Reliable Auto DB

2013 Audi S4 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Audi S4 has 33 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 7 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 12 S4 years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bags.

2012 Audi S4
Photo by Autoviva, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
Complaints

33

Per year

7

Recalls

1

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (19 of 33), then Powertrain (9) and Engine (4). The most filings arrived in 2013 (15 of 33).

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 S4 has 22 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 17 complaints, 3 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Audi S4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall Air bags 2014-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 14V667000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 vehicles manufactured February 16, 2012, to October 21, 2014, and 2013-2015 Audi Allroad vehicles manufactured March 12, 2012, to October 21, 2014. Due to an improper algorithm in the air bag control module, if a crash necessitates deployment of the side air bags, a second impact to the front of the vehicle may not command the front air bags to also deploy.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will update the air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on November 14, 2014. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69K5.

Complaints by component (33 total)

Steering
19
Powertrain
9
Engine
4
Electrical system
2
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

15201332014220153201642017120191202012022120241202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Transmission fail while driving and stationary at traffic light. Main DTC: P179F00 - Drive sensor position: malfunction Additional DTC: P179E00 - Drive sensor position: electrical malfunction ABS: 00473 Parking brake:…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-26
  • "Engine mount failure at 60,000 miles"
    Engine · filed 2025-01-24
  • "At times Vehicle suddenly loses power and displays “transmission malfunction:you may continue driving” but then fails to accelerate to or maintain highway speeds. Other times when vehicle is stopped in traffic the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2024-11-25
  • "My MMI 5F module went out right after an oil change service on Nov 12, 2022 I called them as soon as I got home to inform Leader automotive in Normal Il. I was told I would not be able to be seen until January 5 2023 at…"
    Electrical system · filed 2022-12-30
  • "DSG ISSUES. CLUNKING WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO 1ST / 2ND WHEN STOPPING. SHIFT HESITATION ON UPSHIFT AS WELL ."
    Powertrain · filed 2020-10-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Audi S4 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 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
S4 3L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 26 20 MPG $4000
S4 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 18 28 21 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

B8 generation, 2012–2016
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 or 5W-40 (common US fills; ~7.2 qt with filter) , 7.2 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18 or 255/35R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 15V019000 covers certain 2011-2012 Audi S4 models (with S5, Q7, and 2012 A6/A7 on the same campaign) for a fuel rail concern that can leak fuel as stated in NHTSA's summary. Recall 14V667000 covers certain 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 vehicles for an air bag campaign on that model list.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Audi S4 Next year 2014 Audi S4 See every Audi S4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Audi S4 reliable?

The 2013 Audi S4 has 33 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 7 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 12 S4 years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bags.

What are common problems with a 2013 Audi S4?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (19 of 33), then Powertrain (9) and Engine (4). The most filings arrived in 2013 (15 of 33).

Is the 2013 Audi S4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 S4 has 22 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 17 complaints, 3 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Audi S4 been recalled?

The 2013 Audi S4 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 2013 Audi S4?

Owners have filed 33 complaints about the 2013 Audi S4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Audi S4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Audi S4 is 20.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does an Audi S4 use?

B8 S4 models commonly use 5W-30/5W-40 (~7.2 qt); B9 models commonly list 0W-20 (~7.7 qt)—confirm the manual.

What tire sizes does an Audi S4 use?

OEM sizes commonly include 245/40R18 and 245/35R19 or 255/35R19 depending on generation and package.

What fuel-rail recall covers certain early S4 models?

Recall 15V019000 covers certain 2011-2012 Audi S4 models (with S5, Q7, and 2012 A6/A7) for a fuel-rail concern that can leak fuel.