Total Complaints
8 filings
AUDI CABRIOLET · model year
2003 AUDI CABRIOLET
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003AUDICABRIOLET carries 8 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 CABRIOLET is structure with 2 filings, followed by steering:hydraulic power assist system (1) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery (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 9 investigation files overlapping the 2003 CABRIOLET. 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.
8
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 | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120523STRUCTURE
I PURCHASED AN AUDI BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING QUALITY. I HAVE A BROKEN HING ON MY GLOVE BOX THAT RARELY IS USED (EST $450), OIL LEAK FROM A CAM SHAFT CHAIN ADJUSTER SEAL (EST $517), BROKEN TRUNK BIN (EST $675), AND NOW A RADIO THAT DOESN'T WORK AND AUDI WANTS ($1,900) SO I CAN GET RADIO RECEPTION. I AM SHOCKED THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY WORN OUT ON A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 50,500 MILES AND IS ONLY USED FOR PLEASURE. *TT
Mileage: 50,000
20120523ENGINE
I PURCHASED AN AUDI BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING QUALITY. I HAVE A BROKEN HING ON MY GLOVE BOX THAT RARELY IS USED (EST $450), OIL LEAK FROM A CAM SHAFT CHAIN ADJUSTER SEAL (EST $517), BROKEN TRUNK BIN (EST $675), AND NOW A RADIO THAT DOESN'T WORK AND AUDI WANTS ($1,900) SO I CAN GET RADIO RECEPTION. I AM SHOCKED THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY WORN OUT ON A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 50,500 MILES AND IS ONLY USED FOR PLEASURE. *TT
Mileage: 50,000
20120523EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
I PURCHASED AN AUDI BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING QUALITY. I HAVE A BROKEN HING ON MY GLOVE BOX THAT RARELY IS USED (EST $450), OIL LEAK FROM A CAM SHAFT CHAIN ADJUSTER SEAL (EST $517), BROKEN TRUNK BIN (EST $675), AND NOW A RADIO THAT DOESN'T WORK AND AUDI WANTS ($1,900) SO I CAN GET RADIO RECEPTION. I AM SHOCKED THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY WORN OUT ON A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 50,500 MILES AND IS ONLY USED FOR PLEASURE. *TT
Mileage: 50,000
20110111POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE A 2003 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 3.0 WITH CVS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE REPLACED ONE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF OVER 7,500 DOLLARS. THE CAR ONLY HAD 65,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED BY AUDI DEALERSHIP IN TORONTO , CANADA. THE DEALER TRIED TO GET OUT OF PAYING FOR THE REPAIR AND AFTER SEVERAL ARGUMENTS ONLY PARTIALLY COVERED THE COSTS. THE CAR NOW HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT AND AGAIN I AM EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE PRND LIGHTS FLASH BACK AND FORTH AND THE TRANSMISSION IS WINING AND SHAKY AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. OBVIOUSLY AUDI HAS DONE A POOR JOB OF DESIGNING THIS TRANSMISSION AND REPAIR COSTS ARE RIDICULOUS. I HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH DASH BOARD LIGHTS , BRAKE LIGHTS BURNING OUT REGULARLY AND POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. MY ADVICE. DON'T BUT AN AUDI UNLESS YOU PLAN ON SELLING IT BEFORE THE WARRANTY IS UP AND IF YOU LIKE SARCASTIC TREATMENT AT DEALERSHIP LEVEL THEN THESE CARS ARE FOR YOU. *TR
Mileage: 65,000
20100716STRUCTURE
2003 AUDI A4 CABRIO. VERY LOW MILEAGE, LOW USE. REAR WINDOW DELAMINATES FROM CANVAS ROOF, RAIN WATER COMES IN & SHORTS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR
Mileage: 29,000
20100716VISIBILITY
2003 AUDI A4 CABRIO. VERY LOW MILEAGE, LOW USE. REAR WINDOW DELAMINATES FROM CANVAS ROOF, RAIN WATER COMES IN & SHORTS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR
Mileage: 29,000
20060506FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
WHEN THIS CARS GAS TANK GOES BELOW A HALF TANK, THE GAS CHAMBER DOES NOT ALLOW GAS TO FLOW INTO THE TANK. FOR SOME REASON,THE GAS PUMP RELEASES OR WORSE THE FUEL OVERFLOWS. THE SAFETY OR RISK HERE IS THAT ONE CAN GET STRANDED, BE IN A STRANGE TOWN, FAR FROM HOME LATE AT NIGHT, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO FILL THE TANK. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS BUT WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. *JB
20031113STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
2003 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET STEERING WAS EXTREMELY NOISY FROM DATE OF PURCHASE ON. GRADUALLY GOT WORSE. STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED BY AUDI SERVICE 3 TIMES TO NO AVAIL. AT ONE POINT, A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING CAUSED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AUDI MECHANICS AND DEALER ADMITTED TO FAULTY POWER STEERING IN SOME A4 CABRIOLET MODELS BUT WILL NOT OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE. AFTER ALMOST 4 MONTHS I'M STILL WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT CAR. *LA
Mileage: 250
Compare 2003AUDICABRIOLET to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 AUDI CABRIOLET have?▼
The 2003 AUDI CABRIOLET has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 AUDI CABRIOLET?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 AUDI CABRIOLET is STRUCTURE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY.
Is the 2003 AUDI CABRIOLET 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.