2018 Audi A4: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2018 Audi A4
On the 2018 Audi A4, the failure owners report most often is backup camera failure, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 100,000 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2018.
High risk for a 2018 — 226th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. 80 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 32 named failure modes on the 2018 Audi A4, and the three most-reported carry 21% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Backup camera failure leads with 6 reports and about 0.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other electrical problem follows with 6 reports.
Other engine problem follows with 5 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into infotainment (10), electrical (9) and engine (9).
At what mileage it happens
12 of the reports on the 2018 Audi A4 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 100,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 42% by 50,000 miles, 50% by 100,000 miles and 83% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 2 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 10,000 and 20,000 miles, which alone holds 33% of the dated reports.
42% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 32. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 2 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 1 mentions a crash. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.30, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: backup camera failure at $250–$1,200, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and water pump failure at $500–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
29% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 14k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 2 | 1 | — | 216k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 216k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 6k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 95k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 100k | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 100k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Unclassified problem | other | 10 | 1 | — | 100k | — | 0.7 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2018 Audi A4 draws about 5.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 86th percentile of complaint rates among 2018 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 13,888 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2018 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2018 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2018 Audi A4, affecting an estimated 13,888 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover seats. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SEATS
208,332 vehicles 2021-11-10- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
- Consequence
- A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2018 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2018 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2018 — 226th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 27 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2016 comes out best at 56 and 2021 worst at 80, with 2018 itself at 68.
If the model year is negotiable, 2016, 2014, 1996 and 2011 score lower than 2018 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2017–2020 generation specifically, 2019 is the strongest year at 67 and 2020 the weakest at 70.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2017-2020 generation, 2019 Audi A4 scores best at 67 and 2020 Audi A4 worst at 70.
What this page cannot tell you
80 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 80 reports, 12 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 15% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Audi A4?
The most-reported failures are backup camera failure (6 reports), other electrical problem (6 reports) and other engine problem (5 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2018 Audi A4 reliable?
It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 226th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2018 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Audi A4 is best?
Within the 2017–2020 generation, 2019 scores best at 67 out of 100 and 2020 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed