Reliable Auto DB

2018 Audi S4 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Audi S4 holds 7 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Inflator.

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

7

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (4 of 7), then Powertrain (1) and Service brakes (1).

Next to 2016 and 2019

The 2016 S4 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2016. 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 S4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

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 air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-07-24 · NHTSA campaign 19V547000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.

Complaints by component (7 total)

Engine
4
Powertrain
1
Service brakes
1
Speed control
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201722018120221202422025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Water pump defect for the 3.0L ea839 turbo engine found across many Porsche and Audi models. Defect causes damage to vacuum lines, thermostat, and can eventually lead to engine failure if not resolved. No way of knowing…"
    Engine · filed 2025-06-06
  • "My 2018 Audi S4 has a catastrophic engine failure issue and this is common with the EA839 engine. There is a knocking in the motor that is caused by internal engine parts (rocker arms needle bearings) becoming loose and…"
    Engine · filed 2025-03-13
  • "PCV housing and lines failed. Caused pressure to build up thus shooting off the oil cap shooting oil everywhere! in addition to that it is a huge fire hazard considering the turbo is right next to it."
    Engine · filed 2024-04-07
  • "Audi Dealer inspection revealed Rear spring is broken and mounts are deteriorating. Dealer states not common and would result in accident if not repaired. Research indicates broken springs common with certain Audi…"
    Suspension · filed 2022-12-20
  • "THE VEHICLE'S PRE SENSE AUTO-BRAKING AND BRAKING ALERT JOLT HAS BEEN ACTIVATING ERRONEOUSLY AND HAVE ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENTS AT SPEED. THE SYSTEM CANNOT BE PERMANENTLY DISABLED, IT DEACTIVATES UPON IGNITION RESTART. THE…"
    Service brakes · filed 2018-04-09

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Audi S4 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 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 Automatic (AM-S8) All-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $3300

Specs and fitment

B9 generation, 2018–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (common US fills; ~7.7 qt with filter) , 7.7 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18 or 245/35R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V547000 covers certain 2018-2019 Audi models including S4 on overlapping B9 campaigns for a passenger frontal air bag inflator concern as listed by NHTSA. Recall 21V874000 covers certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad and A4 Sedan models and related B9 vehicles including S4/S5 variants on that campaign for a seats concern.

Compare

See every Audi S4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi S4 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Audi S4 holds 7 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi S4?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (4 of 7), then Powertrain (1) and Service brakes (1).

Is the 2018 Audi S4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 S4 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Audi S4 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi S4 has 2 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 2018 Audi S4?

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2018 Audi S4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi S4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi S4 is 24 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.