Which Audi S4 years should you avoid?

No Audi S4 model year in 2010–2014 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2010.

What is the best year for the Audi S4?

2014 is the best-scoring Audi S4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.8 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Audi S4 have?

2 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi S4 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Audi S4 years to avoid

No Audi S4 model year in 2010–2014 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2010, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Audi S4 Full report

Grade 2010–2014

2013 vs model median 1.6×

Model median3× median

Steering 19

Engine 2

Drivetrain 2

Weakest

2010 · 2013

Best

2011 · 2014

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 S4
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.31×	19	C
2011	0.69×	11	B
2013	1.60×	25	C
2014	0.67×	12	B

What owners report

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

2010 C 19 reports · median 11,500 mi

Cooling 6

I AM writing to complain about a design flaw that has been identified in the waterpump used in the 2010 audi s4 3.0t. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 5

This has been a known issue to many 2010 audi s4 owners. Many of them reported a waterpump failure basically under any circumstances, I.e., highway driving, cornering, and low speed driving. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Drivetrain 5

The transmission begins to jerk and slam causing the vehicle to accelerate just prior to stopping in stop/go traffic. Noticed that this happens only after driving in stop/go situations and usually around 5mph. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2013 C 25 reports · median 3,700 mi

Steering 19

My 2013 audi s4 exhibits an alarming tendency to weave from side to side without a steering input. This occurs without a change in steering wheel position, vehicle speed, or change in road surface or prevailing wind… owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 2

Lost all coolant due to radiator leak from road hazard damage caused by bad design of front lower grill. It has no protective mesh and clear openings for rocks to protrude. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Drivetrain 2

This vehicle is known for having a faulty mechatronics unit. The mechatronics unit does not work correctly, and causes jerking and instability to the dsg transmission. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the S4

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

2014 is the best-scoring S4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.8 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2014	0.67×	12	B
2011	0.69×	11	B
2010	1.31×	19	C

Recalls

2 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
14V667000	AIR BAGS	2013, 2014	101,938
15V019000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL	2011	26,008

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 3,700 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Audi S4 years should you avoid?: No Audi S4 model year in 2010–2014 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2010.
What is the best year for the Audi S4?: 2014 is the best-scoring Audi S4 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.8 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Audi S4 have?: 2 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi S4 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 2013 S4

Complaints in window: 25
Severity-weighted: 32.5
Model median (weighted): 20
vs model median: 1.60×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 1
Open investigations: 0

Score 57.4 C