Most common 2005 Audi A4 problems
Share of the 219 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 →
2005 Audi A4 recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
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.
What 2005 Audi A4 owners say
Lights all 101 →
Headlights flickering. Must turn off the headlights and turn them back on for this issue to go away. All headlight components were replaced including the bulb and this issue still is there. The Audi dealerships seem to not know how to fix this issue. This issue is only on the left side/driver side. The dealer could not duplicate this issue on the right side/passenger side. All new parts were installed.
So I was driving from work like around 10:25 pm Monday night September 14 2015 when I notice that the right headlight of my car started flickering and all the sudden went off which caused me to not being able to see that well, and there were pedestrians walking on the road which caused me to drive more slow than the allowed speed limit good thing it wasn't far from home where it happen...next day the light came back on and same thing happened again the light started flickering again and it went off at this point I've been looking around to actually fixed this issue with no luck also I've seen a lot people complaints about the same issue which they called the dipped headlight issue.. T
Air bags all 54 →
The airbags in our 2005 Audi A4 were recalled. We had the airbag replaced due to the recall in Audi of Stratham, 58 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham, NH 03885 in February 2023. On 12/8/23, my daughter was involved in a serious front-end collation with another vehicle. The airbags in the Audi did not deploy. The other vehicle (which sustained less damage) did deploy. Without the airbags, her face hit the steering wheel, causing a large laceration to her eyelid and significant bruising and swelling to her face.
The contact's husband owned a 2005 Audi A4. The contact received several recall letters and cards from the NHTSA and Audi manufacturer for a Takata Air Bag recall. The contact stated that the last notification received stated that the owner could die if the recall was not completed. The contact was adamant and would like the mailing address to be removed from the recall distribution list because the vehicle was no longer owned. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance.
Electrical system all 24 →
The car is completely defective,total engine, gasket,water pump,intake manifold,airbag, transmission,torque,drive shaft, universal joints,all rear axles,wheel bearing,bought at auction Aug 19,2024, $4000, the as is was so small and on the back of a sheet we did not see it,we are senior,
Takata recall Audi has persistently denied anything wrong with the air bags and there is no sufficient process to remedy this. I called the dealership and there is no maintenance or service bulletin available. Audi headlights the left headlight is malfunctioning due to something with the adaptive head lights. Upon steering the car, especially on highway entries and exits, sharp turns, and windy road driving the error "dipped left headlight" will appear. Audi has consistently denied the problem as you need to be on the road for this problem to occur. Even driving to the service mechanic is deadly with only one functioning headlight and has been the only way for a mechanic to determine an issue is occurring. After that, the car must be left on and unlocked while registering the car.
2005 Audi A4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | CVT | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 31 / 24 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | CVT | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Audi A4 a good car?
Based on 219 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 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 2005 Audi A4?
The lights — 101 complaints, 46% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the air bags (54) and electrical system (24).
How many recalls does the 2005 Audi A4 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 Audi A4, the most recent from June 22, 2018 (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 2005 Audi A4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 33% 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.