Most common 2006 Audi S4 problems
Share of the 30 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 →
2006 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 2006 Audi S4 owners say
Lights all 22 →
Intermittent headlight malfunction. Over the course of a year and a half 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. …
My headlights flicker almost all the time and occasionally go off as a result. This problem has been widespread as literally hundreds of people in the Audi online forums are reporting the same exact issue. Once one or both headlights go out, I get an error message stating "left headlight dipped", "right headlight dipped", or both. Once the car is turned off and restarted, light comes back on. They still flicker and go out again at random intervals and random sides (left and right). There should be a recall in place as it costs many hundreds of dollars to repair, and many times, the repair doesn't fix anything. It is so widespread, it has reached epidemic proportions and it has become a real safety hazard. This problem effects a wide range of Audi models and years as reported by hundreds of other people experiencing the same issues of various years and models. …
Air bags
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Audi S4. 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. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Audi S4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V382000 (air bags). The part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer would not provide a rental vehicle. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Electrical system
Audi 2006 S4, there is a more frequent occurrence of my "headlights dipping" my xenon headlamps will stop working while driving, it would either be the left or the right, but not until last week when both went out at the same time. I would put car in neutral while driving and turn car off and back on and it will reset itself and lights will then work, it seems to stop occurring when car is warmed up and it is worse with colder weather and vibration or bad roads. It will occasionally occur when car is even warm well after 30 minutes, I am now concerned because last week both went out at the same time, that had never happened before, it was always one or the other, it has happened for the past 18 months or so. Audi has no answer, they have erroneously replaced working xenon lights, ballasts, etc and it continues to occur to many individuals that I read up on in Audi forums. …
While driving, the right headlight flickered and went off (HID lights). The information system registered an error "dipped right headlight" head light comes on when ever the car is started, and goes out with the same error again at a later time. So far this error has occurred the last 3 times I have driven (all three times since first occurrence). This is a safety issue since night illumination is involved. I have read on internet Audi websites that this is an all too common problem, that Audi of America is not taking seriously as far as offering a clear solution.
2006 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 2006 Audi S4 a good car?
Based on 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 S4 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the S4 at the same age. 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 2006 Audi S4?
The lights — 22 complaints, 73% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (7) and electrical system (4).
How many recalls does the 2006 Audi S4 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2006 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 2006 Audi S4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 55% 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.