2002 Audi A4

No clear pattern

21.3% of complaints about the 2002 Audi A4 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2002 vehicle, but with only 202 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is electrical system (72 complaints), typically at 1.3 yr or about 9,500 miles.

Complaints: 202
Median age at failure: 1.5 yr
Median mileage: 22,380 n=139
Crash / fire / tow: 14.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

21V470000 2021-06-23

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

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.

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.

14E007000 2014-03-07

Engine and engine cooling:engine

The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the af

A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system mileage not reported 10 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 11 mo in service

ACCORDING TO REPORTS ON AUDI FORUMS, COIL PACKS HAVE BEEN FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. THERE IS ONE PER CYLINDER, AND PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED SUCCESSIVE FAILURES. AUDI OF AMERICA WILL ONLY REPLACE THE FAILED ITEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL, AND ALL THE DEFECTIVE ITEMS REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME.*AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 10 mo in service

COIL PACKS ARE FAILING ON MANY OF THESE CARS. I HAD TO HAVE 2 FAIL BEFORE THEY WOULD REPLACE ALL 4. THESE SHOULD BE RECALLED IF THIS IS HAPPENING SO OFTEN TO SO MANY. *AK

Power train mileage not reported 1.3 yr in service

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Other A4 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Audi A4

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other A4 model years

How to read this