AUDI S4 · model year

2005 AUDI S4

54 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2005AUDIS4 carries 54 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2005 S4 is exterior lighting with 29 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights (5) and electrical system (3). 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. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2005 S4. 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.

54
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

54 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING29
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
AIR BAGS2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL1
VISIBILITY1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
SEATS1

Recalls (2)

18V42700022/06/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are

17V03200011/01/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, N

Recent Complaints

20180426EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI PACIFIC (20460 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. AUDI PACIFIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20180426AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI PACIFIC (20460 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. AUDI PACIFIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20180418AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL. I RECEIVED TWO LETTERS FROM AUDI IN MARCH 2017 AND RECENTLY A THIRD LETTER IN MARCH 2018 INFORMING ME OF THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG INFLATOR PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT LETTER STATES THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND THE AIRBAG COULD EXPLODE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I CALLED AUDI SERVICE IN APRIL 2017 AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2018 AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NO TIME FRAME FOR WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. HOW CAN I CONTINUE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CAUSE INJURY AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT FOR OVER A YEAR?

20171110EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TAKATA RECALL 1. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS. 2. IT THEN TURNS ITSELF OFF 3. THE MESSAGE "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" APPEARS 4. THIS HAPPENS WHILE MY VEHICLE IS PARKED AND IN MOTION SO IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. I HAVE HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR!

Mileage: 90,256

20171109ENGINE

THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE MOTORS LOSING OIL EVERY 1000 MILES A 1QT IS NEED EACH TIME. THE ENGINE IS CAUSED AND BURNS OIL FAST TO THE MOTOR TO LOSE OIL MORE RAPIDLY. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY MOTOR IS LOSING OIL! AND SO DO OTHER MODELS HAVENING THIS PROBLEMS ISNT GOOD.

20170914STEERING

I WAS ON MY WAY TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SANTA CRUZ, CA AND SO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EARLY TRAFFIC AT A LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN I HEARD A VERY STRANGE RUMBLE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER CAR AS MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR A 95,000 MILE SERVICE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. HOWEVER, PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING A BICYCLIST AND TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN STOPPED STEERING AND DIED. AT THAT POINT IT WAS BLOCKING TWO CARS IN A DRIVEWAY, BUT I COULD NOT STEER IT AT ALL. THIS WAS ON THE STREET DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DEL MAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I CALLED FARMERS INSURANCE AND MONTEREY PENINSULA AUDI WHERE IT WAS TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN HAD CRACKED AND THE FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY TO BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS IN ROUTINE SERVICES.

Mileage: 95,000

20160425EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FREQUENTLY GOES OUT WITH THE MESSAGE, "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT." IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON SOMETIMES THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, SOMETIMES NOT.

Mileage: 75,000

20151123ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HEATED SEAT ELEMENT BURNED OR MELTED THE SEAT WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF OVERNIGHT. PASSENGER SEAT LEATHER IS NOW SEPARATED, SHRIVELED (HARD AS A ROCK) AND WOULD HAVE BURNED THE PASSENGER IF THEY HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT.

Mileage: 111,300

20151123SEATS

HEATED SEAT ELEMENT BURNED OR MELTED THE SEAT WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF OVERNIGHT. PASSENGER SEAT LEATHER IS NOW SEPARATED, SHRIVELED (HARD AS A ROCK) AND WOULD HAVE BURNED THE PASSENGER IF THEY HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT.

Mileage: 111,300

20150216VISIBILITY/WIPER

DRIVER HEADLIGHT DIPPED INFO ON DASH. HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF OR FLICKERS TILL IT TURNS OFF AND MUST TURN ALL LIGHTS OFF ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND RESET LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK AND FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HEADLIGHT WITH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, POLICE HAVE CITIED ME TWICE FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A FATALITY CRASH INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ON AUDI VEHICLE'S. ALSO THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 0 TO 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOON ON I95 IN MIAMI AS I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AT 0430 A.M. *TR

Mileage: 95,000

20150216EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DRIVER HEADLIGHT DIPPED INFO ON DASH. HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF OR FLICKERS TILL IT TURNS OFF AND MUST TURN ALL LIGHTS OFF ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND RESET LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK AND FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HEADLIGHT WITH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, POLICE HAVE CITIED ME TWICE FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A FATALITY CRASH INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ON AUDI VEHICLE'S. ALSO THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 0 TO 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOON ON I95 IN MIAMI AS I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AT 0430 A.M. *TR

Mileage: 95,000

20140621ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WITH AND THE MESSAGE, "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" CAME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPEN I STOPPED TO FILL UP WITH GAS AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WAS GONE AND THE HEADLIGHT WAS BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED A SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

