Most common 2000 Audi S4 problems
Share of the 143 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi S4 complaints by model year
Best S4 years: 2009, 2008, 2007. Years to avoid: 2010, 2000, 2001, 2005. Compare all years →
2000 Audi S4 recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4, and S4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver Air Bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
What 2000 Audi S4 owners say
Electrical system all 49 →
Like many other people who own an Audi S4 with 50,000 miles, I am having brake light issues. Only mine are much more severe that what I have read thus far. I took my car in for it's 60000, and had the mechanic check the brake light. Leading up to the repair, I had been *losing brake fluid* almost monthly. This should never happen, for any reason. But, my mechanic took three hours and discovered that the battery was leaking sulfuric acid onto my brake line, my power steering line, and my clutch line. He stated, "only a mechanical moron would house the metal and steal cables underneath sulfuric acid." consequently, I cannot drive my car any more and the repairs inlcude the taking out of the entire engine to get to the source, which May/May not be able to be fixed. …
Posted comment earlier about battery acid leaking onto clutch line and brake line causing severe damage to both lines... Spoke with Audi and they stated that the engine does not have to be removed for the brake line to be fixed... The most likely culprit of this leak is due an overcharged battery due to a jump or manual re-charge (note: according to Audi, never replace the S4 battery with anything other than with an Audi battery... Of course they would say this, but he was pretty convincing... 2nd note: I do have an Audi battery in my S4, and I'm still having the issue... Audi May help pay for this b/c of that fact, but they haven't committed to it until further investigation). The total, according to over-the-phone diagnosing, was going to be b/n 1 and 2 thousand bucks at the dealer.
Brakes all 41 →
Audi USA has engineering control and were contacted and present during repair. Under very icy conditions on straight road, during acceleration from very slow speed, vehicle pitched into oversteer condition. Not entirely unexpected, but after a difficult recovery, when all seemed OK, it oversteered again quite violently. This was again recovered, but it appeared that there was an ABS brake input , certainly not of my doing. The third cycle was more severe, and I left the road. Neither the brake nor throttle were touched during the whole cycle, but steering inputs were powerful as I attempted to save the day. The separateness of the cycles alerted me to the possibility that the wheel speed sensors had detected a differential speed and applied the brakes. …
Many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. The ebd is supposed to adjust the front/rear braking distribution dynamically according to the measure of the deceleration, so that the rear wheels will not lock up during emergency braking. …
Wheels & tires all 37 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Audi S4 with bridge stone blizzard ws- 60 tires 235/45/r17. He stated when driving over 50 MPH the tires do not grip and lose traction. Bridgestone was contacted and they stated that they could not help him .this issue has been occurring ever since he purchased the tires. He had replaced them 2 times. The failure mileage and current mileage was 80000.
I own a 2000 Audi S4 with original equipment tires: pirelli p6000, size 225/45-17. At 3,000 miles, the first two tires developed severe bubbling in the sidewalls and both tires were replaced free of charge by the Audi dealer because they said they were aware there were problems with these tires. By 15,000 miles 2 more tires had severe bubbling in the sidewalls and I had a flat tire when the tire pulled away from the rims. There is something terribly wrong with this brand of tire. I have now replaced all 4 tires in under 15,000 miles. One of the tires that was replaced at the 3,000 mark was the same tire that had the flat in it at 15,000 miles. If the Audi dealer in latham, new york knew there was something wrong with the sidewalls on these tires and replaced them without a fight, then you know there is a valid complaint here. …
2000 Audi S4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Audi S4 a good car?
Based on 143 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 S4 rates avoid: 5.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the S4 at the same age. It is one of the S4 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 2000 Audi S4?
The electrical system — 49 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about instrument cluster/panel. Next are the brakes (41) and wheels & tires (37).
How many recalls does the 2000 Audi S4 have?
There is 1 recall for the 2000 Audi S4, the most recent from June 23, 2021 (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 S4?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2008 and 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2010, 2000, 2001 and 2005. See the full Audi S4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Audi S4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 22% 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.