Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Audi S4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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!
"intermittent headlight malfunction. Over the course of ownership, the right headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "right headlight dipped". This condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 7-8 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted, then be fine for weeks or months at a time. The dealership has been notified of the problem on at least 3 visits, and has claimed that everything is fine and they can not reproduce. …
While driving at night with the low beams illuminated the left headlight will turn off and the car will warn of a inoperative "dipped headlight". The headlight will flicker on and off at times and this causes disconcerting driving conditions for both the driver and other cars in the vicinity. Every time the light flickers, the warning system chimes and alerts to the malfunctioning headlight. Other drivers are confused because they see your headlights flashing at them for no apparent reason. If the headlight switch is cycled to "off" and back to "on", the headlamp is restored until the next occurrence. It is dangerous to drive at night with one headlamp flickering or completely inoperative. It is dangerous to have to cycle the headlamp switch while driving in traffic in an attempt to restore proper illumination. I have also had the problem briefly occur in the right headlamp. …
Bought this car from dealer, used, low mileage, great car. Headlights were filled with condensation. Dealer said to dry them out and re-seal them. That didn't work. There is still water in both headlights. It hasn't rained and has not been humid outside. Pulled over the first night and told they were a safety concern and needed to get them fixed, luckily just a warning issued, no ticket. I can't see at night with the amount of condensation/water that has accumulated in both headlights. This should be a problem that Audi recalls. It's not safe due to decreased visibility, no visibility at times, and the car won't pass the state inspection until this problem is fixed. Obviously there is no warranty and the dealership totally blew off my concerns telling me some bs story about how to fix it myself because their labor rates were so high. …
Front headlights (both sides) flicker(blink) but not all the time. When they flicker I turn them off and then turn on again, then they are fine. But I am worried that it May go bad during driving causing safety issues. Its not the bulb issues as on-board diagnostics wouldn't detect the problem. It has happened several times over last couple of weeks. I tried finding solution online and found this forum http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?p=23809262. This tells me this problem is part of notorious design by Audi of America. My car is out of warranty and Audi wouldn't take care of it as they have provided no assistance to sort out other mechanical issues with my car which has only 50000 miles. …
The headlamps fill with condensation after any small form of precipitation. The condensation does not subside and therefore makes the headlights ineffective at night or in times of inclement weather. This makes driving dangerous under the previously mentioned conditions. Audi refuses to remedy this issue saying it is a normal occurrence because of vents in the HID headlamp assembly. The illinois vehicle code states that a vehicle shall, "..be equipped with at least 2 lamps on the power or towing unit, displaying a white light visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet to the front of such vehicle..." the condition of these headlamps do not allow me to comply with this law. My employer also requires that I am in compliance with all vehicle codes or I can face disciplinary action. Again Audi refuses to address this issue.
I own a 2005.5 Audi S4 b7. The headlights go out. While driving the car, one of the headlights begins to flicker on and off. Then all of a sudden, it just shuts off completely. I have to turn the lights completely off and then turn them back on to make the light that just shut off go back on again. Sometimes I have to do this three or four times before the light continues to stay on. There have been a couple times that both lights failed. Major driving problem at night. Once I cycle through this the light does stay on for the rest of my driving time. I have looked on line and it seems to be a problem with many other Audi owners. Audi said they are not responsible for this. Well, it seems if it is happening to many other Audi drivers, Audi should be recalling these lights.
Several intermittent headlight malfunctions: headlight flickering as well as headlight shutting off. The right headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "left headlight dipped". This condition is both unsafe, and illegal. It can occur several times per trip, then not occur at all for some time. Problem is intermittent and sporadic. The headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the light switch is turned off and on again. It usually occurs during cold weather or on bumpy roads. Anecdotal evidence (conversational, and via internet owners' forums) suggests that the problem is widespread among a substantial portion of Audi's model range and years.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Audi S4. The contact stated that the exterior headlamps failed to illuminate without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V382000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Audi pacific (20460 hawthorne blvd, torrance, ca) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. Audi pacific was also contacted regarding the exterior lighting failure, but the failure could not be replicated. The manufacturer was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Headlight complaints in other S4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2005 Audi S4?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the lights of the 2005 Audi S4, 77% of the model year's 43 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Audi S4 headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2005 Audi S4, though it has 2 recalls 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 2005 Audi S4 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 4% 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.