Model year record

2005 Audi S4 recalls & problems

The 2005 Audi S4 has 2 safety recalls and 43 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is exterior lighting (34 complaints).

Recalls2safety recalls

Complaints43filed by owners

Crashes · fires2 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths1 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Air bagsJun 22, 2018

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 18V427000237,947 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R7. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V382, 17V032 and 18V004 and includes vehicles that may have had their air bag previously replaced under one of those campaigns.

Air bagsJan 11, 2017

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 17V03200033,421 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall number 18V427.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2005 Audi S4 4-DR. w/SAB

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	10.7%

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

S4 Cabriolet

16mpg combined

City / highway	13 / 20 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Manual 6-spd · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

S4 Cabriolet

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 20 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S6) · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

S4

16mpg combined

City / highway	13 / 20 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Manual 6-spd · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

S4

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 21 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S6) · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

S4 Avant

16mpg combined

City / highway	13 / 20 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Manual 6-spd · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

S4 Avant

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 21 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

4.2 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S6) · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Exterior lightingHeadlights	34	0	0	55,000 mi
Electrical systemWiring › Fuses and circuit breakers; Instrument cluster/panel	5	1	0	65,000 mi
Air bagsFrontal	4	2	1	—
Engine and engine coolingEngine	3	0	0	70,600 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	1	0	—
Visibility	1	0	0	—
Power trainAutomatic transmission	1	0	0	—
Fuel system, gasoline	1	0	0	—
Visibility/wiper	1	0	0	—
Seats	1	0	0	—
Steering	1	0	0	—
Engine	1	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Exterior lighting › Headlights
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI PACIFIC (20460 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. AUDI PACIFIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME…
May 27, 2016
Air bags
TAKATA RECALL. I RECEIVED TWO LETTERS FROM AUDI IN MARCH 2017 AND RECENTLY A THIRD LETTER IN MARCH 2018 INFORMING ME OF THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG INFLATOR PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT LETTER STATES THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND THE AIRBAG COULD EXPLODE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I CALLED AUDI SERVICE IN APRIL 2017 AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2018 AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NO TIME FRAME FOR WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. HOW CAN I CONTINUE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CAUSE INJURY AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT FOR OVER A YEAR?
Apr 17, 2018
Exterior lighting
TAKATA RECALL 1. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS. 2. IT THEN TURNS ITSELF OFF 3. THE MESSAGE "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" APPEARS 4. THIS HAPPENS WHILE MY VEHICLE IS PARKED AND IN MOTION SO IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. I HAVE HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR!
Nov 9, 2017 · 90,256 miles
Engine
THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE MOTORS LOSING OIL EVERY 1000 MILES A 1QT IS NEED EACH TIME. THE ENGINE IS CAUSED AND BURNS OIL FAST TO THE MOTOR TO LOSE OIL MORE RAPIDLY. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY MOTOR IS LOSING OIL! AND SO DO OTHER MODELS HAVENING THIS PROBLEMS ISNT GOOD.
Nov 9, 2017
Steering
I WAS ON MY WAY TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SANTA CRUZ, CA AND SO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EARLY TRAFFIC AT A LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN I HEARD A VERY STRANGE RUMBLE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER CAR AS MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR A 95,000 MILE SERVICE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. HOWEVER, PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING A BICYCLIST AND TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN STOPPED STEERING AND DIED. AT THAT POINT IT WAS BLOCKING TWO CARS IN A DRIVEWAY, BUT I COULD NOT STEER IT AT ALL. THIS WAS ON THE STREET DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DEL MAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I CALLED FARMERS INSURANCE AND…
Sep 13, 2017 · 95,000 miles
Exterior lighting
MY DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FREQUENTLY GOES OUT WITH THE MESSAGE, "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT." IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON SOMETIMES THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, SOMETIMES NOT.
Oct 29, 2007 · 75,000 miles
Electrical system
HEATED SEAT ELEMENT BURNED OR MELTED THE SEAT WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF OVERNIGHT. PASSENGER SEAT LEATHER IS NOW SEPARATED, SHRIVELED (HARD AS A ROCK) AND WOULD HAVE BURNED THE PASSENGER IF THEY HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT.
Oct 31, 2015 · 111,300 miles
Visibility/wiper
DRIVER HEADLIGHT DIPPED INFO ON DASH. HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF OR FLICKERS TILL IT TURNS OFF AND MUST TURN ALL LIGHTS OFF ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND RESET LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK AND FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HEADLIGHT WITH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, POLICE HAVE CITIED ME TWICE FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A FATALITY CRASH INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ON AUDI VEHICLE'S. ALSO THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 0 TO 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOON ON I95 IN MIAMI AS I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AT 0430 A.M. *TR
Feb 16, 2015 · 95,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.