Most common 2004 Audi A4 problems
Share of the 189 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi A4 complaints by model year
Best A4 years: 2011, 2016, 2012. Years to avoid: 2020, 2008, 1998, 2006, 1999. Compare all years →
2004 Audi A4 recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
On certain passenger vehicles, there is a possibility of xenon headlamp coating degradation over time. The luminous transmittance of the headlamp May decrease over a period of time.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right xenon headlamp reflectors free of charge. The recall began on April 11, 2005. Owners May contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2004 Audi A4:
Engine stalling - fuel pump failure
In response to odi's information request for pe08-027, Volkswagen ag (vw) stated that it believes that the possible causal or contributory factors of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles could result from excessive accumulation of foreign materials in the fuel filter.in rare cases, the fuel filter could become clogged, which can cause increased pressure on the pump.vw indicated that engine stalls resulting…
What 2004 Audi A4 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 56 →
I was driving hwy speed limit while my Audi A4 3.0 2004 stopped running all of a sudden and I had to push my car on the side to safe from hwy traffic. I tried to restate the engine but I couldn't start. I found out my fuel pump stop working bc it was shaking and lost the power and shuts off by itself. It's cranking strong but not getting any gas to start so while I was sitting by the hwy for 3 hours I researched and find out that it is fuel pump failure as 2003 Audi and it's shame that it's general problem in Audi's 2004 A4 and there is no recall for that problem. So I request to recall for this fuel pump.
When engine is under load with a faulty fuel pump, the engine will stall whilst moving without turning motor off. Only remedy is to turn engine off and on, since the fuel pump will not start itself back on after the stall.
Air bags all 26 →
I originally had 3 recalls on my vehicle I called in to see about getting them fixed free of charge as explained in the recall tech bulletin .the customer service representative proceeded in getting all of my information then after doing so tells me there are no recalls on my vehicle and proceeded to update my cars info shortly after I went back to the original site of this recall put in my cars info again and all the recalls that was once available for my vehicle was mysteriously gone.I never received a notice and never got it fixed. Now the recall that was originally posted are starting to be noticeable on my vehicle such as the defective water pump, defective headlights and defective airbag situation what can I have done about this issue
(1) I was waiting at a major intersection at a red light. When it turned green, I proceeded into the intersection. An unlicensed, uninsured driver in an old Chevrolet pick-up truck coming in the opposite direction ran the red left turn light and collided broadside into the driver's side of my 2004 Audi s4 quattro sedan. (2) the side airbag, which is in the driver's seat at the exact location of the impact, failed to deploy. I broke my left hand, injured my right shoulder (rotator cuff impingement), and suffered lacerations to both hands. There was substantial damage to the driver's side of the car, including the b-pillar, which is a structural part of the uni-body frame. I have digital photographs of the damage that I can send to NHTSA if you provide me with your e-mail address. (3) I contacted Audi U.S.A. …
Engine & cooling all 25 →
I originally had 3 recalls on my vehicle I called in to see about getting them fixed free of charge as explained in the recall tech bulletin .the customer service representative proceeded in getting all of my information then after doing so tells me there are no recalls on my vehicle and proceeded to update my cars info shortly after I went back to the original site of this recall put in my cars info again and all the recalls that was once available for my vehicle was mysteriously gone.I never received a notice and never got it fixed. Now the recall that was originally posted are starting to be noticeable on my vehicle such as the defective water pump, defective headlights and defective airbag situation what can I have done about this issue
Oil dipstick & support tube, made of plastic, cracks - brakes into pieces , both on the dipstick & tube that can easily go down the tube into the oil below. Looks like a poor engineering decision to use plastic that after years of heating to near engind tempatures then cooling has a high probability of cranckin and having pieces fall into the engine oil supply - possibally causing engind damage or faliure. Should be replaced every 5 years or with a metal structure that doesn't crack/break off into pieces. I would think from the youtube complaints on how to replace it I am not alone with this proiblem. Dealer part sales might confirm the problem.
2004 Audi A4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | CVT | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Audi A4 a good car?
Based on 189 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 A4 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the A4 at the same age. It is one of the A4 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Audi A4?
The fuel & propulsion system — 56 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › fuel pump. Next are the air bags (26) and engine & cooling (25).
How many recalls does the 2004 Audi A4 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2004 Audi A4, the most recent from June 1, 2016 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Audi A4?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2016 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2020, 2008, 1998, 2006 and 1999. See the full Audi A4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Audi A4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 39% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.