Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Audi S4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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. …
Just purchased a formerly certified 2006 Audi S4 w/ 46K miles and factory xenon lights. When I turn my headlights on, the right xenon light goes out intermittently, and I get a "right dipped headlight" message on the information display. The right headlight stays off until I turn the car off. Usually when I restart the car, the headlight is fine. The problem is dangerous because the light turns off without warning, so far it has only happened on one side, but I am concerned it will affect both lights. Dealer states they have encountered the problem before, and that replacing the ballast will address it.
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.
As many others have noticed on the b7 models of Audi's. The passenger headlight will flicker and go out at random times, it is not a bulb problem it has been replaced multiple times. It is concerning when driving at night and randomly my headlight will shut off. Sometimes when I shut the car off and back in it will return. There is an electrical problem with these headlights as I have read in other places. Very dangerous and concerning they want to charge 1000+ dollars for every customer to put in a new headlight. It is their duty to ensure safety of their customers.
No incidents or crashes, yet. My 2005.5 Audi S4 with 35,800 miles, has a chronic problem where the headlights, left or right, flicker and then turn off involuntarily. Sometimes only one side does this, more recently, both have been turning off. When the light goes out, a notice appears in the center information area of "dipped headlight," either right or left respectively. The only way to restart the light/s is to turn the light switch off and back on manually. This only temporarily resets the headlights, and the same events start again shortly thereafter.
Dipped headlight issue. The event is happens almost every night and multiple times. My headlights of my 2006 Audi S4 continue to go out as I drive often at highway speeds. This is a common complaint which Audi has chosen not to fix. Their multiple service bulletins never fixed the issue and now that my car is out of warranty they chose to replace cars headlights with this issue. I only have under 50,000 miles on the vehicle. This is a serious concern and one that could lead to a accident and death. This is my 9th Audi as well.
My 2006 Audi S4's low beam headlights flicker while driving on very cold days. Occasionally, my left or right headlight will turn off completely. I haven't had both go out at the same time, but I am worried that this will occur eventually. The flickering is very dangerous as it happens at low speed while I am driving through my neighborhood. I am worried that I will not be able to see children crossing the street going to school. I have had the car serviced by the Audi dealer for this issue and it is still occurring.
Right headlight sporadically shuts off (I.e. Dips) while driving. You have to turn both lights off and on when you are driving to make it function again. It is always the right headlight and sometimes will function properly for a month and then malfunction several times in one night. This is a safety hazard especially when you need to reactivate the light while in traffic at high speeds or when the driving conditions are poor. This has been happening since I purchased the car in the summer of 2010.
Headlight complaints in other S4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2006 Audi S4?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the lights of the 2006 Audi S4, 73% of the model year's 30 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Audi S4 headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2006 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 2006 Audi S4 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 5% 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.