Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Audi A4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
This is due to the failure of the vto fuel pump on an 04 Audi A4 manufactured date of 6/2003. I have had to replace this pump due to failure, this failure was premature and hazardous due to the nature of the part. I was lucky and the fuel pump did not fail while driving. The issue began on or around July of 2009 with a whining sound coming from the rear of the car, this was traced down to the fuel pump. Upon dealer inspection and research most people remedied the problem by replacing the fuel filter, this was done on July 20th 2009 with a Audi factory part purchased from Audi. This fixed the sound issue until October of 09. The replaced filter was not clogged catastrophically but was not as passive as the new filter. In October the sound returned and knowing the filter had been replaced I new it was the pump. On November 5th 2009 the car would not start, the pump would not prime. …
My Audi A4 2004 quattro 1.8l car recently stopped working one random morning. The car would not turn on at all. I had the car towed to and Audi specialist who informed me that the fuel pump on my car was bad and that in his personal opinion I should research this problem and contact Audi corporate. Upon researching this problem I found that the 2003 model of my car had a recall out for its fuel pump. Upon further research I found numerous complaints on the internet of people with the 2004 model of this car having the same problems with the fuel pump. I contacted Audi corporate and explained my situation they told me that since the recall was only for the 2003 model and my car was out of warranty that they couldn't help me. They explained that the fuel pump was only recalled on the 2003 model because they used a different part for the 2004 model. …
I own a 2004 Audi A4 - 3.0 quattro. I was driving on the 710 long beach freeway in ca following my daughter's school bus on a field trip to the long beach aquarium prepared to spend a day with her. Suddenly, the car started shaking and then I realized I didn't have any power. I was able to maneuver the car to the shoulder of the freeway, but the 710 fwy has a very narrow shoulder. It was a very scary experience as big rig trucks were passing me on the driver's side literally inches away. I thought I was going to get hit by them. I called roadside assistance and was able to get the vehicle on a flat bed and towed to mckenna Audi in norwalk, ca. The dealer diagnosed the problem to a defective fuel pump and clogged fuel filter. The consequences are that I had to pay $80 to have it towed to the dealership as my roadside assistance only covered 5 miles. …
My car is the 2004 Audi A4 3.0 quatro. The production date of my vehicle is 12/03. While driving at a speed of approx. 45 MPH on a 4-lane highway going up a hill, I suddenly lost power. There was not any warning prior to the sputtering and loss of engine power. It felt as though the car had run out of gas. I was in the fast lane, and fortunately for me, there wasn't a car in the lane to my right, so I was able to coast to the emergency lane. Aaa responded and, after determining that adding fuel did not solve the problem, the car had to be towed. I towed the car via a flatbed, rented a car, and two days and $750 later, discovered that my problem was due to a faulty fuel pump and clogged fuel filter. The mileage on my Audi is only 38,000 miles....very low mileage for a fuel pump to go out. …
My 2004 Audi A4 stalled in the middle of an intersection while I was in the process of making a left turn into another street. I was stranded in the middle of this busy street for almost an hour until a tow truck could arrive from the Audi dealer. An officer from the charlotte, n.c. Police department arrived in about 20 minutes and directed vehicles to prevent an accident until the tow truck arrived. I was fortunate that the police and other motorists helped direct traffic around my vehicle to prevent an accident, as it was raining and foggy at the time of this issue. The vehicle was determined to have a fuel pump failure by Audi of charlotte, and they repaired the vehicle at a charge of $869.18. I have since learned that there was a recall on 2003 Audi A4 models for fuel pump failures.
My wife was driving on the 405 freeway at 60mph when the engine stalled and she had to go across 4 lanes to get to the emergency shoulder with no power. Other cars had to brake hard to avoid her so she could move over. We had it towed to the Audi dealer and they said the fuel pump had to be replaced at a cost of $551. I did some research and found out there was a recall for fuel pumps on 2003 A4 and told them that my 2004 has the same problem. They disagree and said the 2004 models are fine and I have to pay for all repairs since the car is out of warranty. This is a real safety issue that they refuse to acknowledge even though it's identical to the problem of the 2003 models being recalled. They offer no apologies and I'm stuck with the repair bill.
Fuel pump failed without warning on June 14, 2008 when I was 300 miles from home, visiting my father for father's day. My Audi only had approx 44,000 miles on it at the time. I have retained the faulty fuel pump, but was charged nearly $800.00 for the repairs, including towing. I contacted Audi and they refuse to do anything because their recall only covers the 2003 model, and not the 2004. Audi really needs to protect their customers and offer reimbursement to those of us who have experienced this very dangerous failure. A fuel pump failure on the highway could easily lead to severe injury or even death. Audi cannot claim that they are not on notice of this problem, as I have reviewed several similar complaints for this vehicle.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Audi A4. The contact took her vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance and a recall repair was performed for the fuel pump. Two years later, while driving less than 50 MPH, she heard a loud winding noise from the rear of the vehicle. The dealer stated that the fuel pump and rear window regulator cable failed. The repairs were made at the cost of $1,458.33. Later, through online research, the manufacturer stated that the recall repairs were performed in 2006 and they would not cover a second repair. The contact stated that she was never informed of the repair for NHTSA campaign id number 06V017000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump). The failure and current mileages were less than 52,000.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Fuel System complaints in other A4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2004 Audi A4?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2004 Audi A4, 30% of the model year's 189 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Audi A4 fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2004 Audi A4, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Audi A4 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.