Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Audi A4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the timing chain tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that there was low compression in the engine. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
This audi doesn't have a dip stick that comes with the car. It burns 1-2 quarts of oil a month and doesn't indicate when your car is low on oil. It's a guessing game when the engine says put a quart of oil in and I needed 2 and a half quarts to be full. It's such a saftey hazard I'm surprised audi hasn't recalled this engine. I spent over $1000 to have everything resealed and fixed because it just ceased one day due to not having enough oil
Engine Excessive oil consumption burning oil then suddenly found out there is no oil in the engine that causes for blow the engine while driving if you don't add oil it's common problem for this car ; asking for solve the issue
Purchased a used lease vehicle in 2014, 63,000 miles on it. Looked like a creampuff. Carfax was clean. Used oil excessively. Was told by local dealer I could not get car fixed per class action settlement because I was not original owner or did not have all service records. Car has now had an intake valve failure in cylinder 3 while driving on highway at normal speed. Possibly caused by defective piston rings breaking. 101,000 miles and just out of extended warranty I purchased for $2500 extra. Car is not drivable and stuck 3 hours from my home. Audi of America says car was "fixed" in 2012 and will not release maintenance records, citing privacy of previous owner, a corporate lease. Audi dealer in melbourne fl who did the repair in 2012 will not release records so I do not know what was fixed and what parts were used. Total runaround by Audi of America and Audi of melbourne. …
Fully stock engine and drive train car experienced a timing chain tensioner failure. Being an interference engine, this cause catastrophic damage and the car requires a new engine. I was fortunate this happened while stationary at a gas station. I had driven about 100 miles and stopped for gas. Attempting to start the car yielded cranking but no turning over. The car was towed to a mechanic who confirmed the failure via engine compression. The failure could have happened while on my highway drive at highway speeds putting myself and the drivers around me in danger. This is a known issue and a class action settlement is taking place. The manufacturer should be forced to recall all affected vehicles for tensioner replacement.
I was driving to work and as I slow down to park I heard and felt a pop in the engine. Luckily I was able to use the momentum of the car to park. The engine would not turn back on. After work I went back and the car would not turn on. The engine would just clank really loud. I had it towed home and the next day I called the mechanic. I then towed the car about a week later to the mechanic for him to check it out. After a few days he said that the engine chain tensioners broke and caused catastrophic damage to the engine. The repairs would cost $4800 and or we can put a new engine for $6300.
'Takata recall' Monday morning I went out to start my car to bring my son to school and it would not start. We drove it the day before and nothing was wrong with it. We had it taken by flat bed to an auto shop. They said the valves are bent on one side of the banks. They suggested we replace the engine because if they pull off the head and there is piston damage then we will have to replace the engine anyways and get charged for the disassembly which would be an extra $1200 on top of the charge for the new engine. We bought the car less than 2 years ago and need to put in almost $10,000 to fix it.
I was driving my car from work on a city street I heard that it was knocking and had stopped the car to check on it but was not sure since I am figuring this car out. After that day it had been knocking. A few days later it had starting to shake while I was driving and all this happened on a city street. But anyways when I accelerated to a certain number, the shaking stopped but was still knocking. And after time it just got worse and was unsafe to drive.
Engine misfire likely due to timing chain jump. Extensive repair to engine including intake valves, timing chain, tensioner, and several related parts. At the time of the malfunction, the vehicle was being driven in albany, ny, during heavy traffic. The malfunction could have resulted in personal injury to occupants in this vehicle as well as to other vehicles. Cost of the repair was $3,194.46, and resulted in loss of the vehicle for 9 days.
I bought the car 2 days ago and on the way back from the dealership I'd already had to add a quart of oil, 2 days later after refilling and I'm basically back to zero on oil. I don't drive much so this is ridiculous. The oil consumption is much higher than it should be, I've driven maybe 400 miles and I've had to add oil twice. I've never had to do this with any other car before, this is mad.
Engine complaints in other A4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2010 Audi A4?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 Audi A4, 72% of the model year's 64 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Audi A4 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2010 Audi A4. 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 2010 Audi A4 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 18% 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.