2012 Audi A4 problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Audi A4. 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Audi A4 vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 7 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 → | 13 | 68% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 11% |
| Power Train | 2 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 11% |
| Steering | 1 | 5% |
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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Audi A4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 90,512 and at the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 175,000.”
Electrical System · filed Jan 20, 2026
“There is a recall for the year after this when many Audi owners of this model have the same issue per the Audi forums. We have the coolant leaking issue as well and it should have been included in the recall”
Engine · filed Oct 2, 2024
“1) Turbo, not because I'm looking to replace it 2) the car could stall when merging into highway or passing on the left lane 3) Yes 4) No 5) Yes, Check Engine Light came on afterward Check engine light came on after I tried to merge into a lane, while I was stepping on the gas peddle hard there was no acceleration…”
Engine · filed Jul 11, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
579 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Audi A4. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
TSB_2082846_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
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 infomraiotn when there is a gearbox malfunction message in the instrument clostuer; DTC P0706; vehicles with 0AW gearbox.
TSB_2034863_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the area around the instrument cluster.
TSB_2059335_7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulleitn procides informaiton when tehre is a transmission warning mssage in the instrument cluster; P074100 is stored in the TCM.
TSB_2028985_13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the transmission warning message appears in the cluster; P074100 stored in the TCM.
TSB_2028902_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides infomraiton when there is a Gearbox warning light; DTC P060B00 stored in the Transmission Control Module.
TSB_2028405_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.
TSB_2074729_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the engine is not running smoothly, misfiring.
TSB_2082323_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2026
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2012 Audi A4 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 2012 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.