Total Complaints
4 filings
AUDI S4 · model year
2008 AUDI S4
4 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008AUDIS4 carries 4 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 2008 S4 is air bags with 3 filings, followed by steering (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. 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 2008 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 3 |
| STEERING | 1 |
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
20180503AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL. HAVE RECEIVED LATEST NOTICE (NHSTA 17V032) INDICATING THAT MY VEHICLE NEEDS INTERIM REMEDY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HAVE CALLED DEALERSHIP (AUDI BURLINGTON MA) 3-4 TIMES TO HAVE REPAIR SCHEDULED OVER LAST 2 MONTHS. WAS ON THE REPAIR SCHEDULE FOR TODAY AT 10:15 AM BUT THEY CANCELLED SAYING PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE (HAVE EMAIL). ACCORDING TO NOTICE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. DEALER REFUSES TO GIVE ME A ORDER NUMBER FOR THE PART FOR MY VEHICLE (CLAIMING THEY ARE ORDERED IN BULK NOT BY VIN), REFUSES TO GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO WHEN PART WILL BE IN. MY VEHICLE IS APPROACHING 10 YEARS OLD, I BELIEVE DUE TO BEING IN MA IN GROUP 5. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY WILL CALL ME WHEN PART IS AVAILABLE BUT WILL GIVE NO TIME ESTIMATE, CLAIMS I AM ON A "SHORT LIST" FOR THE REPAIR. I AM LEFT IN A SITUATION WHERE I CAN'T USE MY PASSENGER SEAT DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE LAST YEAR AND NOW HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED.
20171014AIR BAGS
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. IT HAS BEEN AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG TIME SINCE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL AND AUDI STILL DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FIX.
Mileage: 33,000
20170120AIR BAGS
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS) AND 16V079000 (AIR BAGS). THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
20111111STEERING
MY VEHICLE HAS INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE STEERING WHEEL GOES FROM PRACTICALLY FROZEN TO BEING LOOSE WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAN CAUSE DRIVING OFF THE ROAD, INTO TRAFFIC, CRASH, ETC. DEALERSHIP, DELTA AUDI, GRAND RAPIDS, MI, CANNOT REPLICATE AND REFUSE TO DRIVE SIMILAR TO THE CONDITIONS IT FAILS, FOR LACK OF STAFF AND RESOURCES. AUDI OF AMERICA AND "STATE REPRESENTATIVE" AND "END OF THE LINE" DECISION MAKER RYAN CONLIN (248) 754-3426, STATES HE WILL OFFER NO FURTHER RESOLVE. HE REFUSES TO PUT IN WRITING EFFORTS MADE TO RESOLVE, TO DATE. HE STATES THAT I MAY NOT SPEAK WITH, NOR HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR HIS SUPERVISOR KELLY ROLAND. I AM TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IS OPERATIONAL. UNPREDICATABLE ABILITY TO STEER A VEHICLE IS A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE. AUDI REFUSES TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS. *TR
Mileage: 31,000
Compare 2008AUDIS4 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2008 AUDI S4 have?▼
The 2008 AUDI S4 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 AUDI S4?▼
Yes, the 2008 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 2008 AUDI S4?▼
The most-complained component for the 2008 AUDI S4 is AIR BAGS with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING.
Is the 2008 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.