AUDI A4 · model year

1998 AUDI A4

321 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998AUDIA4 carries 321 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 2 fires, 16 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 A4 is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 59 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (18) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module (15). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1998 A4. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

321
Complaints
9
Crashes
2
Fires
16
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

321 filings

Crashes Reported

9 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP59
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC18
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE15
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH12
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS11
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE10
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC9
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE9
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM8
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL7
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM7
SUSPENSION:FRONT6
AIR BAGS6

Recent Complaints

20220127AIR BAGS

Recall 69bt was not accomplished at McDaniels Audi of Charleston dealer. They indicated they had replaced airbag with 8D0898201A kit.

20211005CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owned a 1998 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH with his 12-year-old son sitting in the passenger seat, he crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, however, his son sustained a broken rib and was transported to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact recently received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS). The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Mileage: 80,000

20210707AIR BAGS

Takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 Audi A4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V056000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

20210428AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

20170601AIR BAGS

THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT HAVE BEEN ON EVER SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE, THINKING THAT IT MAY BE A FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER AS SEEING VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN MANY WEBSITES. ANOTHER MAIN CONCERNED IS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINE DESIGN CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL SLUDGE. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION MEASURES.

Mileage: 158,238

20170601SERVICE BRAKES

THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT HAVE BEEN ON EVER SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE, THINKING THAT IT MAY BE A FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER AS SEEING VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN MANY WEBSITES. ANOTHER MAIN CONCERNED IS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINE DESIGN CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL SLUDGE. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION MEASURES.

Mileage: 158,238

20170601ENGINE

THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT HAVE BEEN ON EVER SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE, THINKING THAT IT MAY BE A FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER AS SEEING VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN MANY WEBSITES. ANOTHER MAIN CONCERNED IS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINE DESIGN CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL SLUDGE. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION MEASURES.

Mileage: 158,238

20170211SERVICE BRAKES

THE AMBER ABS WARNING LIGHT GLOWS WHILE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. I UNDERSTAND NEWER AUDI MODELS HAVE JUST BEEN RECALLED FOR ABS ISSUES, BUT MY 1998 A4 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BRAKING APPEARS NORMAL, AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION IS SPORADIC.

Mileage: 82,000

20161121ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT HAD THE TURBO REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR DUE TO THE STALLING. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

20120529FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED A BURNING WIRE ODOR UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND VARIOUS OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V317000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 201,000.

Mileage: 201,000

20120405EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AMBER REFLECTOR HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED POORLY AND DECREASED VISION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06E049000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 190,000.

Mileage: 190,000

20120402EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I HAVE HAD A RECENT DISCUSSION WITH AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER IN WAYZATA, MN AT 11:55AM. THIS IS REGARDING A DEFECT IN MY MODEL YEAR 1998 AUDI A4 2.8., OR AUDI A4 2.8 MANUFACTURED JUNE OF 1997. I RESEARCHED THE WEB AND SAW HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE LIGHT SWITCH. I TURNED MY LIGHT SWITCH ON AND THE LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM DO NOT WORK. THE TEMPORARY HIGH BEAM WORKS. I SAW MANY OTHER 1998 AUDI OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM; EVEN MORE SIMILAR WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD A 1998 MODEL YEAR CAR THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1997. THE RECALL CAMPAIGN IS A LITTLE AMBIGUOUS STATING MODEL YEARS AND MANUFACTURE DATES. MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURE DATE BUT NOT THE RECALL DATE. THE RECALL IS OPEN HOWEVER 1998 MODELS, WHICH ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE, ARE NOT INCLUDED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT CARS MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO AUGUST OF 1997 EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MODEL YEAR 1998 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

20111128EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

ON A 1998 A4 QUATTRO AUDI, IT IS THE 2ND TIME THAT THE HEADLIGHTS SWITCH FAILS, THE FIRST TIME WAS 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN SWITCH PACKAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, AND THIS TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 11:00 PM WITH NO HEADLIGHTS AT ALL, IN THIS CAR IF THE HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK, ALSO THE FOG LIGHTS DON'T WORK TOO, SO SUDDENLY YOU END AT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A HIGHWAY WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL. THIS DEFINITELY IS A HIGH RISK SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT DRIVE WITH OUT HEADLIGHTS IT IS LIKE BLIND DRIVING. I BEEN SEARCHING ON THE WEB AND IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY COMMON FAILURE ON THIS CAR BUT THERE IS NO RECALL AT ALL FOR THIS YET. *KB

