IllustrationMISSING PIXELS IN THE CENTER DASH CLUSTER DISPLAY. THE DISPLAY SEEMS TO BE DEGRADING OVER TIME. OVER TIME I WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO SEE USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE DISPLAY. *JB
2001 Audi S4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all S4 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
60–25K
1325–50K
1650–75K
1275–100K
7100–150K
0150K+
54 reports with mileage · 33 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 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
47 reportsTHE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON MY 2001 AUDI S4 NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, WHICH MEANS I CANNOT READ VITAL SAFETY INFORMATION. *JB
INFORMATION CLUSTER DISPLAY ON DASHBOARD HAS A ROW OF DEFECTIVE PIXELS THAT DO NOT ILLUMINATE. *JB
MY CENTER DISPLAY IS UN-READABLE. THE LCD PIXELS ARE ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. CANNOT READ ANY OF THE CHECKS THE ENGINE GOES THROUGH, ALMOST CANNOT SEE THE NEED-GAS LIGHT. IT GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS. *JB
CENTER DISPLAY DOES NOT WORK - DEAD PIXELS. *JB
CLUSTER DISPLAY FAILURE. *TR
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE ON A 2000 B5 S4 AND A 2001 B5 S4 AVANT. THE PIXELS IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH QUIT WORKING PROPERLY. IT GETS WORSE IN HOT OR COLD WEATHER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON BOTH S4 AUDIS THAT I HAVE OWNED. *TR
(1) DRIVING MY VEHICLE (2) CENTER DASH DIGITAL DISPLAY FAILURE, MISSING AND FADED PIXELS (3) NONE, DISPLAY SHOWS INCOMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT VEHICLE WARNINGS. *TR
CENTER DISPLAY OF GAUGE CLUSTER, DISPLAYS CRITICAL WARNING SYSTEMS. FAULTY, INTERMITTENT AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF PIXEL DISPLAY. *TR
DASHBOARD LCD DISPLAY FAILURE. *TR
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.