2001 Audi A4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other A4 years
- Far more complaints than other years 10th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Audi A4. That ranks 10th out of 31 A4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (35 complaints, 27%), typically at around 43,570 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 9 fires, 1 injury. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
_1X7A6816.jpg){kind=link}
- 131owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Audi A4 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 35 | 27% | 43,570 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 31 | 24% | 63,521 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28 | 21% | 63,650 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 3% | 80,369 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 95,007 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | 69,210 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% | 53,153 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 2% | 101,756 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 12,682 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2% | 53,845 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | 149,217 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 2% | 46,200 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 121,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Audi A4 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake and clutch pedal bracket (PE02008) — opened Jan 23, 2002, closed Jul 12, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I just purchased this vehicle from a private owner. I am already aware of the driver side airbag recall. Went to turn key to auxiliary to close sun roof and the steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The vehicle had been parked and not driven for over 12 hours. Vehicle is available for…
The contact owns a 2001 Audi A4. The contact stated that upon closing the driver's side door, her husband heard a loud gun-like sound and he noticed that the passenger-side curtain air bags had deployed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's husband cut the curtain air bags and…
2001 audi a4 quattro 2.8l. As driving smoke was coming from hood.. Park and realize the engine was on fire. It look like it started by the passenger side headlight and spread. I read that audi had a recall on head light switch but did not rec, a recall letter. Not exactly sure where the fire…
While driving the vehicle on a highway going straight at ~65mph the passenger side curtain and seat airbags deployed for no reason. Vehicle manufacturer cited a "crash" signal from side impact sensor was the cause of the false deployment. No physical cause could be found, no damage was found on…
Brakes were working fine, coming off freeway, was coasting thru light, traffic stopped, brakes no longer worked, brake pedal was suddenly flush with floor. Rearended a car, car started jumping forward. Had to use the emergency brake to stop the car. Car was towed after accident, not because it was…
Other Audi A4 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 A4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 A4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 A4 | 10 | 0 |
| 2022 A4 | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 A4 | 11 | 4 |
| 2020 A4 | 128 | 3 |
| 2019 A4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2018 A4 | 44 | 1 |
| 2017 A4 | 55 | 1 |
| 2016 A4 | 11 | 0 |
| 2015 A4 | 19 | 0 |
| 2014 A4 | 32 | 0 |
| 2013 A4 | 24 | 0 |
| 2012 A4 | 19 | 0 |
| 2011 A4 | 11 | 0 |
| 2010 A4 | 64 | 0 |
| 2009 A4 | 120 | 2 |
| 2008 A4 | 175 | 4 |
| 2007 A4 | 196 | 3 |
| 2006 A4 | 295 | 3 |
| 2005 A4 | 219 | 3 |
| 2004 A4 | 189 | 2 |
| 2003 A4 | 210 | 3 |
| 2002 A4 | 181 | 1 |
| 2001 | 131 | 1 |
| 2000 A4 | 96 | 2 |
| 1999 A4 | 190 | 4 |
| 1998 A4 | 258 | 4 |
| 1997 A4 | 98 | 6 |
| 1996 A4 | 89 | 4 |
| 1995 A4 | 1 | 1 |
See all Audi A4 problems by year, every Audi model, or the Audi VIN decoder.
Similar Audi models
Embed this 2001 Audi A4 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Audi A4?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 35 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Audi A4?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Audi A4 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other A4 model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.