Known Recalls

Model year record

2018 Audi A4

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 81 owner complaints on file.

Audi A4, 2017–2026 generation
Pictured: the 2017–2026 generation. EurovisionNim, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V874000

Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger

Component
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
208,332
Reported to NHTSA
2021-11-10
Owners notified
2022-01-07

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.

Safety risk

A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Unknown or other18—
Electrical system16—
Fuel/propulsion system614,000 mi
Structure: body610,000 mi
Engine514,000 mi
Power train514,000 mi
Air bags4—
Service brakes4—
Forward collision avoidance: warnings3—
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking2—
Suspension2—
Back over prevention: rearview system braking1—
Back over prevention: warnings1—
Electrical system: starter assembly1—
Electronic stability control (ESC)16,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling192,000 mi
Seats1—
Steering1—
Tires: valve1—
Visibility/wiper1—
Wheels1—

The 2017 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2019 model has 5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Other Audi A4 model years

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995

All Audi A4 recalls by year

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.