2004 Audi A4 problems & reliability
189 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Audi A4, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Audi A4 vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 46 | 24% |
| Air Bags | 26 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 10% |
| Tires | 16 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 8% |
| Visibility | 16 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 7% |
| Power Train | 12 | 6% |
| Engine | 7 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 60,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 85,000 miles), based on 165 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“******* delete voq ******* this complaint is being marked for deletion because it is requested by the consumer that they wish to have it removed*djr ******* delete voq *******”
Air Bags · filed May 5, 2023
“This took place about a week ago. The car was parked in our driveway when the fire started. My husband had returned home just 15 minutes prior to the fire starting. I noticed there was smoke coming in our living room window. Then I looked at our security camas. And saw smoke pouring out from underneath the hood of my…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 16, 2022
“The contact owns a 2004 Audi A4. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear windshield became detached from the soft top. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.”
Visibility · filed Sep 29, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALLING - FUEL PUMP FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE08027 · opened Apr 14, 2008 · closed Aug 6, 2008
Technical service bulletins
172 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Audi A4. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries.
A0023742052680_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2023
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 48-2022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2022
This informational bulletin explains how to order replacement VIN plates, Safety Certification Labels, etc.
A0021482021205_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2021
This information bulletin contains instructions for technicans on how to ensure their TAC call goes smoothly.
A0020362002047_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2020
Exterior lights, moisture accumulation 2013-2021 A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 Sportback, 2004-2005 A4 Cabriolet, 2004-2008 S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2010-2021 A4 allroad, 2018-2021 A5 Sportback, 2010-2012, 2018-2021…
A9419182012749_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2019
New document 2004-2020 A4 allroad, A6 allroad, A8L, R8 Spyder
20AUTIRECHAINS · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 4, 2019
Parts are currently blocked from sale at this time.
SM 80-2019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2019
This bulletin contains instructions for additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries (airbag/seatbelts, accidents, fire and overheat damage.
A0019262052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2019
00 Software Version Management (SVM), operating instructions
A0019252011732_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2019
This communication is issued to inform dealers of updated shipping regulations related to lithium ion batteries.
AWC 19-05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Audi A4 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Audi A4?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 60,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.