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2006 Audi A4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most A4 years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Audi A4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

194 reports with mileage · 101 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.

  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 159 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

159 reports
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72,000 miles · Jul 1, 2010
Exterior Lighting

MY 06 AUDI A4 B7 2.0T IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ITS HEADLIGHTS THAT ARE FLICKERING AND THEN GOING OUT. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS TO TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON. THE HID LIGHTS DO THIS QUITE FREQUENTLY, IT SEEMS TO BE A BIG ISSUE WHEN I AM DRIVING AND NIGHT AND ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKERS …

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MY 06 AUDI A4 B7 2.0T IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ITS HEADLIGHTS THAT ARE FLICKERING AND THEN GOING OUT. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS TO TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON. THE HID LIGHTS DO THIS QUITE FREQUENTLY, IT SEEMS TO BE A BIG ISSUE WHEN I AM DRIVING AND NIGHT AND ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKERS OUT AND THEN I HAVE TO TURN MY LIGHTS OFF TO GET IT TO COME BACK ON. I HAVE HAD ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BOTH OF THEM FLICKER OUT AND I GET THE WARNING LIGHT INSIDE THE CAR STATING THAT THEY HAVE "DIPPED". I HAVE READ MANY AUDI OWNERS FORUMS AND THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS! I HAVE REPORTED IT TO AUDI AND ALL THEY TELL ME IS THAT IT'S COMMON AND THEY CAN START REPLACING PARTS, BUT CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY ARE WANTING 1,000.00 FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE HID BULBS AND BALLASTS. BUT FROM WHAT I READ DOING THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY THAT KIND OF MONEY AND NOT HAVE A GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10340964

50,000 miles · Jun 14, 2010
Exterior Lighting

LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 AUDI A4. THE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN THE CAR STARTS, AND THEY FLICKER A LITTLE, SOMETIMES THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL SHUT OFF AND I WILL HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND TURN THEM BACK ON TO 'RE-START' THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. OFTEN THIS WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IF I AM ON A BUMPY ROAD OR A …

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LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 AUDI A4. THE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN THE CAR STARTS, AND THEY FLICKER A LITTLE, SOMETIMES THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL SHUT OFF AND I WILL HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND TURN THEM BACK ON TO 'RE-START' THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. OFTEN THIS WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IF I AM ON A BUMPY ROAD OR A CURVY ROAD. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT, AND IT WILL GIVE ME THE 'LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED' WARNING ON MY DASH. I WILL USUALLY HAVE TO WAIT TILL I GET TO A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT TO SHUT OFF MY LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON. THIS SEEMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. AUDI HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10336240

54,000 miles · Jun 10, 2010
Exterior Lighting

ON THE 2006 AUDI A4, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER THEN TURN OFF. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, THEN BACK ON AND THE LIGHT IS NORMAL AGAIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. MANY OTHERS ON THE WEB ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND AUDI HAS NOT RECALLED AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A COMMON FIX. THE MOST CO…

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ON THE 2006 AUDI A4, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER THEN TURN OFF. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, THEN BACK ON AND THE LIGHT IS NORMAL AGAIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. MANY OTHERS ON THE WEB ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND AUDI HAS NOT RECALLED AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A COMMON FIX. THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED IS REPLACING THE IGNITER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10335603

Mileage unknown · May 30, 2010
Exterior Lighting

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF 4.5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL…

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INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF 4.5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 60-70 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED. SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN IT IS COLD OUT. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10333903

48,000 miles · May 19, 2010
Exterior Lighting

HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTION…

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HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 7-8 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED, THEN BE FINE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM ON AT LEAST 3 VISITS, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, HOWEVER IT HAS CHECKED OUT FINE EACH TIME, AND AS MENTIONED, HAS FUNCTIONED FLAWLESSLY AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE WITH MERELY A RESTART OF THE VEHICLE. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON AT LEAST ONE VISIT. ANNECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10331294

108,000 miles · May 19, 2010
Exterior Lighting

AUDI ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHT FLICKERING. 2006 AUDI A4 WITH ADAPTIVE (XENON) HEADLAMPS THAT "FLICKER" FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS DEFECT HAS NOW HAPPENED MORE THAN 20 TIMES, AND WAS ONCE ADDRESSED BY DEALER FOR ALMOST $900.00. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, SAME THING HAPPENED. PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME AND GO. SOMETIMES 5 OR 6 MONTHS WILL GO…

