2018 Audi A4

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2018 Audi A4 has 39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is other problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: i received a message on my dashboard to turn the engine off and check the coolant when starting the vehicle each morning for the last two days. i brought the car into the audi dealership in paramus/fair lawn, nj. they stated the water pump was not working. i researched and found that a recall for al.

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

OTHER

7 complaints

18%

• I received a message on my dashboard to turn the engine off and check the coolant when starting the vehicle each morning for the last two days. I brought the car into the Audi Dealership in Paramus/Fair Lawn, NJ. They stated the water pump was not working. I researched and found that a recall for AL
• Due to the AT&T 3G turndown, Audi of America is removing a critical safety feature from certain MY 2018 vehicles, with no solution offered to the vehicle owner except to pay an additional $650-$1000 out of pocket to install a retrofit device to restore some of these safety features. As sold, MY2017
• The Audi MMI system began to spontaneously restart while driving after owning the car for a couple of years. It would power off and reboot at random intervals. It became more frequent and is both distracting and dangerous as you lose all navigation, and camera function while it reboots not to ment

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I received a message on my dashboard to turn the engine off and check the coolant when starting the vehicle each morning for the last two days. I brought the car into the Audi Dealership in Paramus/Fair Lawn, NJ. They stated the water pump was not working. I researched and found that a recall for AL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

6 complaints

15%

• The forward collision warning system (Audi PreSense) identified a shadow from an overpass as another car and alerted me to use the brakes. My car did figure out there was not another vehicle before performing an emergency brake. If the car had done an emergency brake I would have surly been rear end
• The Audi Pre-sense engaged on 3 occasions going 50+ mph bringing the car to a complete stop when there was nothing in front if it and a car right behind me. I was lucky the car behind me did not collide. If it had been a semi truck and just as close as the car trailing me, they would not have been a
• My screen turns on and off consistently not allowing me to use my backup camera. Causing a small collision while backing up when the camera turned off unexpectedly. Additionally when it’s off it will auto break when I’m not close enough to hitting and it’s loud and yanked me. This has been an issue

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The forward collision warning system (Audi PreSense) identified a shadow from an overpass as another car and alerted me to use the brakes. My car did figure out there was not another vehicle before performing an emergency brake. If the car had done an emergency brake I would have surly been rear end”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

6 complaints

15%

• The rear view camera does not activate when using the parking assist or when reversing. The sensors are still functioning as intended. This can cause unintentional accidents or injuries to pedestrians. This issue was brought up with the dealer back in January of 2023. They mentioned the wiring for t
• SAFETY AND THEFT ISSUE!! The door lock actuators on two doors of vehicle. Front and back seat where children ride. The actuators failed to engage leaving it easy for anyone to open the door from the outside even when presumed locked. Actuators do not engage which leaves vehicles prone to theft and
• See attached document for complaint

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The rear view camera does not activate when using the parking assist or when reversing. The sensors are still functioning as intended. This can cause unintentional accidents or injuries to pedestrians. This issue was brought up with the dealer back in January of 2023. They mentioned the wiring for t”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

4 complaints

10%

• ENGINE MALFUNCTION PREVENTED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE AND A SIGNIFICANT LAG. CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE AND A THIRD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WITH NO MOVEMENT AS OF YET. GAS TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND REFILLED AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. DEFINITELY NO
• Water Pump prematurely failed. Upon self inspection, I noticed the coolant reservoir was below the minimum requirements. I asked the dealer to inspect, and they determined the cause was a faulty water pump. At around 50,000 miles, this water pump should not have failed under normal use. I am fortuna
• See attached document for complaint

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“ENGINE MALFUNCTION PREVENTED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE AND A SIGNIFICANT LAG. CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE AND A THIRD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WITH NO MOVEMENT AS OF YET. GAS TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND REFILLED AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. DEFINITELY NO”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

4 complaints

10%

• ENGINE MALFUNCTION PREVENTED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE AND A SIGNIFICANT LAG. CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE AND A THIRD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WITH NO MOVEMENT AS OF YET. GAS TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND REFILLED AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. DEFINITELY NO
• While driving there was an internal failure of the front differential which caused debris to fly out and the debris then punctured the transmission according to the diagnosis on an Audi dealership. The car jerked to a stop and would not move. If this happens at high speed it represents a sever safet
• The all-wheel-drive clutch in the vehicle had to be replaced. The symptoms were heavy vibrations or thumping when starting to drive forward from a stop with the wheels turned in either direction. A dealership - New Country Audi of Greenwich - did the repair at a cost of $4,308.85 (including tax).

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 39 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
OTHER: I received a message on my dashboard to turn the engine off and check the coolant when starting the vehicle each morning for the last two days. I brought the car into the Audi Dealership in Paramus/Fair Lawn, NJ. They stated the water pump was not working. I researched and found that a recall for AL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: The forward collision warning system (Audi PreSense) identified a shadow from an overpass as another car and alerted me to use the brakes. My car did figure out there was not another vehicle before performing an emergency brake. If the car had done an emergency brake I would have surly been rear end
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: The rear view camera does not activate when using the parking assist or when reversing. The sensors are still functioning as intended. This can cause unintentional accidents or injuries to pedestrians. This issue was brought up with the dealer back in January of 2023. They mentioned the wiring for t
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: ENGINE MALFUNCTION PREVENTED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE AND A SIGNIFICANT LAG. CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TWICE AND A THIRD ATTEMPT TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WITH NO MOVEMENT AS OF YET. GAS TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND REFILLED AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. DEFINITELY NO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)