Reliable Auto DB

2020 Audi A4 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A4 over 7 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most A4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Tires, Seats, and Rear non-powered axle assembly.

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

127

Per year

1

Recalls

3

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (91 of 127), then Back-over prevention (43) and Forward collision avoidance (9). The most filings arrived in 2025 (119 of 127). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 A4 has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 11 complaints, 1 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Audi A4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Tires 2022-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
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.
Recall Rear non-powered axle assembly 2021-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 21V295000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Remedy Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Complaints by component (127 total)

Electrical system
91
Back-over prevention
43
Forward collision avoidance
9
Lane departure
6
Communication
2
Suspension
2
Exterior lighting
1
Seats
1
Service brakes
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 3 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202212023119202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2020 Audi A4 has an open safety recall campaign. Audi Corporate and my local dealership are formally refusing to perform the recall remedy unless I pay over $2,000 out-of-pocket to replace a broken J949 SOS…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-12
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message SOS module no longer connected was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle failed to shut off. The…"
    Electrical system, Communication · filed 2026-08-11
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Audi A4. The contact stated that the emergency-call/communication system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under TSB: 91-20-29; however, the software update…"
    Communication · filed 2026-08-10
  • "A metal bracket on the back left side of the driver seat snapped suddenly while driving straight and at a constant speed. Since this part is broken the seat is no longer connected to the track in that corner. The car is…"
    Seats · filed 2026-04-24
  • "Since I purchase my vehicle I have had to continuously replace my tires on the front. Going through my carfax acct I came across some recalls that showed up that I had no idea of the car may had which was prior to…"
    Suspension, Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2026-04-03

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Audi A4 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2020 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 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2650
A4 allroad quattro 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $3050
A4 quattro 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 24 32 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 2019 Audi A4 Next year 2021 Audi A4 See every Audi A4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Audi A4 reliable?

Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A4 over 7 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most A4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Tires, Seats, and Rear non-powered axle assembly.

What are common problems with a 2020 Audi A4?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (91 of 127), then Back-over prevention (43) and Forward collision avoidance (9). The most filings arrived in 2025 (119 of 127). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2020 Audi A4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 A4 has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 11 complaints, 1 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Audi A4 been recalled?

The 2020 Audi A4 has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Audi A4?

Owners have filed 127 complaints about the 2020 Audi A4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Audi A4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Audi A4 is 27.7 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).