20140621EXTERIOR LIGHTING

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WITH AND THE MESSAGE, "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" CAME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPEN I STOPPED TO FILL UP WITH GAS AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WAS GONE AND THE HEADLIGHT WAS BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED A SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

20140521EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM DEALER, USED, LOW MILEAGE, GREAT CAR. HEADLIGHTS WERE FILLED WITH CONDENSATION. DEALER SAID TO DRY THEM OUT AND RE-SEAL THEM. THAT DIDN'T WORK. THERE IS STILL WATER IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. IT HASN'T RAINED AND HAS NOT BEEN HUMID OUTSIDE. PULLED OVER THE FIRST NIGHT AND TOLD THEY WERE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEEDED TO GET THEM FIXED, LUCKILY JUST A WARNING ISSUED, NO TICKET. I CAN'T SEE AT NIGHT WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION/WATER THAT HAS ACCUMULATED IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THIS SHOULD BE A PROBLEM THAT AUDI RECALLS. IT'S NOT SAFE DUE TO DECREASED VISIBILITY, NO VISIBILITY AT TIMES, AND THE CAR WON'T PASS THE STATE INSPECTION UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP TOTALLY BLEW OFF MY CONCERNS TELLING ME SOME BS STORY ABOUT HOW TO FIX IT MYSELF BECAUSE THEIR LABOR RATES WERE SO HIGH. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND I REALLY HOPE AUDI ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. BOUGHT A CAR AND CAN'T EVEN PASS INSPECTION TO

Mileage: 67,000

20140117EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HID HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FLICKER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIP AND AS RESULT, AN ERROR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 65,000

20130909EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME DIM WITH LOW VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH HAVING A REFLECTOR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS BEEN OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70000.

Mileage: 70,000

20130529EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HAPPENS ALL THE TIME "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO ALL THEIR CARS. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE NOT WEAR AND TEAR. HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING REGARDLESS IF YOU REPLACE THEM OR NOT. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY AND THIS ISSUE STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. *TR

Mileage: 40,000

20121124EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE XENON HEADLIGHTS IN MY S4 GO OUT AS THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE LIGHT MAY FLICKER. THE HEADLIGHT MAY "DIP." THE LIGHT SHUTS OFF AND I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR AND SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON FOR THE LIGHT TO REIGNITE. THE BULB AND CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW TWO YEARS LATER THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING. IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S (BASED ON FORUM DISCUSSION). *TR

Mileage: 48,500

20121114EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY CAR IS A 2005.5 AUDI S4 WITH BI-XENON HID HEADLIGHTS. I ALMOST ALWAYS GET A DIPPED HEADLIGHT ERROR WHENEVER I TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS. IT OCCURS MORE OFTEN ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. THIS WILL RANDOMLY HAPPEN BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY RIGHT AFTER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SWITCHED ON. IT WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHEN THE ROAD IS EITHER ON AN INCLINE OR DECLINE, OR REALLY WHEN THE ROAD IS NOT FLAT. THE DIPPED HEADLIGHT ERROR IS CHARACTERIZED BY A FLICKERING, THEN A DIMMING, THEN ULTIMATELY, THE LIGHT TURNS OFF. THE ONLY WAY TO RE-IGNITE THE LIGHT IS TO COMPLETELY TURN OFF THE LIGHT SWITCH THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. ALTHOUGH THE AFFECTED HEADLIGHT WILL COME ON, IT WILL EVENTUALLY DIP AGAIN. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN BOTH TO ME AS A MOTORIST, TO OTHER MOTORISTS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO PEDESTRIANS. THIS WILL HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED - BOTH ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT/S COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN,

Mileage: 60,438

20120602EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAMS ILLUMINATED THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL TURN OFF AND THE CAR WILL WARN OF A INOPERATIVE "DIPPED HEADLIGHT". THE HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF AT TIMES AND THIS CAUSES DISCONCERTING DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER CARS IN THE VICINITY. EVERY TIME THE LIGHT FLICKERS, THE WARNING SYSTEM CHIMES AND ALERTS TO THE MALFUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. OTHER DRIVERS ARE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY SEE YOUR HEADLIGHTS FLASHING AT THEM FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS CYCLED TO "OFF" AND BACK TO "ON", THE HEADLAMP IS RESTORED UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH ONE HEADLAMP FLICKERING OR COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO CYCLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PROPER ILLUMINATION. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM BRIEFLY OCCUR IN THE RIGHT HEADLAMP. I DRIVE IN FEAR THAT BOTH HEADLAMPS WILL GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO PREDICT WH

Mileage: 106,250

Compare 2005AUDIS4 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2005 AUDI S4 have?
The 2005 AUDI S4 has 54 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 AUDI S4?
Yes, the 2005 AUDI S4 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 AUDI S4?
The most-complained component for the 2005 AUDI S4 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 29 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2005 AUDI S4 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.