Most common 2005 Audi S4 problems
Share of the 43 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 →
2005 Audi S4 recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
What 2005 Audi S4 owners say
Lights all 33 →
Driver headlight dipped info on dash. Headlight turns off or flickers till it turns off and must turn all lights off on the car while driving and reset lights to activate headlight back on. Sometimes this does not work and forced to drive with one headlight with is extremely dangerous condition, police have citied me twice for faulty headlight equipment. There needs to be a recall on this issue. There will eventually be a fatality crash involving this issue with dipped headlights on Audi vehicle's. Also this happens at all speeds from 0 to 70 MPH. This issue has been going on for 6 months and going to cause a serious accident soon on i95 in miami as I drive home from work at 0430 a.m.
Takata recall 1. The left headlight flickers. 2. It then turns itself off 3. The message "left dipped headlight" appears 4. This happens while my vehicle is parked and in motion so it is a very serious safety risk. I have had both headlights go out at night while driving with my 2 year old in the car!
Electrical system
In August 2006 while driving my 2005 Audi S4 convertible on a busy street in bloomington, indiana at 45-50 MPH, my car died without warning...I.e. No power steering, brakes. I was able to navigate it off-road and then towed to royal Audi in bloomington, in. They kept the car over a month thinking maybe I needed a new engine. However, eventually they said it was a fuse which was replaced and the car drove fine. However, driving cross-country in January 2007 while on i40 in west oklahoma, trying to pass an enormous truck, I found I had no brakes and rear-ended another similar large truck ,totaling my car. Despite a severe accident no airbags deployed either on the drivers or passenger's side.
Heated seat element burned or melted the seat while the car was off overnight. Passenger seat leather is now separated, shriveled (hard as a rock) and would have burned the passenger if they had been in the seat.
Air bags
In August 2006 while driving my 2005 Audi S4 convertible on a busy street in bloomington, indiana at 45-50 MPH, my car died without warning...I.e. No power steering, brakes. I was able to navigate it off-road and then towed to royal Audi in bloomington, in. They kept the car over a month thinking maybe I needed a new engine. However, eventually they said it was a fuse which was replaced and the car drove fine. However, driving cross-country in January 2007 while on i40 in west oklahoma, trying to pass an enormous truck, I found I had no brakes and rear-ended another similar large truck ,totaling my car. Despite a severe accident no airbags deployed either on the drivers or passenger's side.
Failure of the driver's side airbag during a front end collision while the passenger side airbag deployed-no one was occupying the passenger seat. The point of impact was center between the two headlights.
2005 Audi S4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Audi S4 a good car?
Based on 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 S4 rates use caution: 1.5× 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 2005 Audi S4?
The lights — 33 complaints, 77% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the electrical system (5) and air bags (4).
How many recalls does the 2005 Audi S4 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2005 Audi S4, the most recent from June 22, 2018 (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 2005 Audi S4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 41% 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.