Total Complaints
3 filings
AUDI AUDI · model year
1996 AUDI AUDI
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996AUDIAUDI carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 1996 AUDI is structure:body:door with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys (1) and electrical system:ignition:switch (1). 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 7 investigation files overlapping the 1996 AUDI. 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070413ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
LET ME START BY SAYING I ORIGINALLY DIRECTED THIS COMPLAINT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE, WHO SENT ME A LETTER, DIRECTING ME TO SEND THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. THE IGNITION SWITCH WENT OUT IN THE 1996 AUDI A4, AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL # 06V403000. THIS LEFT ME STRANDED , AND I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE PUSHED A FEW BLOCKS DOWN TO THE CLOSEST REPAIR SHOP. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, AND I SENT IN MY REIMBURSEMENT FORM ,INCLUDING PROPER DOCUMENTATION THAT THE RECALL NOTICE HAD ASKED FOR. THIS RECALL NOTICE WAS OF COURSE SENT TO ME BY AUDI OF AMERICA. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM AUDI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSING ME. WHEN I ASKED WHY, THEY SAID THAT THE WORK HAD TO BE COMPLETED WITH IN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME. I TOLD THEM THE RECALL NOTICE SENT TO ME MENTIONED NO SUCH TIME FRAME. THEN, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WORK COULD ONLY BE DONE AT AN AUDI DEALERSHIP. I THEN REPLIED THAT A REIMBURSEMENT FORM WAS SENT TO ME WITH THE RECALL NOTIC
Mileage: 119,500
20051128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
I HAVE A 1996 AUDI A4 AND THE ENGINE STARTED LEAKING OIL FROM THE CAM TENSIONER, I TALKED TO A FEW AUDI MECHANICS AND OWNERS AND THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, AND TOLD ME TO REPORT IT TO THIS ORGANIZATION. *JB
19980420STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
TWO FRONT DOORS ARE TOO HEAVY.
Compare 1996AUDIAUDI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 AUDI AUDI have?▼
The 1996 AUDI AUDI has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 AUDI AUDI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 AUDI AUDI is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH.
Is the 1996 AUDI AUDI 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.