2020 Audi A4 Allroad

The MMI system on my 2020 Audi A4 Allroad will reset randomly while I am driving. This will occur while I'm driving and is very frustrating and dangerous, especially when using the MMI for navigation. I've reached out to the dealership regarding warranty, but have yet to hear back. From online forums, this has become a recent issue across many 2020 A4s. People have been forced to pay $500 for a software update that may or may not resolve the issue.

The MMI constantly reboots every 3-10 minutes every trip. Each time the system reboots, it requires me to interface with it to get it logged back in. The MMI is also the main interface with the navigation system, which restarts as part of the reboot, requiring me to restart the route while driving. Recently, it occurred while driving in downtown Boston, nearing my destination, which required several quick turns, ended up having to back track once the MMI came back on.

I own a 2020 Audi and have been experiencing a persistent and widespread issue with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system. While driving, the MMI randomly shuts down and reboots multiple times during a single trip. This happens whether or not I have any devices connected via Bluetooth, USB, or Apple CarPlay. The shutdowns are completely unpredictable and can occur at any time, causing the loss of navigation, audio, backup camera, and parking sensors. Sometimes, I receive warnings about user profiles or that the sensors have stopped working. I have tried all recommended troubleshooting steps—hard resets, disconnecting all devices, disabling wireless charging, and even having the dealer perform software updates—but nothing has resolved the issue. I’ve also been quoted significant fees for diagnosis and updates, yet Audi has not provided a permanent solution. This problem started for me in early 2025 and has only gotten worse, with more frequent shutdowns that affect the safety and usability of my vehicle. From what I’ve seen in owner forums, I am not alone—many other 2020 Audi owners are dealing with the exact same problem. I believe this is a software issue affecting a large number of vehicles, and I urge the NHTSA to investigate for a possible recall or manufacturer fix.

The infotainment system occasionally shuts down while driving, resulting in a blank screen and a reboot of the MMI after a short period. This is particularly concerning when backing up the car, as the sensors and backup cameras also become inoperative. The Audi dealership in Seattle performed the annual scheduled service in May 2025 but did not investigate this problem.

The MMI system sporadically and repeatedly reboots while driving. When this happens, I lose: radio/media, Bluetooth phone connection, SOS, navigation, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, parking collision warning, automatic emergency braking and rear cross traffic warning among other things. This also causes a very large distraction and poses multiple safety issues. This problem has been going on for months. This is not the first problem with these systems. There was a recall (that got cancelled) a few years back around what Audi calls the "conbox". They did some sort of repair but the system has been crippled since. There have been connection issues, problems with map updates, and other failures since then. Diagnostics show multiple logged communication failures with this system. Any further diagnosis or repair, they want to charge thousands of dollars without any guarantee it will be fixed. I've gotten quotes of $4,500-5,000 for a module replacement, but they aren't even sure it will solve these problems. Since the problem started in warranty, I shouldn't be paying anything for these repairs. Dealer seems oblivious to the actual cause and wants to just milk me for cash. There is a growing number of owners with the same problem: [XXX] Due to the severity and number of occurrences, this should warrant a recall. Audi software is [XXX](and I'm a software engineer with 28+ years of experience, so I should know). The garbage they push on customers would have never passed review in any of my jobs. This is a severe safety issue and extremely poor customer service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The MMI (Multi-Media Interface) in this vehicle is experiencing frequent unexpected reboots while driving, leading to a complete loss of functionality in critical systems, including: - Backup Camera & Rear Obstacle Detection – These systems become inoperable when the MMI shuts down, particularly during reverse maneuvers, significantly increasing the risk of collisions. - Navigation & Hands-Free Communication – The system failure disables Audi navigation as well as Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, making it impossible to rely on real-time directions or safely use hands-free calls while driving. - Driver Distraction – Reboots require user interaction to restore functionality, often demanding multiple inputs on the MMI screen. This forces drivers to divert their attention from the road, creating a serious safety hazard. A software update was performed by my local Audi dealer, intended to resolve the issue. However, just a few days after the update, the MMI rebooted again while backing up the vehicle, rendering the sensors inoperable and leaving the car stuck mid-maneuver for approximately 30 seconds—an extremely dangerous situation. The continued failure of the MMI system during driving, particularly driving while relying on navigation guidance and during reversing maneuvers, poses a direct threat to vehicle safety. The fact that the reboot issue returned immediately after a software update further suggests an unresolved systemic problem. Immediate corrective action is necessary to prevent potential accidents caused by loss of visibility, obstacle detection, and driver distraction.

The MMI / Map Display will intermittently restart itself, sometimes as often as 5 minutes apart. Each time it reboots, there is a chance that manual intervention (PIN code entry or login) is required to get it working again. Until the PIN or password has been entered, maps and other core car features are unavailable. Having to deal with these reboots while driving is severely distracting - losing directions while driving is disorienting and has sent me down wrong turns in the past. If the MMI asks for a PIN or password after reboot, one has to stop looking at the road for however long it takes to enter that. The problem hasn't been confirmed by a dealer or service center, but there are several posts online where ~a hundred people are running into the same software issue, on the same car, that started at around the same time. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. The dealership wanted to charge me a diagnostic fee to begin taking a look at it, and others haven't had luck getting the problem fixed for that fee. Other symptoms of the problem include a sluggish volume knob response, and CarPlay navigation being sluggish and the car's displayed position jumping back and forth. This problem happens at all speeds, on all types of roads, even at rest. The fact that it started happening on many different cars of the same model year at around the same time implies that it's likely a software issue.