Total Complaints
5 filings
AUDI QUATTRO · model year
1990 AUDI QUATTRO
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990AUDIQUATTRO 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 1990 QUATTRO is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (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 1990 QUATTRO. 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020823EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THIS COMPLAINT REFERS TO EXISTING CAMPAIGN ID 01V324000, MY VEHICLE HAS SAME LEAKING CAPACITATORS IN REAR SPEAKERS, WHICH CAUSE A FIRE HAZARD, AS VEHICLES IN THE RECALL BUT MY MODEL YEAR WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL.*AK
19990902VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
FAILURE OF RECALLED THROTTLE PART. KD RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #96V084000 WAS PERFORMED ON 08/01/96. ON 08/10/98 THIS NEW "IMPROVED" CRUISE CONTROL BUSHING FAILED, WHILE THE ENGINE THROTTLE WAS IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION. THE CRUISE CONTROL ROD, ATTACHED TO THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND NOW BROKEN BUSHING, BECAME JAMBED BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING AND THE THROTTLE CABLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY. THE AUTO REMAINED IN THE FULL THROTTLE POSITION, WITH THE SPEED APROACHING 80 MPH, IN 3 LANES OF MODERATE 35 MPH TRAFFIC. THE BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION WERE USED TO BRING THE AUTO TO A STOP, NOT RESULTING IN ANY ACCIDENT BUT, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACURER WERE CONTACTED ON THE DAY OF THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE NEW BUSHING DOES BEGIN TO CRACK WITHIN 2 YEARS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS ISSUE. UNDER LESS FAVORABLE CONDITIONS THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE AUTOMOBILES SPEED BEING CONTROLLED BY A FIXED
19970528VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HAD UNWANTED ACCELERATION AND OVERRIDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. HAD TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO STOP DUE TO A BROKEN ROD BETWEEN THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE THROTTLE CONTROL. *AK
19951101ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
THE EXHAUST HANGER BROKE . TT
19950620SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT IS CRACKED AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
Compare 1990AUDIQUATTRO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 AUDI QUATTRO have?▼
The 1990 AUDI QUATTRO has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 AUDI QUATTRO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 AUDI QUATTRO is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 1990 AUDI QUATTRO 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.