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2005 Audi A4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most A4 years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Audi A4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

165 reports with mileage · 54 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports

Tires complaints

4 reports
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88,000 miles · Jan 4, 2010
Tires

PIRELLI TIRE WITH 20,000 MILES BLEW OUT ON HIGHWAY. *

NHTSA ODI #10298137

73,000 miles · Aug 7, 2009
TiresInjury

I BOUGHT 4 BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/A'S FROM BIG O TIRES IN SAN RAMON, CA FOR MY 2005 AUDI A4 2.0T, AND WITHIN A YEAR (12,000 MILES) THE FRONT TWO WERE SHOWING CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL, ONE OF WHICH INTO THE CORDS. THAT TIRE GOT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER AT BIG O, JAMES, TOLD ME "IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME", AND "PR…

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I BOUGHT 4 BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/A'S FROM BIG O TIRES IN SAN RAMON, CA FOR MY 2005 AUDI A4 2.0T, AND WITHIN A YEAR (12,000 MILES) THE FRONT TWO WERE SHOWING CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL, ONE OF WHICH INTO THE CORDS. THAT TIRE GOT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER AT BIG O, JAMES, TOLD ME "IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME", AND "PROBABLY FROM RUBBING AGAINST CURBS". HE THOUGHT THE ONE THAT JUST HAD SURFACE CRACKING AROUND AND NO DAMAGE TO THE CORDS WAS OKAY TO NOT REPLACE "SHOULD BE FINE". ONE AND A HALF MONTHS AND ONE FREEWAY BLOWOUT LATER, IT'S OBVIOUS THE TIRES WERE ALL BAD FOR SOME REASON. THE BACK TWO: ONE NOW SHOWING SAME SIDEWALL CRACKS AND THE OTHER ONE BLEW OUT. FRONT ONE NOT REPLACED IS MORE PRONOUNCED. THE BLOWOUT HAD THE TREAD FULLY SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. JAMES, WHEN I CAME BACK TO FIND OUT WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THESE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE TIRES, SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME TRYING TO REFUTE THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND EVEN TRIED TO ARGUE THAT THEY WERE THE WRONG TIRE FOR THE CAR (A STUPID ARGUMENT FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, INCLUDING THAT THEY SOLD THEM TO ME AND THAT THEIR WEBSITE STILL RECOMMENDS IT FOR MY CAR....HE CALLS TO THEIR "TECH CENTER" TO PROVE HIS POINT, ONLY TO FIND OUT HE WAS WRONG...WHAT A WASTE OF TIME). NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WAS NO MENTION OR CONCERN ABOUT MY FAMILY'S SAFETY; A BUSINESS THAT SHOULD MAKE CUSTOMER SAFETY THE #1 PRIORITY SHOULD AT LEAST SAY SOMETHING LIKE "WAS EVERYONE OKAY", OR "I'M SORRY TO HEAR YOU HAD SOMETHING SO BAD HAPPEN". INSTEAD IT WAS JUST JAMES TRYING TO FIND WAYS OF BRUSHING IT OFF, JUST LIKE HE DID A MONTH AND A HALF EARLIER, WHEN A FRIGHTENING FREEWAY BLOWOUT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED PERHAPS IF SOMEONE WHO BOTH KNEW TIRES AND CARED ABOUT A CUSTOMERS SAFETY HAD CHECKED THEM OUT INSTEAD OF THESE DANGEROUS CROOKS. THESE TIRES WERE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE, AND I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN HELP DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A ONE-TIME EVENT, OR IF THERE IS AN ONGOING SAFETY ISSUE WITH THESE TIRES. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10279698

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2008
Tires

NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THIS MANY TIRES IN THIS SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. 2005 AUDI A4 PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2005 20,000 MILES DEC 2005 - RR, BUBBLE/BULGE SPOTTED, REPLACED WITH SPARE JAN 2006 - RF, BUBBLE/BULGE NOTICED, REPLACED, PURCHASED AT AUDI MAR 2007 - LF, BUBBLE/BULGE NOTICED, REPLACED, PURCHASED AT DISCOUNT TIRES …

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NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THIS MANY TIRES IN THIS SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. 2005 AUDI A4 PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2005 20,000 MILES DEC 2005 - RR, BUBBLE/BULGE SPOTTED, REPLACED WITH SPARE JAN 2006 - RF, BUBBLE/BULGE NOTICED, REPLACED, PURCHASED AT AUDI MAR 2007 - LF, BUBBLE/BULGE NOTICED, REPLACED, PURCHASED AT DISCOUNT TIRES JUNE 2007 - LR, HOLE PATCHED BY DISCOUNT TIRES NOV 2007 - RR, HOLE PATCHED BY AUDI MAR 2008 - LR, JUST DISCOVERED A BUBBLE/BULGE CONTINENTAL CONTI PR 235/45R-17. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10221519

Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2007
Tires

I OWN A 2005 AUDI A4 WITH GOODYEAR RS-A 235/45/17 TIRES. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN USED FOR UNDER 23,000 MILES AND WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE CAR. AT UNDER 23,000 MILES, THE FRONT TIRES ARE COMPLETELY WORN AND THE REAR TIRES ARE A FEW HUNDRED MILES FROM REACHING THE TREAD LINE. BROUGHT THEM TO GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAYS THIS IS COMM…

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I OWN A 2005 AUDI A4 WITH GOODYEAR RS-A 235/45/17 TIRES. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN USED FOR UNDER 23,000 MILES AND WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE CAR. AT UNDER 23,000 MILES, THE FRONT TIRES ARE COMPLETELY WORN AND THE REAR TIRES ARE A FEW HUNDRED MILES FROM REACHING THE TREAD LINE. BROUGHT THEM TO GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAYS THIS IS COMMON AND WOULD NOT OFFER WARRANTY. COMMON FOR TIRES TO WEAR OUT AT 23,000 MILES? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10200165

Official recalls

3

18V427000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jun 22, 2018

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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R7. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V382, 17V032 and 18V004 and includes vehicles that may have had their air bag previously replaced under one of those campaigns.

17V032000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jan 11, 2017

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, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall number 18V427.

16V382000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jun 1, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2008 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 Audi A4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.