2009 Audi A4 problems & reliability
120 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Audi A4 vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 44 | 37% |
| Air Bags | 33 | 28% |
| Steering | 15 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 6% |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% |
| Structure | 6 | 5% |
| Visibility | 6 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 4% |
| Suspension | 5 | 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 68,000 miles (middle 50% between 35,000 and 92,000 miles), based on 67 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I own a 2009 audi a4. On the Month of october 2024 my transmission failed. I towed my car to a mechanic who then replaced my transmission i picked up my car on December 11 2024 at 7 am from audi of fresno. I have had no prior issues and like always i expect a dealership to inspect a new vehicle that comes in ,as i…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Dec 23, 2024
“The negligent driver yielded to the flow of traffic without stopping. When he collided with us, the airbags (exploded) deployed so strongly that they damaged the windshield and our bodies: face, neck, etc. Our beloved Audi A4 2009 was totaled and after that we had several operations: 2 eye operations (need 2 more)…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 5, 2024
“The turbo sounds like it's not going in/out of gear, oil going into spark plugs, radiator fluid leaking system getting real hot. Low engine poer picking up speed an issue. Air bag rear brake light malfunction, oil pressure not correct”
Air Bags · filed Mar 24, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
775 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Audi A4. The 10 most recent:
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 01-2026 · Other · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
TSB_2070568_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2026
This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
TSB_2070568_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2025
This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
TSB_2070568_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2025
This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds.
TSB_2075530_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2025
This bulletin provides information in circumstances where there are noises/vibration from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.
A2724842074729_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
This bulletin provides information when the MIL is on; DTCs for misfire, air/fuel ratio imbalance, or lean fuel system stored in the ECM P030000.
A0124482014753_13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings.
A9124872024323_11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2024
This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted.
A9124842018187_17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2024
This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
A0024992070568_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2024
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 2009 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 2009 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 68,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.