IllustrationDRIVER SEAT BEGAN TO ROCK. CURRENTLY ROCKS AT A MUCH GREATER DISTANCE, BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HEY CLAIM IT IS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS.*AK
2001 Audi S4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all S4 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
60–25K
1325–50K
1650–75K
1275–100K
7100–150K
0150K+
54 reports with mileage · 33 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Seats complaints
6 reports2001 AUDI S4 DRIVERS SEAT SHIFTS WHILE DRIVING. FIRST INCIDENT WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER BY REPLACING EITHER SEAT FRAME OR SEAT RAILS. SAME FAILURE RESURFACED WITHIN ONE YEAR. SHIFT IS INTERMITTANT AND AND UNPREDICTABLE. CAUSES DISTRACTION AND CHANGES BODY POSITION WHILE MOVING. *AK
ROCKING DRIVERS SEAT, NORMAL DRIVING, MAN OF AVERAGE SIZE 5'11 180LBS. SEAT STARTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACK WHEN BRAKING, ACCELERATING.*AK DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SEAT FRAME TWICE CITING THAT IT WAS BROKEN. NOW THE SEAT IS ROCKING AGAIN AND THEY ARE NOW SAYING IT'S NORMAL. IT'S NOT NORMAL, WHY DOES THE SEAT MOVE BACK AND FORT…
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ROCKING DRIVERS SEAT, NORMAL DRIVING, MAN OF AVERAGE SIZE 5'11 180LBS. SEAT STARTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACK WHEN BRAKING, ACCELERATING.*AK DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SEAT FRAME TWICE CITING THAT IT WAS BROKEN. NOW THE SEAT IS ROCKING AGAIN AND THEY ARE NOW SAYING IT'S NORMAL. IT'S NOT NORMAL, WHY DOES THE SEAT MOVE BACK AND FORTH? WHEN THEY REPLACED THE SEAT FRAMES BOTH TIMES THE SEATS FELT GOOD AND STABLE, NO ROCKING NO MOVING, BUT THEY FAIL JUST MONTHS LATER
DRIVER'S SEAT ROCK BACK AND FORTH WHEN BRAKING OR ACCELERATING. SEAT FRAME HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND IT STARTED ROCKING AGAIN. DRIVER LOOSES CONCENTRATION BY THE SUDDEN JOLT OF THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT WHEN BRAKING OR REARWARD MOVEMENT ON ACCELERATION.*AK
POWER FRONT SEAT ROCKS FORWARD SEVERELY UNDER BRAKING. DEALER SAYS IT IS "WITHIN SPEC."T IS AN ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE CONDITION!*AK
I FEEL THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRICAL FRONT SEATS IN THE B5 CHASSIS A4/S4 (1996-2001 A4 AND 2000-2002 S4). I OWNED A 1998 AUDI A4 AND CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 AUDI S4. BOTH HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH A FRONT SEAT THAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH UNDER ACCELERATION AND BRAKING, THE EXTENT OF WHICH WORSENED DRAMATICALLY OVER TIME. T…
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I FEEL THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRICAL FRONT SEATS IN THE B5 CHASSIS A4/S4 (1996-2001 A4 AND 2000-2002 S4). I OWNED A 1998 AUDI A4 AND CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 AUDI S4. BOTH HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH A FRONT SEAT THAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH UNDER ACCELERATION AND BRAKING, THE EXTENT OF WHICH WORSENED DRAMATICALLY OVER TIME. THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED ON MY A4 WITH THE AUDI DEALERS I CONSULTED TELLING ME THAT THE MOVEMENT WAS "WITHIN" SPECS. IS IT WITHIN SPEC TO ROCK ALMOST AN INCH? IT SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THE GREATEST STRESSES WOULD BE DURING SOME KIND OF EMERGENCY BRAKING MANUEVER. EVENTUALLY MY S4 HAD THE SEAT-FRAME REPLACED AS THE MOVEMENT GOT TO WHERE IT APPARENTLY WAS "OUT OF SPEC". I ASKED FOR WHAT THE GUIDELINE WAS AND WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH A QUANTITATIVE ANSWER. I KNOW MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION, AND I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT THE ISSUE WILL NOT REAR IT'S HEAD WITH MY "FIXED" SEAT, PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE WITH OTHER CARS I HAVE BEEN IN MADE MY HONDA, BMW, MERCEDES AND MORE SO THE "ALL SEATS DO THIS" ARGUMENT PRESENTED BY AUDI DOES NOT SEEM TO HOLD MUCH WATER. IF THE SEAT BRACKET AND FRAME ARE WEARING OUT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S TOLERANCES WITHIN MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, IT SEEMS LIKE A FAULTY DESIGN WHICH CREATES A POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE SAFETY HAZARD FOR MANY PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. I URGE YOU TO WORK WITH AUDI TO IMPROVE THEIR SEAT/DESIGN/PARTS FOR EXISTING OWNERS BEFORE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES TO OWNERS OR PASSENGERS OCCUR. THANK YOU. - ANDREW CHANG. *AK
Official recalls
121V470000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jun 23, 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4, and S4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver Air Bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.
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.