2011 Audi A4 Avant: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 32 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (52% of complaints).
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
32
owner complaints
2
fire reports
59,500
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★★
4-star NHTSA overall safety ratingNo recall campaignsWeak spot: engine (52%)2 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Engine (engine mechanics)52% · 15 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)10% · 3 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)7% · 2 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)7% · 2 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System (fuel pump, tank, lines)7% · 2 complaints
Visibility/Wiper (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)3% · 1 complaint
“Car was parked outside our apartment building. It was off and hadn't been driven in over 20hrs. At 11am a fire broke out in the rear driver side seat. Fire department arrived put out the fire, said it was not arson but rather electrical issue. The car front dash was partially melted, rear seat big char black seating material and showed exposed wires.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2019
“As I am making a turn onto another street in town my steering wheel locks up, when I complete a turn it won't walk it's way back around, you have to force it around. I have never felt something like this before, it is definitely a safety issue.”Owner report · Steering · May 2019
“My vehicle was burning oil faster than normal. I have since had my car in the shop several times before oil changes were due to top off oil do to several lights coming on: "min oil", "oil pressure too low"”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Apr 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
“Electronic power steering causing unsafe instability on freeways. Intermittently the power steering assist is failing intermittently causing the driver to apply excessive force to move the steering wheel but soon after this the power steering assist comes back on and hence turning the steering more than required and ending up in an unsafe position or swerving on freeways and even at low speeds. The issue seems to be a well documented issue and can happen at any mileage with reports out there on cars with less than 5k miles. Audi should have a tsb and recall for this.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2019
“Takata recall. I noticed that my car consumes lots of oil due to the engine oil consumption. Anytime I perform oil change, it won't last longer than 7 days.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2018
“This past sunday, my audi self-accelerated in busy traffic. Only because I drive a manual was I able to prevent an accident. I had the car towed from sacramento ca to audi oakland. They diagnosed it saying the piston blew threw the engine, depressurizing the engine. They claim the don't know why and have failed to contact me since. I had to contact audi usa which hasn't been responsive. This was a catastrophic engine failure while I was driving three boys. Nonetheless, audi oakland--and I had to call them!--just told me its my problem and I need to pay $16k for a new engine. They told me this is an odd occurrence and since there's no warranty, its not their problem.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2017
“While driving on i75 in florida at 70 mph on june 18, 2017, the steering suddenly failed. I managed to keep control and get the car home with strong physical effort in keeping the steering straight. I took car to audi naples on monday june 19, 2017. I was told the entire rack and pinion shaft failed and needed complete replacement. Audi replaced the rack and pinion shaft and u connector. The car only had 42, 800 miles and has been maintained by audi by the book since I bought it new from audi.”Owner report · Steering · Jun 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2011 audi a4. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption and the engine warning indicator remained illuminated constantly. The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2017
“The engine would stop running while driving on a street and the freeway, everything else is on. Happened today 10/24/16 and three times within 10 minutes. Restarted car and drove home. Check engine light came on. This happened before on the freeway. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2016
“In nh and bought a4 used; within 2 weeks noticed oil leaking from tailpipe, dealer said it was nothing; then started burning quarts of oil in weeks, dealer said the pistons were not the right match and it was a recall that had expired, "fix" was $4000, months later engine light comes on, car still burning oil.”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2016
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all A4 Avant years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact A4 Avant by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Audi A4 Avant reliable?
NHTSA has 32 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2011 Audi A4 Avant. The most complained-about area is engine (52% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2011 Audi A4 Avant problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 59,500 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.