Mileage: 110,000

20111128ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON A 1998 A4 QUATTRO AUDI, IT IS THE 2ND TIME THAT THE HEADLIGHTS SWITCH FAILS, THE FIRST TIME WAS 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN SWITCH PACKAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, AND THIS TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 11:00 PM WITH NO HEADLIGHTS AT ALL, IN THIS CAR IF THE HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK, ALSO THE FOG LIGHTS DON'T WORK TOO, SO SUDDENLY YOU END AT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A HIGHWAY WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL. THIS DEFINITELY IS A HIGH RISK SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT DRIVE WITH OUT HEADLIGHTS IT IS LIKE BLIND DRIVING. I BEEN SEARCHING ON THE WEB AND IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY COMMON FAILURE ON THIS CAR BUT THERE IS NO RECALL AT ALL FOR THIS YET. *KB

Mileage: 110,000

20111128EXTERIOR LIGHTING

ON A 1998 A4 QUATTRO AUDI, IT IS THE 2ND TIME THAT THE HEADLIGHTS SWITCH FAILS, THE FIRST TIME WAS 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN SWITCH PACKAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, AND THIS TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 11:00 PM WITH NO HEADLIGHTS AT ALL, IN THIS CAR IF THE HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK, ALSO THE FOG LIGHTS DON'T WORK TOO, SO SUDDENLY YOU END AT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A HIGHWAY WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL. THIS DEFINITELY IS A HIGH RISK SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT DRIVE WITH OUT HEADLIGHTS IT IS LIKE BLIND DRIVING. I BEEN SEARCHING ON THE WEB AND IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY COMMON FAILURE ON THIS CAR BUT THERE IS NO RECALL AT ALL FOR THIS YET. *KB

Mileage: 110,000

20110909SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE CONTROL MODULATOR UNIT FAILED, AND NOW I HAVE BRAKES THAT DO NOT WORK. AT THE SLIGHTEST PEDAL PRESSURE, ALL 4 WHEELS WILL HAVE A STRONG PULSATING, GIVING YOU ABOUT 1/3 OF THE BRAKING PRESSURE THAT IS NEEDED. VOLKSWAGENS USED A NEARLY IDENTICAL PART, AND THEIR ABS CONTROLLER IS UNDER RECALL, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NHTSA, CANNOT FORCE AUDI OF AMERICA TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU *TR

Mileage: 97,555

20110315SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC

FAULTY ABS MODULE IN MY 1998 AUDI A4 1.8T. THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT TO THE ABS SYSTEM FAILS IN MANY OF THESE SIMILAR YEAR AUDIS AND VWS, AND IT APPEARS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT CAN CAUSE DEADLY ACCIDENTS, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

20100922SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, HE NOTICE THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS A MECHANIC AND TRIED TO SCAN INFORMATION FROM THE ABS MODULAR AND WAS UNABLE TOO. HE STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED SEPTEMBER 28, 2005. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED WITH THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

Mileage: 133,500

20100208SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

THE ABS CONTROL UNIT ON MY AUDI A4 FAILED AFTER 95,000 MILES. I HAVE NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKING AND AUDI HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PART SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. SEARCHING THROUGH AUDI FORUMS I FOUND THIS FAILURE TO BE VERY COMMON AND EVERYONE HAD NO ABS UNTIL THE CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED WHICH COST AN AVERAGE OF $1500+. THERE WERE NO EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, I STARTED THE CAR ONE DAY AND THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ON MY DASH. I TESTED THE ABS AND FOUND THAT IT INDEED DOES NOT PREVENT MY BRAKES FROM LOCKING UP. NEARLY THREE YEARS LATER, THE PART HAS NOT BEEN FIXED DUE TO THE HIGH COST TO REPAIR IT.

Mileage: 95,000

20100208EQUIPMENT

THE ABS CONTROL UNIT ON MY AUDI A4 FAILED AFTER 95,000 MILES. I HAVE NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKING AND AUDI HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PART SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. SEARCHING THROUGH AUDI FORUMS I FOUND THIS FAILURE TO BE VERY COMMON AND EVERYONE HAD NO ABS UNTIL THE CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED WHICH COST AN AVERAGE OF $1500+. THERE WERE NO EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, I STARTED THE CAR ONE DAY AND THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ON MY DASH. I TESTED THE ABS AND FOUND THAT IT INDEED DOES NOT PREVENT MY BRAKES FROM LOCKING UP. NEARLY THREE YEARS LATER, THE PART HAS NOT BEEN FIXED DUE TO THE HIGH COST TO REPAIR IT.

Mileage: 95,000

Compare 1998AUDIA4 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 AUDI A4 have?
The 1998 AUDI A4 has 321 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 2 fires, 16 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 AUDI A4?
The most-complained component for the 1998 AUDI A4 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 59 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE.
Is the 1998 AUDI A4 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.