2021 Audi A4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 8, 2025 · 11 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other A4 years
Far fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 31 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Audi A4. That ranks 23rd out of 31 A4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (3 complaints, 27%). Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

Audi A4
Audi A4 B9 in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2021 Audi A4 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Electrical System3
Unknown or Other3
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Lane Departure2
Power Train2
Suspension2 · ~1,347 mi
Vehicle Speed Control2 · ~2,674 mi
Air Bags1 · ~4,000 mi
Engine1
Tires1
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System327%———
Unknown or Other327%———
Forward Collision Avoidance218%———
Lane Departure218%———
Power Train218%———
Suspension218%1,347——
Vehicle Speed Control218%2,674——
Air Bags19%4,000——
Engine19%———
Tires19%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2025, with 7 complaints
2021: 3202132022: 1202212025: 720257

n = 11 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2021 Audi A4 recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Back over prevention:display functionOct 5, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V742000 · 170,296 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

Tires; suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assemblyJan 26, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000 · 31,058 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Seat belts:rear/other:retractorAug 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V606000 · 45,496 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

Suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assemblyApr 26, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V295000 · 40,993 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The instrument cluster has stop working. Have to monitore vehicle information, Mileage, service, Safty notifications and general vehicle information from the Audi app.

Electrical System · received Oct 8, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11692106

Tires are original equipment. Only 19,000 miles on them. Was told all 4 tires have belt shifts and hop some. Suggested they should be replaced. These tires were great when new but you could tell from driving they were degrading. I'm [XXX] and never had an issue with tires this new. The belt…

Tires · received Aug 31, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11684155

I am writing to report a persistent issue with my 2021 Audi A4, VIN [XXX] . I have been experiencing a noticeable vibration, humming, and shuddering sensation that occurs specifically when turning at slow speeds (e.g., in a parking lot or when making a tight turn at an intersection). This issue has…

Power Train · received Aug 16, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11681029

The instrument cluster has failed per the recall 90VC. Audi issued the recall for every model made in 2021 with the exception of the A3 and A4 and I believe this was a mistake as my instrument cluster has the same failure.

Unknown or Other · received Aug 13, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11680440

I have a 2021 audi a4 that is also being affected by the instrument cluster failure/recall. My model , a4 was not included but I am experiencing the same failure and this was reported to the dealership. An online search will show just how many people have issues with the instrument cluster. The…

Electrical System · received Aug 1, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11677729

Other Audi A4 years

← 2020 A4 · 2022 A4 →

See all Audi A4 problems by year, every Audi model, or the Audi VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Audi A4?

Owners most often report electrical system, unknown or other, forward collision avoidance problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 3 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2021 Audi A4?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2021 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 2021 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.