2001 Audi S4 problems & reliability
87 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Audi S4, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 47 | 54% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 13% |
| Tires | 10 | 11% |
| Seats | 6 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 2% |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% |
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 41,038 and 79,600 miles), based on 54 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I took the vehicle into the dealer (Westwood Audi) for a Safety Recall repair as requested by Audi. It was for a Driver Front Airbag Inflator replacement. The work was done but when the car was returned the airbag warning light was on. I went back in to the service department and was told that the airbag module had…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 1, 2022
“I just happened to look up recalls and saw the complaints on the audi s4 2001. I noticed my car wasn't the only one where the instrument cluster has lost pixels and ends up unreadable for all warnings and manufacturer programmed safety warnings. It has been like this for years and did ask my dealer how much it would…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 1, 2015
“Yokohama yk520 335/45r/17 tires... Driving along with my 2001 audi s4 and started noticing a wobble or shimmy in the steering wheel. Kept getting worse. The tires have less than 20k miles on them so I though I needed an alignment. (entire front suspension has been upgraded).. I took the tires off to make sure I didn;t…”
Tires · filed Feb 2, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
75 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Audi S4. 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 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
This informational bulletin contains technical information for when there is condensation visible on the inside of the headlight, taillight, fog light, side marker light, front turn signal, daytime running lights…
A941791 2012749- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2017
This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward.
SM 44-2017 EN · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2017
This informational bulletin contains all the the Audi Oil Quality Standards that should be used when doing an oil change.
A171782 2010043- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2017
Due to increasing requests for high voltage personal protective equipment (HVE PPE) for dealer technicians working with high voltage vehicles (Hybrid, Plugin Hybrid, Electric Vehicle), the Volkswagen Tools and Equipment…
ATE-17-05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2017
This information TSB provides information regarding the correct way to torque adjust a wheel bolt.
A441662 2010334- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 19, 2016
Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 20 number 13-29 dated November 15, 2013. The fuel tank has been removed from the vehicle and must be neutralized before shipment or disposal. When the fuel tank in a vehicle…
A201559 2011703- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2015
Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 00 number 10-05 dated June 14, 2010. VIN plate and/or B-Pillar Safety Certification label requires replacement.
A001578 2021205- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2015
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 2001 Audi S4 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2001 Audi S4?
- · 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.