Reliable Auto DB

2018 Audi A4 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Audi A4 holds 42 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. A4 years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Seats.

2012 Audi A4
Photo by Lothar Spurzem, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Complaints

42

Per year

1

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 42), then Fuel and propulsion system (6) and Structure (6). The most filings arrived in 2026 (17 of 42). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 A4 has 82 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2019 has 5 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Audi A4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall Seats 2021-11-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V874000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (42 total)

Electrical system
16
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Structure
6
Engine
5
Powertrain
5
Air bags
4
Forward collision avoidance
4
Service brakes
3
Back-over prevention
2
Suspension
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12019320201202152022820233202442025172026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "A vehicle diagnostic scan dated 04/15/2026 showed electrical communication faults involving vehicle control modules. The scan showed U014100, described as “Lost Communication With Body Control Module ‘A’,” with status…"
    Electrical system, Structure, Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-02
  • "A vehicle diagnostic scan dated 04/15/2026 at approximately 88,502 miles showed a stored transmission electronics fault: P084100, described as “Transmission fluid pressure sensor/switch A range/performance,” with status…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-02
  • "The vehicle is subject to a Passenger Occupant Detection System / PODS safety recall involving the front passenger seat occupant-detection system and passenger airbag status. The concern is that the system may…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Seats · filed 2026-07-01
  • "An Audi dealer installed 245/40R18 93H tires on this 2018 Audi A4, while the vehicle placard/specification requires 245/40R18 97H. The lower load index reduces capacity from 1,609 lb per tire to 1,433 lb per tire,…"
    Suspension, Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2026-07-01
  • "The rear-view camera intermittently fails to engage when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. When the camera does display, the image sometimes shows horizontal glitch lines/artifacts. This affects backing visibility…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Audi A4 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2018 Audi A4 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
A4 Ultra 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Front-wheel drive 27 37 31 MPG $2550
A4 quattro 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 24 33 27 MPG $2950
A4 quattro 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 24 34 27 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

B9 generation, 2017–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (common US fills) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 225/50R17 to 245/40R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V-874 covers certain 2017-2020 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles (with A5, S4, S5, and RS5 variants in the same campaign): the cable connecting the seat heater to the passenger occupant detection system may fail and disable the passenger air bag; dealers replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or the entire seat cover. Confirm open campaigns by VIN; multi-model unit counts are shared.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Audi A4 Next year 2019 Audi A4 See every Audi A4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi A4 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Audi A4 holds 42 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. A4 years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Seats.

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi A4?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 42), then Fuel and propulsion system (6) and Structure (6). The most filings arrived in 2026 (17 of 42). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2018 Audi A4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 A4 has 82 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2019 has 5 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Audi A4 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi A4 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Audi A4?

Owners have filed 42 complaints about the 2018 Audi A4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi A4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi A4 is 28.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does an Audi A4 take?

B8 (2012-2016) common US fills use 5W-30 full synthetic. B9 (2017-on) common US fills use 0W-20 full synthetic. Confirm the filler-cap grade and VW/Audi oil spec.

What does NHTSA campaign 17V-002 cover on B8 A4?

Certain 2013-2016 A4 and Allroad vehicles (with A5, Q5, and A6) with 2.0L Turbo FSI engines: an electric coolant pump can overheat if blocked with debris; dealers update software to cut pump power if blocked.

When did the B9 A4 generation start?

Model year 2017 on this site (after B8 2012-2016).