Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Audi A4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
My right headlight has been flickering for about 3 months, and a few times it has gone out completely. Turning the headlights off and back on fixes it for a couple days. I waited to take it to the dealer until it needed maintenance, and also so there would be more DTC evidence for them to troubleshoot with. The left headlight started doing the same thing so I took it in. Audi cannot replicate and will not replace the headlights.
Bi-xenon driver side headlight goes off randomly while driving at any speeds. Have to power off and on the headlights while driving to get the light to work again. This has been happening for years since I bought the car new. Audi service was never able to admit to the problem or fix it on multiple visits for service on the car. Huge safety issue...
While driving, the headlight flickers and goes out. If headlights are turned off and back on, headlight works just fine. When I searched on the internet many individuals with this car make have had the same problem. Replacing the bulb does not fix the problem. Some individuals have said that Audi dealerships say they don't know how to fix the problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the headlights failed without warning. The failure recurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, but the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Audi A4. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the headlights failed without warning. The failure recurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a heater was drying up the lights. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Right side headlight will go out randomly and is very unsafe. I have replaced light bulb and problem still exists. I have read many problems and Audi is aware of this but chooses not to do anything.
"intermittent headlight malfunction. Over the course of a year and a half of ownership, the right headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "left headlight dipped". This condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 20 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted, then be fine for weeks or months at a time. The dealership has been notified of the problem on at least 3 visits, and has claimed that everything is fine and they can not reproduce. …
Over the course of nearly two years of ownership, the right and left headlights have malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "right/left headlight dipped". This condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 7-8 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted, then be fine for weeks or months at a time. The dealership has been notified of the problem on at least 3 visits, and has claimed that everything is fine and they can not reproduce said error. …
Headlight complaints in other A4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2005 Audi A4?
NHTSA has 101 complaints about the lights of the 2005 Audi A4, 46% of the model year's 219 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Audi A4 headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2005 Audi A4, though it has 3 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 2005 Audi A4 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 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.