IllustrationTWO FAILED COILS IN LESS THAN 1 MONTH. MAY INVOKE MA LEMON LAW ON NEXT FAILURE IF AUDI REFUSES TO REPLACE REMAINING TWO DEFECTIVE COILS. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**770864
2002 Audi A4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most A4 years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Audi A4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all A4 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
520–25K
1425–50K
1350–75K
1675–100K
12100–150K
7150K+
114 reports with mileage · 67 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports6 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
181 reports1ST COIL PACK FAILURE, 12/24/02; 2ND COIL PACK FAILURE, 01/17/03.
1ST FAILED COIL PACK 12/24/02 2ND FAILED COIL PACK 01/17/02
WHILE DRIVING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY COME ON CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH
WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE MISFIRED AND DECELERATED. CONSUMER COULD NOT GET CAR TO TRAVEL OVER 40MPH. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION COIL FAILED. INFORMED CONSUMER THAT MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF DEFECT BUT WILL NOT REPLACE COMPONENT UNTIL FAILS. PH *TS
LEFT STRANDED BY IGNITION COIL FAILURE ON 2002 AUDI A4 1.8T - THIS IS THE SECOND TIME STRANDED BY THIS FAILURE
THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED, PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM *TS
NAR 1/15/2003. 4 OF THE 6 ENGINE COILS FAILED WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. *JB
IGNITION COIL FAILURE
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
Official recalls
121V470000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Jun 23, 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4, and S4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver Air Bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.