Audi A4: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Audi A4 has 15 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Audi A4: which years to avoid
Across 9 scored model years the Audi A4 ranges from 46/100 in 2020 to 96/100 in 2011 — a 50-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy an A4 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (91 of them).
Avoid: 2020 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the A4 changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2012
Mean score 96/100, about 2 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (33 complaints).
2013–2017
Mean score 77/100, about 6 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (92 complaints). The record falls 19 points against the years before it.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,180 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,220 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,560 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,600 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,790 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 46 | AVOID | $4,432 | 127 | 3 |
| 2019 | 93 | BUY | $4,183 | 5 | 1 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,460 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 62 | CAUTION | $4,622 | 82 | 1 |
| 2016 | 93 | BUY | $4,989 | 26 | 0 |
| 2015 | 89 | BUY | $5,156 | 44 | 0 |
| 2014 | 77 | BUY | $5,490 | 76 | 0 |
| 2013 | 65 | CAUTION | $5,520 | 110 | 0 |
| 2012 | 96 | BUY | $5,535 | 26 | 0 |
| 2011 | 96 | BUY | $5,680 | 32 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the A4, through the years →
A4 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the A4 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Audi A4
Across every A4 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Electrical System137 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine126 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other104 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Steering91 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Back Over Prevention43 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Reversing camera or park-sensor replacement$420–$940
- Air Bags37 complaints across all A4 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Audi A4 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2020 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2020 is the weakest at 46/100, with its complaints concentrated in Electrical System.
What are the best Audi A4 years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 96/100, on 32 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi A4 problem?
137 of the complaints filed against the A4 across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04