Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2004 Audi A4
NHTSA data on file today
The 2004 Audi A4 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 189 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #16V382000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14E007000 Water Pump may cause Failure of Timing Belt NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #05V096000 XENON HEADLAMPS NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Fuel System, Gasoline 46 complaints
- Air Bags 26 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 18 complaints
- Tires 16 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 16 complaints
- Visibility 16 complaints
Of the 189 complaints on file, 8 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 189 complaints, owners report 6 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$8,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2004 Audi A4 exhibits average reliability with moderate complaints primarily related to the fuel system and airbags, alongside common issues like engine cooling. The recall data indicates a few notable areas of concern including airbags and headlights. With a total of 189 complaints and 3 recalls, evidence is moderate in informing a detailed reliability assessment.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| Airbags | Unknown | $300–$1,000 | occasional |
| Engine cooling system | Unknown | $400–$1,200 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake fluid replacement
- Transmission service
- Coolant replacement
- Timing belt replacement
- Spark plug replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Decreased fuel efficiency
- Airbag warning lights
- Engine overheating
- Unusual tire wear
- Exterior lighting failures
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2004 Audi A4 at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.