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AUDI ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHT FLICKERING. 2006 AUDI A4 WITH ADAPTIVE (XENON) HEADLAMPS THAT "FLICKER" FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS DEFECT HAS NOW HAPPENED MORE THAN 20 TIMES, AND WAS ONCE ADDRESSED BY DEALER FOR ALMOST $900.00. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, SAME THING HAPPENED. PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME AND GO. SOMETIMES 5 OR 6 MONTHS WILL GO BY BEFORE IT RE-OCCURS. THIS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1. WHILE THIS "FLICKERING" IS OCCURRING IT CAUSES ONCOMING DRIVERS TO ENDURE A FLASHING BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT, MUCH BRIGHTER THAN STANDARD HALOGEN HIGH BEAMS, BEING DIRECTED RIGHT AT THEM. 2. IF THIS "FLICKERING GOES ON FOR MORE THAN SEVERAL SECONDS, THE GUILTY LAMP GOES OUT, CUTTING NIGHT VISION CONSIDERABLY. 3. REPLACEMENT OF BULBS, A DANGEROUS PROCEDURE WARNED AGAINST IN OWNERS MANUAL, IS VERY EXPENSIVE, AND DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. 4. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A NUMBER OF OWNERS ON SEVERAL WEB SITES FOR AUDI OWNERS. AUDI IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND HAS IGNORED IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HEADLAMPS ARE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ITEM, AND AS SUCH, NEED TO OPERATE IN A RELIABLE MANNER THAT IS SAFE FOR NOT ONLY THE OPERATOR OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLE, BUT ALSO THOSE AROUND THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10331146

47,000 miles · May 19, 2010
Exterior Lighting

RIGHT OR LEFT HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES AND THE DRIVER INFORMATION DISPLAY SHOWS A "HEADLIGHT DIPPED" WARNING. BROUGHT THIS TO THE NOTICE OF THE AUDI DEALER, WHO INSISTED THAT THE BULB IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER THE FIRST 12 MONTHS AND FURTHER NOTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RECREATED AND NO CODE WAS STORE…

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RIGHT OR LEFT HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES AND THE DRIVER INFORMATION DISPLAY SHOWS A "HEADLIGHT DIPPED" WARNING. BROUGHT THIS TO THE NOTICE OF THE AUDI DEALER, WHO INSISTED THAT THE BULB IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER THE FIRST 12 MONTHS AND FURTHER NOTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RECREATED AND NO CODE WAS STORED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10331114

58,000 miles · May 16, 2010
Exterior Lighting

"DIPPING" PASSENGER HEADLIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10330644

25,000 miles · May 14, 2010
Exterior Lighting

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR AND A HALF OF OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY S…

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INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR AND A HALF OF OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 7-8 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED, THEN BE FINE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM ON AT LEAST 3 VISITS, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, HOWEVER IT HAS CHECKED OUT FINE EACH TIME, AND AS MENTIONED, HAS FUNCTIONED FLAWLESSLY AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE WITH MERELY A RESTART OF THE VEHICLE. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON AT LEAST ONE VISIT. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10330392

27,500 miles · May 6, 2010
Exterior LightingVisibility

AUDI A4 2006 REPEATED "DIPPED HEADLAMP". BROUGHT TO AUDI MANY TIMES FOR REPAIR WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS REFLASHED WITHOUT SUCCESS. FINALLY HAD TO REPLACE IGNITER AND BULB FOR $1800 EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. NOW HAPPENING AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE (OTHER HEADLAMP). THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MANY AUDI OWNER AND SH…

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AUDI A4 2006 REPEATED "DIPPED HEADLAMP". BROUGHT TO AUDI MANY TIMES FOR REPAIR WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS REFLASHED WITHOUT SUCCESS. FINALLY HAD TO REPLACE IGNITER AND BULB FOR $1800 EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. NOW HAPPENING AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE (OTHER HEADLAMP). THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MANY AUDI OWNER AND SHOULD HAVE A AUDI RECALL ABOUT THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10329115

Official recalls

3

18V427000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jun 22, 2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R7. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V382, 17V032 and 18V004 and includes vehicles that may have had their air bag previously replaced under one of those campaigns.

17V032000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jan 11, 2017

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall number 18V427.

16V382000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jun 1, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2008 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 Audi A4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.