Wheel & Tire complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 20% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2017 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 3% | 79,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 4% | 9,000 miles |
| 2007 | 4 | 2% | 13,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% | 146,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 2% | 73,000 miles |
| 2004 | 16 | 8% | 9,000 miles |
| 2003 | 7 | 3% | 28,000 miles |
| 2002 | 9 | 5% | 81,000 miles |
| 2001 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2000 | 2 | 2% | 86,000 miles |
| 1999 | 8 | 4% | 119,000 miles |
| 1998 | 3 | 1% | 92,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had just put $35 in gassed the car still said I needed gas and that I had zero miles left of gas I made a trip that was about 45 miles in distance. My car was then parked and turned off for about 3 to 4 hours then it had trouble starting at first but turned on and I proceeded onto the freeway which was across the street from the parking lot I parked inside of. It was about 9:00 pm and thankfully there was not a lot of cars out. The entrance of this freeway consist of one medium sized steep hill which remains traveling upward onto a mountain when my car suddenly shut off my 3 year old daughter and I were in the car and thankfully we were on the last lane due to the fact that we were barely entering the freeway. I parked on the right side skirt I had just replaced that battery earlier that week (no more than 5 day before). …
I bought 2008 A4 on late December of 2008. Car came with the pirelli p6 four seasons tires..owned the car for 3 months now have 3600miles on the car.. First had 2 tire damages after driving on minor bumpy road at 25mph.. 1 tire got punctured on the sidewall 1 had bubbles on it.. Went back to the dealership ordered the same set of tires and replace them.. After 2 weeks, had another blow out on the same exact spot on the side wall with same damage.. Then again week later.. On nj turnpike at high speed had sudden blow out..which was resulted from sidewall puncture..and again ended up with flat tire and a bubble on the others.. I've noticed the same pattern here first you get bubble easily from normal type of driving going over little bumpy or rough roads.. Then all the sudden that bubble blows out, end up getting the blow out or a puncture.. …
Tl contact owns a 2007 Audi A4. The vehicle has continental conti pro contact, size 235/45r17 94h tires. During a tire rotation, the contact noticed that all four tires had a bulge. The mechanic stated that the tires could not be rotated because of the bulges and could cause a blowout. The tires are being replaced at the cost of $654. The manufacturer offered to take a complaint (claim number 5071636334) because the tires were a result of road hazard. She was advised to take her tires to a dealer and have them repaired at her expense. The powertrain was unknown. The tire and vehicle current and failure mileages were 12,500. Updated 01/17/08 updated 01/17/08
I have picked up a new Audi A4 January 3,2007. It has been 4 weeks and I need to replace 3 tires. One was blown from a pothole...the other one went flat as I was driving down the highway around 80 MPH for about 15 miles on it. The other developed a bubble on the sidewall. Pirelli told me to send the tire in for evaluation, we will have an answer to you in about 4 to 8 weeks. What am I supposed to do for a spare tire? Pirelli quotes, I don't know. What a joke!!! They are no help. I don't even have 2K on this car plus 3 of my rims are bent! So much for a new car...stay away from pirelli!!! They are a road hazards...garbage.
Scratch less than credit card size on all 4 wheels of 2005 Audi A4 sedan with mileage of 22,603 driven on only n.y.and ct. Streets claimed by Audi to be excess wear and assessment of $702. Wheels are probably defective or a scam to induce people to purchase a new vehicle and have the assessment waived.
I bought 4 bf goodrich traction t/a's from big o tires in san ramon, ca for my 2005 Audi A4 2.0t, and within a year (12,000 miles) the front two were showing cracks in the sidewall, one of which into the cords. That tire got replaced immediately. The assistant manager at big o, james, told me "it happens all the time", and "probably from rubbing against curbs". He thought the one that just had surface cracking around and no damage to the cords was okay to not replace "should be fine". One and a half months and one freeway blowout later, it's obvious the tires were all bad for some reason. The back two: one now showing same sidewall cracks and the other one blew out. Front one not replaced is more pronounced. The blowout had the tread fully separated from the sidewall. …
I own a 2004 Audi A4 3.0 quattro with pirelli p6 4seasons p235/34r17 tires. I took the car to the Firestone tire store to get the tires balanced because they were vibrating. The Firestone store employee showed me the tires later on because he believed these were unsafe to drive. A total of three of the tires showed some type of defect: one of the tires (front left) has a big bubble in the center of the tire, the other two tires (both are rear) are coming apart in the inside wall (I can provide a pictures of the tires--the defected tire with the bubble can not be noticed unless the tire is placed on the balanced machine). Both rear tires are actually coming apart in the same pattern. …
I brought my 2004 Audi A4 to jack daniels motors in March of 2007 to get new tires. They of course suggested pirelli tires and really didn't offer me any other choices. So I spent $826.21 for new pirelli in March, 2007. Well now it's November of 2007 and I brought my Audi back to them and they told me that the tires had to be changed because they lost the threads and were gong bald. When I told them I just put the tires on eight (8) months ago and weren't they warranted, they told me they weren't. Why would Audi put on tires that didn't come with a warranty???? I called pirelli customer service and they told me the same thing. . I have had my tires replaced because they were not safe to drive on especially with the winter months upon me. I did not get tires from them, I bought tires that had a warranty from an tire dealer and they weren't pirelli. …
Related recalls (1)
Tires
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022.
Frequently asked questions
Which Audi A4 years have wheel & tire problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (16), 2002 (9), 1999 (8), 2003 (7) and 2008 (7) model years. Wheel & Tire complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Audi A4 wheel & tire problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 22V-034 (tires, Jan 26, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Audi A4 wheel & tire problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the sidewall (11 mentions), followed by the tread/belt (9).
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.