2002 Audi TT: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 38 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (46% of complaints); the 2003 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Mar 2014
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The clutch experienced failure while on the highway and wouldn't go into gear without being put into neutral first then into second gear . Then while driving one day I couldn't put it in reverse it's just gone so now the car will roll slightly even with the emergency brake on but I was put in danger the day it wouldn't shift gears as it should while on the highway leaving me pretty much in fast motion but unable to continue in gear as it should which caused me to have to drift to the side of the road to then experience the effect of it being in neutral to second to continue driving however the vehicle seems to be high reviving in all gears after this experience happened”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Nov 2025
“Tire came off car. Rear lower control arm broke, lower left knuckle bushing seized, sway bar link broke, axel shaft compromised this actually happened twice before the knuckle bushing was replaced. Second occurrence was 11/18/2017”Owner report · Wheels · Jul 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi tt. While driving 60 mph, the gear shifter failed to move out of first gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2016
Show 7 more owner reports
“Left headlight occasionally wont turn on. Would have to switch on/ off a few times to get them to turn on. Tends to happen more when vehicle is cold.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2016
“The led lights in the center of the console are going out. There was a recall at roughly 50k miles, the car was taken to the dealer and repaired and now the same thing is happening again. These lights are important as they tell you what is wrong with your car such as on overheat, low oil etc. *tr”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Sep 2014
“Audi tt's 2002 and others all have a major safety problem. The door latch has a defective electronic switch that fails. Thus, making the door impossible to open. The computer sensor in the door handle is defective. It's dangerous. You can't even get out of the car due to an accident. If you google audi tt door latch sensor problems, you will see numerous reports of this problem. Go to this link for a utube video of the problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lv62sedy-s audi needs to repair or replace all these defective door latch assemblies immediately. *tt”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi tt. The contact stated that the jack was not strong or sturdy enough to support the weight of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the jack collapsed on two occasions while lifting the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.”Owner report · Equipment · Dec 2010
“Audi tt 2002 dash pod recalled in ireland and britain. Interference and erratic performance with instrument gauges and lights. I am having same problem and vehicle only has 30k miles. Can result in unexpected shut down on highway. Dealer says car computer does not indicate any problems and customer, me, ends up paying for each malfunctioning component as just "normal wear and tear". *tr”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Aug 2010
“Instrument cluster failure in dash, temperature gauge reading hot when car isn't warmed up. Display lights nearly unreadable. Need new instrument cluster at the cost of $1100 from the dealer. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2010
“Rear glass windshield started to come apart n rain water leaked in n short circuited the wiring . The window finally came apart completely n fell off. Becaus of the water leak , it short circuited the wiring n the comunication with the main computer is corrupted n the air bag sign is on also. This is a big fire hazard n I have to reinstall new wiring n hv a new roof install. This rear window problems are on all audi convertables because of the bad glue. Its high time that a recall on this should be issued as this is also a major fire hazard also as well as a safety issue.my car has only 25,000 miles on it now.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2009
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.
Remedy: Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.
Remedy: CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2002 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact TT 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 2002 Audi TT reliable?
NHTSA has 38 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2002 Audi TT. The most complained-about area is electrical system (46% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2002 Audi TT problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 50,500 miles or less.
Does the 2002 Audi TT have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling:engine. 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.