Total Complaints
5 filings
AUDI AUDI · model year
2003 AUDI AUDI
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003AUDIAUDI carries 5 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 2003 AUDI is exterior lighting:headlights with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and tires:sidewall (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 2003 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.
5
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071221POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
A HARD TURN AND QUICK ACCELERATION TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT LEAD TO POWER FAILURE TO THE WHEELS, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CODE READ "SLIPPING TORQUE CONVERTER" THE CAR HAD ONLY 79,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS INJURED. AUDI REPAIR FACILITY TOLD ME THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, THE COST WOULD BE $900.00 FOR THE PART AND $2,000.00 FOR LABOR. THE REPAIRS HAVE YET TO BE MADE DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE PRICE FOR A FAULTY PART AND LABOR. THE PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Mileage: 79,000
20031012STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
MY 2003 AUDI ALL ROAD HAS A CONTINUAL PULL TO THE RIGHT. IT WILL NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT FOR MORE THAN 5-8 SECONDS AT A TIME, ON MOST ROAD SURFACES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS FOUR TIMES IN 3400 MILES. EACH TIME THE CAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND HAD TO BE ADJUSTED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTS THAT THE CAR IS PERFORMING TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS, BUT IT STILL HAS A PULL TO THE RIGHT. *LA
20031002TIRES:SIDEWALL
THE SIDEWALL RUPTURED ON A GOODYEAR WRANGLER F1, 225/55R17 TIRE. *JB
Mileage: 5,500
20030822ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN EXPLOSION AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WERE LOUD NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PARTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE ON THE GROUND. THE CAR THEN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CLAIMED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN SOME TYPE OF IMPACT WHICH CAUSED THE EXPLOSION TO OCCUR, AND AUDI WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES. THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO FIND THE PROPER REASON FOR EXPLOSION. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE A RENTAL CAR AT HER OWN EXPENSE TO HAVE A VEHICLE. *MR *CB *JB
20030617EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
THE BLINDING BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS ON SOME NEW CARS ARE DANGEROUS. I FLASH MY BRIGHTS AT THEM THINKING THAT IS THE PROBLEM. IF CAR MANUFACTURERS CONTINUE TO PUT THEM ON NEW CARS, WILL THEY BE LIABLE FOR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE BLINDING LIGHT? *JB
Compare 2003AUDIAUDI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 AUDI AUDI have?▼
The 2003 AUDI AUDI has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 AUDI AUDI?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 AUDI AUDI is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and TIRES:SIDEWALL.
Is the 2003 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.