Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My 2018 Audi S4 has a catastrophic engine failure issue and this is common with the EA839 engine. There is a knocking in the motor that is caused by internal engine parts (rocker arms needle bearings) becoming loose and dislodged. The metal shavings travel in the motor oil and destroy the engine from the inside. Hendrick Audi northlake examined the car on February 26, and recommended a new engine be installed at a cost of $32,000. I contacted Audi customer care and they reviewed the case only to offer me no assistance with the new engine expense. My Audi S4 is a 2018 with less than 47k miles, and I am the fifth owner. I have been reading a lot of threads on Audi forums as well as Reddit about this problem, and this is not rare. This should be a class action lawsuit against Audi for making and selling a defective product. …
Water pump defect for the 3.0L ea839 turbo engine found across many Porsche and Audi models. Defect causes damage to vacuum lines, thermostat, and can eventually lead to engine failure if not resolved. No way of knowing this is happening until you start to lose coolant (which will throw an engine code), but by that point the damage is done. There was a recall for the previous generation vehicle water pumps.
My 2014 Audi S4 has a epc light that keeps turning on while driving that car. The epc light will put the car into limp mode and will have a rough idle and can barley drive. When that light turns on you have to pull over immediately and restart the car to continue driving and is a complete safety hazard because it will happen when you are on the freeway. The light mainly turns on when you are trying to get up to speeds of the flow of traffic. I have taken it to the dealer many times to get this issue resolved and they keep saying there is no issue with the car what's so ever. I decided to try to figure out what was wrong with the car myself because the dealer was no help. When I look it up hundreds of forums show up talking about it and no one can figure out what is going on with the car and everyone is having the same issue and how the dealer is no help at all. …
While traveling at 75mph, uphill, in 100f weather the fuel low pressure fuel system developed a vapor bubble that stalled the low pressure fuel pump and starved the motor for fuel. The car stalled on the freeway and would intermittently restart until the low pressure fuel pump failed. The repair required additional valves and hoses he added to the low pressure fuel system to compensate for the poor vapor management design. The car had to be towed to a dealership where the appropriate fix and TSB was executed. Total cost was ~$2200, $715 of that total cost were the new valves and hoses that should have been part of the initial design.
Transmission shifts harshly and makes noise during shifts. Was told the mechatronics need replacement. Sometimes when accelerating the car will jolt as if it it loses power momentarily. When merging into traffic in could be dangerous.
Lost all coolant due to radiator leak from road hazard damage caused by bad design of front lower grill. It has no protective mesh and clear openings for rocks to protrude. I found this on Audi forum two people now on the vairious boards have thought they lost their water pump, but in fact have had holes punched in their intercooling radiators by errant road debris which strikes the radiator at highway speeds and perforates it. Since the engine and supercharger cooling systems share the same overflow container, but are seperate loops, it's only a matter of time before both systems have lost all coolant liquid, due to the one way valve system, the heating and cooling of the coolant and the shared overflow tank. This is not covered by Audi warranty, and is considered wear and tear. …
I was exiting off of the interstate and the car began to sputter. I had to cut 3 cars off to pull onto to the shoulder, where the car continued to lose power and eventually died. A gearbox malfunction warning light came on, but said it was still safe to drive. I was able to get me car into park and start . After sitting for a few minutes I went on my way, however, the car sputtered again out of 1st gear but smoothed out once I got going. The light remained on the remainder of the trip but didnt come back on the next morning. I called Audi USA to explain what happened and they acted like they never heard of such a thing happening and said it was okay to drive. I have only had this car for 6 months and that gearbox malfunction has now happened 3 times, the latest of which almost caused an accident. …
I was accelerating, after leaving a restaurant, into traffic. I received the "dsg malfunction light" and suddenly at about 20mph my lurched forward and failed to respond to the throttle and shut off in traffic. Car restarted after about 30 seconds but definitely not something that should go without notice. If I was on the interstate and throttle went out situation could have been much worse.
Frequently asked questions
Which Audi S4 years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (15), 2010 (15), 2001 (11) and 2011 (5) model years. Engine complaints make up 52% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Audi S4 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Audi S4 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Audi S4 engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles; 47% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (12 mentions), followed by the cooling system (10).
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.