2006 Audi S4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated May 16, 2019 · 30 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other S4 years
More complaints than other years 6th of 23 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Audi S4. That ranks 6th out of 23 S4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (22 complaints, 73%), typically at around 49,650 miles. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.

Audi S4
Audi_S4_(B9)_FL in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, 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 2006 Audi S4 problems

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

Exterior Lighting22 · ~49,650 mi
Air Bags7
Electrical System4 · ~50,000 mi
Equipment Adaptive/mobility1 · ~33,510 mi
Power Train1 · ~4,500 mi
Steering1 · ~4,500 mi
Visibility1 · ~5,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Exterior Lighting2273%49,650——
Air Bags723%———
Electrical System413%50,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility13%33,510——
Power Train13%4,500——
Steering13%4,500——
Visibility13%5,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2011, with 7 complaints
2007: 1200712009: 1200912010: 4201042011: 7201172012: 3201232013: 1201312014: 3201432015: 1201512016: 3201632017: 3201732018: 1201812019: 220192

n = 30 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Audi S4 recalls (2)

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

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleJun 22, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V427000 · 237,947 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleJan 11, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V032000 · 33,421 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

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.

Passenger headlight starts on. After a few minutes i get a headlight dipped error and the passenger headlight turns off.

Exterior Lighting · received May 16, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11207965

As many others have noticed on the b7 models of audi's. The passenger headlight will flicker and go out at random times, it is not a bulb problem it has been replaced multiple times. It is concerning when driving at night and randomly my headlight will shut off. Sometimes when i shut the car off…

Electrical System · received Jan 17, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11170511

Takata recall recall issued june '18, local dealership says they still don't have parts to complete recall work.

Air Bags · received Jul 13, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11111196

Takata recall nhsta recall hv032, audi recall 69p6, jan '17, local dealer says cannot complete recall work.

Air Bags · received Nov 5, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11043412

Takata recall. I received my first notice of this recall on 1/17/17. It is currently 10/31/17 with the repair not yet available. I've called the dealership many times to no avail. I was at dealership yesterday and they told me they do not have the parts. When will this highly dangerous recall…

Air Bags · received Oct 31, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11041664

Other Audi S4 years

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See all Audi S4 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 2006 Audi S4?

Owners most often report exterior lighting, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 22 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Audi S4?

Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Audi S4 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S4 model years, the 2006 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.