Vehicle make

AUDI

15,460 NHTSA complaints and 190 safety recalls across 75 models, every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints
15,460
Recalls
190
Models
75

How does AUDI compare?

AUDITOYOTAAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Beats TOYOTA
AUDI4.82 ★
TOYOTA4.69 ★
All makes4.67 ★
Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats TOYOTA
AUDI206
TOYOTA1,382
All makes500
Recalls per model(lower is better)Beats TOYOTA
AUDI2.5
TOYOTA3.7
All makes3.4

AUDI models by complaint volume

Top nameplates, all model-years combined

complaints

What this shows Within AUDI's lineup, the A4 carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road, drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Source NHTSA consumer complaint database As of 2026

AUDI is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 15,460 consumer safety complaints across 75 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 190 safety recalls and is currently tied to 9 active or historical federal investigations. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets, not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys, so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside AUDI's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the A4 (3,611 filings, model years 1995–2024), followed by A6 and Q5. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

No open NHTSA investigations are currently tracked against AUDI in this dataset, meaning the Office of Defects Investigation is not, at this moment, reviewing a specific defect allegation for the brand. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which AUDI models get the most complaints?

ModelComplaints
A43,611
A62,152
Q51,663
Q71,321
A3918
S4721
TT418
A5416
A8357
A4 ALLROAD333
Q3327
Q8272
A7208
A3 CABRIOLET202
S5191
E-TRON190
S6184
QUATTRO143
SQ5131
ALLROAD122
100121
S3119
9095
Q5 E89
S786
A4 AVANT83
500073
A4 CABRIOLET69
Q4 E-TRON65
AUDI55
S853
A5 CABRIOLET53
Q5 SPORTBACK53
RS651
CABRIOLET40
Q6 E-TRON34
RS 333
Q4 E-TRON SPORTBACK33
A6 ALLROAD31
8029
400026
20023
RS 719
S5 CABRIOLET19
E-TRON GT19
E-TRON SPORTBACK19
SQ718
V816
RS 515
R814
RS E-TRON GT12
TT ROADSTER11
SQ810
RS 6 AVANT10
RS59
RS Q88
Q6 SPORTBACK E-TRON8
FOX7
RS 47
Q5 HYBRID7
Q4 SPORTBACK E-TRON6
A3 ETRON5
A3 SPORTBACK E-TRON4
SQ6 E-TRON4
TTS3
A7 E3
COUPE2
B82
TT RS2
A5 SPORTBACK2
COUPE GT1
R8 SPYDER1
S E-TRON GT1
S6 SPORTBACK E-TRON1
A8 L E1

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has AUDI received?
AUDI has received 15,460 NHTSA complaints across 75 models and 190 safety recalls.
Is AUDI reliable?
AUDI has 15,460 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which AUDI vehicles have the fewest reported issues.
How do I check for AUDI recalls?
Browse AUDI models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.
Where does AUDI complaint data come from?
All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.
What do AUDI complaints cover?
NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Top AUDI Models

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.