 | 34 | €122,364 |
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new
MOT test results in Great Britain
351 RS 4 cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 90% passed first time, against 88% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 351 | 90% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | RS 4 | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.4% | 4.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.4% | 3.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1.1% | 0.2% |
| Brakes | 1.1% | 1.8% |
| Visibility | 0.3% | 2.8% |
| Suspension | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Road Wheels | 0.3% | 0.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
5,054 new Audi RS 4 cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2012 and 2022, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2022 the largest markets were Italy (100), France (36), Austria (24).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 255 | 225 (WLTP) |
| 2021 | 209 | 226 (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 801 | 224 (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 488 | 220 (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1,129 | 200 (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 78 | 200 (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 13 | — |
| 2015 | 344 | — |
| 2014 | 601 | — |
| 2013 | 931 | — |
| 2012 | 205 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
285 Audi RS 4 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2024 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions average 12.2 l/100 km on the road, against 9.9 l/100 km in the official WLTP test — 24% more.
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 285 | 12.2 | 9.9 | +24% |
Litres per 100 km: total fuel used divided by total distance driven, from the car's own fuel consumption meter (OBFCM), collected in 2024 by the manufacturers, mostly remotely, and by national authorities. WLTP figures are the type-approval CO₂ values converted to litres. Hybrids, including mild hybrids, do not plug in; plug-in hybrid figures include the distance driven on electricity. European Environment Agency, Real-world CO₂ emissions from cars and vans · CC BY 4.0
What it costs in fuel
On real-world figures the Audi RS 4 uses 12.2 litres per 100 km, so 15,000 km a year takes about 1,830 litres: €3,991 at this week's average price in Germany, its largest market in Europe.
| Country | Petrol |
|---|---|
| Germany | €3,991 |
| United Kingdom | £3,197 |
| Italy | €3,692 |
| Austria | €3,328 |
| Belgium | €3,642 |
| United States | $2,073 |
Fuel for 15,000 km (9,300 miles) a year at real-world consumption. Pump prices with taxes, week of 19 October 2026: European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, US Energy Information Administration. Non-euro EU prices are in euros as the Bulletin publishes them.
Work it out for your driving
Recalls
3 campaigns cover the RS 4.
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 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
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.
NHTSA recalls