CSR

Audi · NHTSA safety record

2013 Audi S4

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

32

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2013 Audi S4 have filed 32 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2013 and January 2025. The most complained-about system is the steering, named in 19 of them (59%). The typical failure was reported at 5,100 miles, the median across the 29 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

AIR BAGS

14V667000 · October 24, 2014

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 vehicles manufactured February 16, 2012, to October 21, 2014, and 2013-2015 Audi Allroad vehicles manufactured March 12, 2012, to October 21, 2014. Due to an improper algorithm in the air bag control module, if a crash necessitates deployment of the side air bags, a second impact to the front of the vehicle may not command the front air bags to also deploy.
The risk
If the front air bags do not deploy in the event of a secondary impact to the front of the vehicle, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will update the air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on November 14, 2014. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69K5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 101,938 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 32.

STEERING 19 59%
POWER TRAIN 8 25%
ENGINE 4 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2013 at 15.

2013 2025
2013 to 2025

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE
Engine mount failure at 60,000 miles

NHTSA complaint 11638289. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
At times Vehicle suddenly loses power and displays “transmission malfunction:you may continue driving” but then fails to accelerate to or maintain highway speeds. Other times when vehicle is stopped in traffic the transmission delays engaging when pressing in the accelerator and thus causes an unexpected delay to movement or if on an incline will roll backwards.

NHTSA complaint 11627233. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My MMI 5F module went out right after an oil change service on Nov 12, 2022 I called them as soon as I got home to inform Leader automotive in Normal Il. I was told I would not be able to be seen until January 5 2023 at 1:pm. I then called back a few days later and was able to move that appointment to Dec 16 at 10:00am. I paid $179.11for them to inspect and locate the issue: according to leader automotive the 5f module is bad and needs replaced. In my print out it states it is no longer in production. This part # 8RI-035-746-C is my entire control module that controls all my safety sensors, fluid levels, tire pressure, suspension control, navigation, hands free technology etc... I contacted

NHTSA complaint 11499556, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

36,000 miles

DSG ISSUES. CLUNKING WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO 1ST / 2ND WHEN STOPPING. SHIFT HESITATION ON UPSHIFT AS WELL .

NHTSA complaint 11363839. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

33,000 miles

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS STRANGE WHEN COLD. ACTS LIKE IT LOOSED POWER EVERY SHIFT. STRANGE CLUNKING AS WELL ON SLOW SPEEDS OR NUMBER TO NUMBER TRAFFIC. SOMETIMES IT SCARED ME THAT IT WILL JUMP FORWARD AND HIT THE CAR ON FRONT OF ME.

NHTSA complaint 11280436. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

38,000 miles

TRANSMISSION ERROR, AT FIRST SAYS YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING IN LIMP MODE BUT SHORTLY AFTER SAYS PUT CAR INTO PARK. GOT STUCK ON THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES IN A SINGLE 10 MILE TRIP.

NHTSA complaint 11032341. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi S4

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 16 3
2014 17 1
2012 22 1
2011 26 1
2010 60 0

Other 2013 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 147 vehicles, 216 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst