Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Audi A4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2017 A4 B9 premium plus model, AWD, 2.0T. I have had an Audi dealership service my car for all major service intervals outside of oil change, not only at recommended intervals but even early. 3 years ago I had my 40K mile service done at 35K miles. Spark plugs were replaced by Audi Hawthorne in Westchester county, NY. One week ago, at 49K miles (well before the 6 years or 60K miles Audi says their spark plugs will last) my engine seized while driving and was misfiring. This caused an engine shut down WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION on the highway. I was able to restart and make it off the highway where the car seized again. I had to then be towed 30 miles back home. Took it to my locally well known body shop that I have used for years for them to say: 1. My spark plugs were loose and installed incorrectly and 2. …
Symptom of low coolant in overflow reservoir; below minimum line. Pressure test concluded leak in thermostat/water pump part. Appears to be a rampant problem spanning over a decade and affecting multiple trims and redesigns (i.e B8/B9 redesign/updates). Safety put at risk for possible vehicle fire or high pressure damage for engine coolant/radiator. The problem was reproduced and confirmed at a local (non-audi dealership) repair shop. They stated that the low level of coolant was due to a small leak in the thermostat/water pump housing. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. It will soon be in the local Audi dealership for a second opinion and/or possible resolution. I received a warning indicator on the dash and written pop up message on the dash board that indicated low coolant reservoir level. …
I experienced similar undesirable engine behavior on two occasions. Upon coming to a stop, the auto start/stop system stopped the engine. Shortly after, when attempting to drive away, the stop/start system attempted to start the engine, but failed; the starter briefly activated to turn over the engine, but the engine did not start and continue running. The car was left in the following condition: Engine off. Gear indicator showing "D". Accelerator pedal unresponsive. Regaining engine power required turning the car off, applying the brake pedal, turning the car on, and selecting "D" with the gear selector. This behavior occurred on two occasions on different days; once on 16 March 2024 and the first time within several days prior. Both occasions occurred before the engine was at full operating temperature, and while the car was on a slight uphill slope. …
My 2017 Audi A4 Quattro is now five years old. There is only 26,000 miles on the vehicle. Mostly local miles. I noticed drops of red fluid on the garage floor under the engine compartment. My mechanic investigated and found the issue to be leaking coolant from the thermostat/pump housing. It is obvious that the leak has been occurring for awhile as there is dried white residue all around this area. The engine cover under the engine compartment was all wet with coolant. The coolant reservoir was also low. The car's information system did not indicate an issue, but I am sure it would have eventually (at probably a very inconvenient time and location ! ). I've noticed several other Audi owners complain about this same issue. This will no doubt be an expensive repair which is totally unacceptable for a car like this with such low mileage.
Every time I start the car, a message comes on saying that the passenger airbag is off even when I have an occupant next to me. I spoke with the dealer and he told me that this recall was claimed and fixed in 2022 in Texas by the previous owner but I replied that the problem continues and he told me that this was no longer an Audi problem. Furthermore, every time it accelerates over 40 miles per hour, a message about the driving system in malfunction appears and also the automatic on and off system at stops stops working and when I drive it at low speed there is no problem. I took it to Audi and they told me that they should change the turbo and I told them that the car only has 100,000 miles and why they should change a turbo that only has 100,000 miles of use and they told me that's how it is
Audi A4 Water pump and Thermostat failure. VW/ Audi USA had a recall on this issue for several models including the Audi A4 models thru 2016. My car was built in 2016 with model year 2017 and according to the recall my car did not qualify. Since then there has been several Class Action Lawsuits for this same issue. I was fortunate I discovered the leak while the car was parked in my garage and wasn't on the freeway. It seems that VW/Audi USA hasn't corrected this issue leaving many people in danger of a possible breakdown and a premature costly repair. In addition, I was denied the Class Action Lawsuit extended warranty by 3 months. So this premature costly repair was on me. Thank you for all you do to keep us safe.
While driving on the highway, there was a message that flashed on the dashboard about the coolant system, within a couple minutes, I felt like the car was shutting down while going 65 miles per hour. So I pulled over on the shoulder of the Turnpike Southbound in Miami. This cased a great safety problem for me, as this happened while I was driving on the highway then I had to be on the right shoulder of the highway and had to call for road ranger. When the road ranger came to inspect the car, he tried to add coolant and realized that there was a fuel leak, the car would not start, the coolant drained completely out of the car. I then had to call AAA to get the car towed.
I took my car in for a routine check and the dealership noted a potent is coolant /transmission fluid leak. However they said that it could have just been when coolant bubbled over so they decided not to repair anything and to just monitor. The next time I brought my car in my warranty was done and they noted the same issue and told me that I now had a coolant / transmission fluid lead that requires $3,000 to repair. I can clearly see the coolant reservoir tank leaking and upon googling this issue, it looks like a lot of 2017 A4s have the same issue, yet there has been no recall to fix this issue.
This car has a KNOWN issue with the water pump housing leaking well before the expected lifespan of said part/gasket and Audi has not issued a TSB regarding it. It's unacceptable that a luxury car needs such a major repair with few miles (many users are experiencing this well before 40k miles) and if you are out of the original warranty, you're stuck with a $1k+ bill. My car with just about 47k miles on it has been slowly leaking from this part for about a year now and will need to be fixed soon as my coolant level is dropping steadily.
Engine light on Dealership found a rodent nest in the engine space in the car. Dealership considers that fluids used to coat Audi engine wiring attract rodents. Dealership considers this to be a health and safety issue. Dealership considers it essential to replace the Audi air filter. Dealership is checking wires to assess any gnawed damage. I need the engine to be power-washed and the nest area treated w/bleaching agents. I do not have the total estimate on this but it will be greater than $1,000.
Engine complaints in other A4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Audi A4?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Audi A4, 43% of the model year's 56 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Audi A4 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2017 Audi A4, though it has 1 recall 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 2017 Audi A4 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles, and 20% 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.