Coolant leak from thermostat/ water pump housing.
2017 Audi A4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Audi A4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 76.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all A4 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 55 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
4 reportsTurbo needs to be replaced after only 58,000 miles. This has been an issue causing recalls on Audi models in different years.
My 2017 Audi A4 transmission started to fail as it frequently was not able to shift gears unless I came to a complete stop and restarted my car. This made it difficult to drive at a higher speed when I was on a major road or highway. I took it to a mechanic specializing in transmissions and he confirmed that the transmission was…
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My 2017 Audi A4 transmission started to fail as it frequently was not able to shift gears unless I came to a complete stop and restarted my car. This made it difficult to drive at a higher speed when I was on a major road or highway. I took it to a mechanic specializing in transmissions and he confirmed that the transmission was failing. The car would give me an indicator light of a transmission malfunction. I find it ridiculous that my cars transmission would go out around 5 yrs/60,000 miles. Since the pandemic, it hasn’t been driven a whole lot as I’ve worked from home.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AC BEGAN TO BLOW HOT AIR. THE DASHBOARD WAS REMOVED TO REPLACE THE SENSOR USED FOR RELEASING COLD AIR. THEN WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO USE THE PADDLES TO STEER THE V…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AC BEGAN TO BLOW HOT AIR. THE DASHBOARD WAS REMOVED TO REPLACE THE SENSOR USED FOR RELEASING COLD AIR. THEN WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO USE THE PADDLES TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (AUDI FORT LAUDERDALE - SALES DEPARTMENT 1200 N FEDERAL HWY, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304; (954) 545-4650) WHO REMOVED THE CONSOLE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE THIRD ISSUE WAS THAT THE VEHICLE HAD FAILED TO START. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC TOWED THE VEHICLE DUE TO CONNECTOR FUNCTION TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN KEY AND STARTER HAD FAILED AND THE DEVICE THAT PROVIDED THIS FUNCTION WAS REPLACED. THE FOURTH ISSUE WAS THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BY STEERING THE VEHICLE USING THE PADDLES AS SUGGESTED BEFORE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND OPENED A CASE REGARDING THE MATTER. THE CONTACT WAS THEN REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE MATTER HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE FAILURES AD REOCCURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FAILURES HAD OCCURRED IN A TOTAL OF A 1,100 MILES TIME FRAME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25, 700.
Official recalls
121V874000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger; Seats
Nov 10, 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Seats
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Consequence: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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