Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Audi S4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Gearbox malfunction and TPMS malfunction while driving on the road within the city about 45mph I felt a slight jerk and immediately following the warnings came on in the dashboard "tire pressure! System malfunction" & "gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear (you can continue driving)" throttle response was off and forced me to immediately puller over! While stopped I re-started the vehicle and the warnings went away, I sat there for a couple minutes and then continued driving. Few miles down the road the vehicle jerked again and warnings came back on, I needed to get to work so I continued driving; the car would take very long to shift gears and it would jump from 1st to 3rd, from 3rd to 5th and 5th to 7th gear jerking kind of violently every-time and throttle response between shifts was very lethargic to the point that the vehicle would slow down severely and I felt unsafe due to cars …
It happened again today driving down the highway going up to speed, at about 50 MPH I got a "gearbox malfunction" error message in the cluster and it would not let me accelerate anymore, it was like the car was in neutral and pressing the accelerator pedal would just rev up the engine. The mechatronics unit on these vehicles are faulty, I know 2 other S4 owners with the years of 2011 and 2012 who also had their mechatronics fail on their S4. Along with the gearbox malfunction error also comes "parking brake error" who knows what in the world can happen when that message comes up. Is it going to suddenly apply the electronic parking brake going 50-70 MPH down the highway and cause a possibility of a very bad accident? The repair is very pricey for the mechatronic unit that goes bad, it is no coincidence many of these S4 models have these go bad.
My S4 threw the "gearbox malfunction, reverse disabled" as well as a TPMS error code while in traffic, and went into limp mode and would not allow me to accelerate. Very dangerous, and inconvenient. Limped home at very slow speed while transmission clunked and struggled to change gears. The code has gone away since I restarted the vehicle, and now it lunges forward when you're coming to a stop, which makes you feel like you've been hit from behind. Taking off from a stop is bouncy and super jerky. If I hesitate before accelerating from a stop, it will sometimes go smoothly. The engine RPM's surge while coasting to a stop, or going down, hill especially with foot off the pedal.
I have just recently purchased this car from an older man who was very kind to the car. I have had this vehicle for the whole two months when I entered my garage to leave for the day I received a"gear box malfunction, you May continue driving: limited functionality code" I have done my hours of research and have found out this is a simply a problem lot of people are having. This is something Audi is selling on their cars knowing these have issues!!!!! I want to take further action, Audi should step up and repair all the broken units they have been selling. These units have given 95 percent of Audi owners problems. Really makes me feel like I'll never buy another.
The s-tronic/dsg transmission is having issues downshifting. It will rev up high when coming to a stop as well. There is also a harsh clunk when shifting from neutral-drive-park. Audi recommended replacing the mechatronics unit in the transmission. The mechatronics circuit board has already been replaced at owners cost and now they want me to replace the entire mechatronic unit at my cost ($3800+). This is a common issue with these cars and there needs to be a recall for these transmissions. It is known that these transmissions are faulty and Audi does not want to take responsibility for these issues.
"warning: gearbox malfunction- you can continue driving" appears after about 15 minutes of driving. The car does not malfunction, changes gears without problems, and warning remains on screen. Car has 58K miles and has been well maintained. Took to Audi dealership and advised module g676 is bad. Cost to repair: $5334.39. There is a TSB for this warning on this issue for several years of audis. Audi will not cover any of the costs to repair although they realize this is a common failure among this vehicle. This is a manufacturer issue!! Why are they not being held accountable?
Car slammed into different gear, wasn't able to shift into 2nd and threw gearbox malfunction and TPMS errors. Thankfully I was near home and able to make it there without an accident or being stranded, but my car is now immobile. I spoke with Audi and they said it will likely be a $4K repair (mechatronics unit). After researching this more, it seems to be a common problem with these cars. It can happen at any time and can be extremely dangerous. There's also a pending class action lawsuit to get Audi to do the right thing and recall these cars and fix them.
At approx 55K miles, mechatronics unit failed. Extremely rough shifts from 1-2 and 2-1, lurching forward after coming to complete stop. Dealership replaced mecharonics unit. At 74K miles entire dsg gearbox failed, while on highway with virtually no power or ability to accelerate. Luckily traffic was at near stop due to rush hour, was able to make it to next offramp in what they call 'limp mode'. Dealership is replacing entire transmission.
Vehicle's transmission became non-operational while driving on the highway. This was due to multiple failed sensors in the "s tronic transmission integrated sensors" module. Early sensor failure has been a known issue as Audi issued TSB 35 12 08 2032211/1 on December 21, 2012 (only 3 years after original model production began) outlining the problem. The failure causes an obvious safety hazard and no recall has been issued.
My car flashed gearbox malfunction while driving down interstate I-264 in louisville ky. Car seamed fine for about 2 miles and then suddenly went limp and I had no gears. Had to hit flashers and coast into median. Was almost hit by semi truck. Repair shop could not find anything wrong. Happened again 1 day after getting it back from shop. Taking it to Audi now. I have read that this is a common problem.
Transmission complaints in other S4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Audi S4?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Audi S4, 70% of the model year's 60 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Audi S4 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2010 Audi S4. 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 2010 Audi S4 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 3% 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.