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2011 Audi S4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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26Owner complaints

Model-year median: 7

1Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
4
20080
200960
201026
201122
201233
201317
2014
Compare all S4 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Power Train
22Engine
5Electrical System
2Unknown Or Other
2Electronic Stability Control (esc)
1
All reported categories
Suspension
1Vehicle Speed Control
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

26 reports with mileage · 0 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Power Train complaints

22 reports
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37,500 miles · Jan 7, 2014
Power Train

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A WARNING MESSAGE CAME UP DO THE DASHBOARD SAYING "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, REVERSE GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, YOU CAN STILL DRIVE". AT THE SAME TIME, THE TPMS WARNING INDICATOR CAME ON. THE CAR BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED AND WOULDN'T RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE, AFTER A FEW SECONDS IT WOULD SURGE FORWARD, …

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WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A WARNING MESSAGE CAME UP DO THE DASHBOARD SAYING "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, REVERSE GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, YOU CAN STILL DRIVE". AT THE SAME TIME, THE TPMS WARNING INDICATOR CAME ON. THE CAR BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED AND WOULDN'T RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE, AFTER A FEW SECONDS IT WOULD SURGE FORWARD, AND THEN LOOSE SPEED AGAIN. THIS REPEATED A FEW TIMES, UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. AT THE INTERSECTION, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES OF DRIVING. THEN ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH THE PROBLEM RECURRED. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE CAR IS NOW BEING EVALUATED. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE AT TIMES I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SPEED AS THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10558946

8,860 miles · Oct 23, 2012
Power Train

THIS ISSUE CONCERNS MY AUDI 2011 S4, A CAR THAT I TOOK DELIVERY ON IN APRIL, 2011. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SINCE THE DELIVERY, HOWEVER, IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS CAUSED THIS SPECIFIC FILING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE DSG TRANSMISSION. ON OCCASION, THE CAR WILL STRUGGLE AND "BUCK" IN LOW GEARS…

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THIS ISSUE CONCERNS MY AUDI 2011 S4, A CAR THAT I TOOK DELIVERY ON IN APRIL, 2011. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SINCE THE DELIVERY, HOWEVER, IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS CAUSED THIS SPECIFIC FILING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE DSG TRANSMISSION. ON OCCASION, THE CAR WILL STRUGGLE AND "BUCK" IN LOW GEARS AT A VERY SLOW SPEED (OR FROMA COMPLETE STOP) UPON ACCELERATION. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN BUT IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE TAKING DELIVERY. I HAVE TRIED ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM WITH AUDI CORAL SPRINGS IN THE PAST BUT BECAUSE I CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP. CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ALWAYS DRIVE THE CAR IN THE MANNER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO. HOWEVER, ON OCTOBER 9, 2012, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME, IT OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS IN A MERGE LANE, TRAVELING APPROX 3-5 MPH AND WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE, I ACCELERATED INTO THE TRAFFIC. AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT, THE CAR BUCKED VIOLENTLY (AS IT HAS DONE IN THE PAST) AND I HAD TO LIFT OFF THE THROTTLE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. LET ME EXPRESS THAT I IN NO WAY AM ATTEMPTING TO CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR AUDI. I AM ONLY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY. ITS QUITE CONCEIVABLE THAT WHEN MY CAR HAS THIS TROUBLE WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC THAT I COULD GET HIT FROM BEHIND AS I MUST IMMEDIATELY LIFT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10481521

Official recalls

1

15V019000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:fuel Rail

Jan 20, 2015

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the injection system in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers.

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.