2018 Audi A4: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 44 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (21% of complaints); the 2019 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Nov 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owned a 2018 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was a puddle of fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Feb 2026
“Drive system malfunction message appeared after starting ignition at 6am before heading to work. Turned car off immediately and took another vehicle to work.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Oct 2025
“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 for some time and I'm seeing a significant amount of my models have this issue and it's not safe.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Sep 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“My car's MMI keeps restarting while driving which affects the rear view camera and while backing up it can restart and go completely blank. I feel this puts my safety at risk while backing up. It also shuts down my bluetooth to my phone which can be a hazard while driving. I have called the dealership but they will not do anything without a large diagnosis fee which i cannot afford. They have said there are no recalls against it. No warnings prior to the failure and the failure happens every time I drive it, including multiple times per use.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2025
“Fortunately no catastrophic failure or accident occurred. At about 40,000k miles the rear spring mounts are significantly corroded and need replacing. This appears to be a galvanic reaction that occurs due to a design flaw which shortens the life of the critical mounts. I'm told one could fail imminently and the other is headed that way. Had this failed in use the damage would be significant and caused an accident. The service advisor said that Audi is aware of the short lifespan and has an improved version that will be used in the repair. I have a video of one of the mounts and will request the parts when repaired.”Owner report · Suspension · Oct 2024
“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 allows anyone to open the door included a child from the inside of the vehicle at any time.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2024
“I was rear-ended at a slow speed. I was stopped at the time. The driver who hit me was decelerating hard. Damaged to rear bumper. When I got back in the car, I realized that telescoping steering column had been pulled toward me. This would have been bad had I been shoved into the car in front of me and the airbags deployed too close to me. Luckily, this did not happen.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2024
“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 safety risk to the occupants. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer and insurance representatives as well as by a dealer. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms and this happened with no warning.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2023
“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 the rear camera was pinched by the trunk mechanism and because loose. There are no warning lamps displayed on the dash.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2023
“Without cause a passenger airbag malfunction light has come up, dealership says this is not covered under recall or vehicle warranty.”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
How other years compare
Check your exact A4 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 2018 Audi A4 reliable?
NHTSA has 44 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2018 Audi A4. The most complained-about area is electrical system (21% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2018 Audi A4 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 12,000 miles or less.
Does the 2018 Audi A4 have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.