NHTSA vehicle safety data

2001 Audi S4 Recalls & Complaints

The 2001 Audi S4 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 87 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Audi dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2001 Audi S4. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2001 Audi S4 owner complaints

Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Audi S4, describing incidents dated August 10, 2000 to January 13, 2022.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 47 complaints
Engine 11 complaints
Tires 10 complaints
Seats 6 complaints
Air Bags 3 complaints
Exterior Lighting 3 complaints

Of the 87 complaints on file, 4 report a crash (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11449740 · Filed February 1, 2022
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…
ODI #11444855 · Filed December 23, 2021
Instrument cluster that shows safety information doesn't work so don't know what's issue with car
ODI #10722761 · Filed June 1, 2015
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…

Read all 87 complaints

Owner-reported

2001 Audi S4 mileage at failure

54 of the 87 complaints on file for the 2001 Audi S4 give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Electrical System	Median 70,000 miles	Middle half 50,000–90,000 miles	Based on 34 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

Air Bag Inflators May Underinflate Bag

NHTSA #21V470000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported June 23, 2021 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 62,812 vehicles

Repair completion: 6.11% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 69CJ · Owners notified November 2, 2021

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4, and S4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver Air Bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2001 Audi S4. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

87 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Audi S4.

Air Bags

ODI #11449740

Incident: January 13, 2022 · Filed: February 1, 2022

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 failed and that the part was no longer available from Audi. An aftermarket part could be installed but I would have to pay for part and the repair. No cost estimate has been given. I called Audi of America and they said that the Dealer told them that they didn't break it so they will not cover the cost of repair. I have owned this car for 20 years and it is in exceptional condition. I took it to the Dealer in perfect condition for an airbag repair and got it back with an air bag warning light on and they say they didn't do it? Now I have a car without functioning airbags. Anything that you can do to help resolve this?

Electrical System

ODI #11444855

Incident: December 23, 2021 · Filed: December 23, 2021

Instrument cluster that shows safety information doesn't work so don't know what's issue with car

Electrical System

ODI #10722761

Incident: December 2, 2013 · Filed: June 1, 2015

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 COST TO FIX IT AND IT WAS INSANE. IT IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. AUDI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. I DIDN'T REALIZE OTHER AUDI'S WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. MAYBE IF MORE PEOPLE COMPLAIN, AUDI WILL BE FORCED TO FIX IT.

Tires

ODI #10379917

Incident: December 31, 2010 · Filed: February 2, 2011

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 HAVE A BENT RIM AND NOTICED BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE WORN OUT/CUT ON THE OUTER CORNER/LIP OF THE TIRES. I FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE CONTROL ARMS. MY MECHANIC LOOKED AT THEM AND TOLD ME THAT THE BELTS HAD SEPARATED ON BOTH TIRES CAUSING THE TIRE TO "DEFORM" AND THEN HIT MY CONTROL ARMS/WISHBONE. HE SAID IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER 100 MILES AND BOTH FRONT TIRES WOULD HAVE BLOWN APART. THAT REALLY SOUNDED LIKE FUN ON THE FREEWAY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS...! I ROTATED THE FRONT TIRES WITH THE "GOOD" REAR TIRES, AND HAVE CHECKED THEM EVERY 20 MILES. ABSOLUTELY NO HITTING OR RUBBING ON ANYTHING. SO YES, THE BELTS HAD SEPARATED. *TR

Air Bags

ODI #10267398

Incident: January 15, 2009 · Filed: April 30, 2009

COLD START ON A COLD JANUARY MORNING (5 DEGREES F); UPON STARTING THE CAR THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. RESEARCH (DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER AND AIR BAG REPAIR BUSINESSES) INDICATE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON DEFECT FOR AUDI S4, MODEL YEAR 2001 AND THAT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (COMPUTER) WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT AN EXORBITANT COST. AIRBAG SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE WITH THE WARNING LIGHT IN A LIT STATE. ON LINE AUDI FORUMS INDICATE THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM ON THESE CARS. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10266642

Incident: January 1, 2003 · Filed: April 24, 2009

1. ALL THE TIME 2. THE FAILURE MAKES ME UNABLE TO SEE THE WARNING ICONS DUE TO THE DEAD PIXELS IN MY CLUSTER (DASH COMPUTER) 3. NO REPAIR WAS DONE. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10261020

Incident: October 15, 2007 · Filed: March 7, 2009

INFORMATION DISPLAY ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS FAILING; PIXELS NO LONGER OPERATE RENDERING THE DISPLAY USELESS. DISPLAY IS USED TO INFORM THE DRIVER OF VITAL SAFETY INFORMATION BUT WITH FAILED DISPLAY THE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CANNOT BE READ! *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10256054

Incident: January 1, 2009 · Filed: January 23, 2009

1) THERE IS NO TRIGGERING EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. IT JUST APPEARS OVER TIME. 2) THE LCD SCREEN IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS LINES OF PIXELS THAT DO NOT LIGHT UP. THIS IS CONSTANT, WITH MORE LINES OF PIXELS GOING OUT AND PERMANENTLY STAYING OUT OVER TIME. AS A CONSEQUENCE, IMPORTANT WARNING MESSAGES ARE NOT DISPLAYED OR READABLE; SUCH AS WORN OUT BRAKE PADS, FUEL LOW WARNING, WASHER FLUID LOW WARNING, ETC. IF THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT DISPLAYED, THE VEHICLE MAY RUN OUT OF GAS WITHOUT WARNING AND STALL WHILE OPERATING, OR BRAKES MAY WEAR DOWN TO THE POINT OF LOSING EFFECTIVENESS WITHOUT WARNING, OR BE LEFT WITHOUT WASHER FLUID WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10255761

Incident: December 10, 2008 · Filed: January 20, 2009

Electrical System

ODI #10255747

Incident: January 14, 2009 · Filed: January 20, 2009

I OWN A 2001 AUDI S4. THE CENTER DISPLAY ON THE GAUGE CLUSTER IS FAILING DUE TO MISSING PIXELS. THE CENTER DISPLAY NORMALLY DISPLAYS CRITICAL SAFETY INFORMATION REGARDING FAILING ENGINE AND BODY COMPONENTS. IT IS ALWAYS MISSING PIXELS, AND IS NEVER CLEAR ENOUGH TO READ PROPERLY. RECENTLY, I DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK AND THE CENTER DISPLAY WASN'T CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE THE LOW OIL WARNING LIGHT. AS A RESULT I WAS STRANDED IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION. I AM CURRENTLY REPAIRING THE ENGINE FAR BEYOND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY, HAD THE CENTER DISPLAY BEEN WORKING CORRECTLY. I HAVE NOT YET REPAIRED THE DISPLAY, BECAUSE THE DEALER IS ASKING $1000 FOR REPLACEMENT. I KNOW IT A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, AND DUE TO THE AGE, IS REACHING A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF FAILURE. I DON'T THINK THAT FAILING SAFETY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ITEM FOR ANYONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A HIGH DOLLAR ITEM. *TR

Other Audi S4 model years

Check your 2001 Audi S4 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Audi S4 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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