Reliable Auto DB

2020 Audi S4 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi S4 over 7 years — 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Tires, Seats, and Rear non-powered axle assembly.

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

16

Per year

0

Recalls

3

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 16), then Back-over prevention (9) and Forward collision avoidance (1).

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 S4 has 2 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has fewer 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 S4. 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 (16 total)

Electrical system
14
Back-over prevention
9
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12024152025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My instrument cluster and its replacements have malfunctioned multiple times. The original instrument cluster/virtual cockpit failed to boot and had a black/blank screen on 4/19/2024 at 29,687 miles and was replaced on…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-08-08
  • "The Audi MMI malfunctions and reboots randomly while driving. Possibly being a software issue. There is a TSB code that the dealer used to reference for me ( TSB 2078437/1), but I cannot find it on the NHTSA website.…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-07-29
  • "The MMI reboots continuously throughout my drive - whether it is 1 minute or an hour. It does this without a Bluetooth connection or wired connection. There is no ability to use hands free calling, listen to the radio,…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-07-21
  • "I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a persistent and dangerous issue with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system in my 2020 Audi S4. Since February 2025, the system has been spontaneously rebooting both while…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2025-07-20
  • "The main infotainment system is stuck restarting every 1-2 minutes. When the car is put into reverse, the rear back up camera will turn off while the vehicle is in motion and not resume."
    Electrical system, Back-over prevention · filed 2025-07-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 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 (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $3450

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

Next year 2021 Audi S4 See every Audi S4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Audi S4 reliable?

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi S4 over 7 years — 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Tires, Seats, and Rear non-powered axle assembly.

What are common problems with a 2020 Audi S4?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 16), then Back-over prevention (9) and Forward collision avoidance (1).

Is the 2020 Audi S4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 S4 has 2 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Audi S4 been recalled?

The 2020 Audi S4 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 S4?

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 2020 Audi S4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Audi S4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Audi S4 is 23 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.