Which Audi A4 years should you avoid?

No Audi A4 model year in 2010–2021 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2021 and 2010.

What is the best year for the Audi A4?

2018 is the best-scoring Audi A4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.6 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Audi A4 have?

8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi A4 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Audi A4 years to avoid

No Audi A4 model year in 2010–2021 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2021 and 2010, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Audi A4 Full report

Grade 2010–2021

2021 vs model median 1.1×

Model median3× median

Driver Assist 4

Speed Control 2

Suspension 2

Weakest

2010 · 2021

Best

2017 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Audi A4
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.22×	29	C
2017	0.90×	27	B
2018	0.52×	11	B
2021	1.10×	18	C
2022 P	0.48×	10	B
2023 P	1.13×	19	B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2010 C 29 reports · median 23,500 mi

Engine 12

There is a foul odor from the heat/ac vents after only 4 months of use. The car is clean from head to toe so I couldn't figure out what could have caused the smell. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Fuel System 4

2010 audi a4 2.0t has a serious lag problem which leads to acceleration surge especially when making turns. It is difficult to control. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Transmission 3

The 2010 audi a4 2.0t which I leased lunges forward every time it is down shifted in triptronic mode (manually shifting the automatic transmission). owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2021 C 18 reports

Driver Assist 4

I have a 2021 audi a4 that is also being affected by the instrument cluster failure/recall. My model , a4 was not included but I AM experiencing the same failure and this was reported to the dealership. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Speed Control 2

The contact leased a 2021 audi a4. The contact stated that the dealer had provided her with the vehicle rental while her vehicle was being repaired. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Suspension 2

The contact owns a 2021 audi a4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v295000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 2 injuries

The best year for the A4

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring A4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.6 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2018	0.52×	11	B
2017	0.90×	27	B
2010	1.22×	29	C

Recalls

8 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
21V874000	SEATS	2017, 2018	208,332
22V742000	BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION	2021	170,296
21V606000	SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR	2021	45,496
21V295000	SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY	2021	40,993
22V034000	TIRES	2021	31,058
22V806000	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT	2022	6,076
21V825000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2022	2,857
22V368000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)	2022	72

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Too few owners recorded an odometer reading on this model to give a median mileage at failure.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Audi A4 years should you avoid?: No Audi A4 model year in 2010–2021 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2021 and 2010.
What is the best year for the Audi A4?: 2018 is the best-scoring Audi A4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.6 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Audi A4 have?: 8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi A4 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2021 A4

Complaints in window: 18
Severity-weighted: 33
Model median (weighted): 30
vs model median: 1.10×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 4
Open investigations: 0

Score 62.5 C