2002 Audi Allroad: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2002 Audi Allroad
On the 2002 Audi Allroad, the failure owners report most often is sunroof failure or glass breakage, with 5 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 100,000 miles.
What breaks on the 2002 Audi Allroad
Owners have reported 5 named failure modes on the 2002 Audi Allroad, and the three most-reported carry 85% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Sunroof failure or glass breakage leads with 5 reports and about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Air suspension failure follows with 3 reports, median 130,000 miles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 3 reports, median 60,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (8), suspension (3) and electrical (1).
At what mileage it happens
13 of the reports on the 2002 Audi Allroad came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 100,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 15% by 50,000 miles, 38% by 100,000 miles and 85% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 100,000 and 110,000 miles, which alone holds 31% of the dated reports.
8% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. 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
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 2 a fire and 2 an injury. 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 5.54, 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: sunroof failure or glass breakage at $700–$4,500, air suspension failure at $900–$4,500, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000 and other electrical problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 5 | 5 | — | 100k | — | 0.6 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Air suspension failure | suspension | 3 | 3 | — | 132k | — | 0.3 | $900–$4,500 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 3 | 3 | — | 62k | — | 0.3 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 150k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
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 2002 Audi Allroad draws about 1.4 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of complaint rates among 2002 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 9,098 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2002 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Sunroof failure or glass breakage
Rainwater leaked into the vehicle, collecting in the passenger footwell, shorting out several electrical components. I understand vw/audi vehicles have a history of this occurring due to firewall/pollen filter/sunroof deficiencies which allow this to happen and they and their dealerships are very uncooperative in even acknowledging such a problem exists in the design of these vehicles. Very unfair to consumers to deny such a problem exists and they should be held accountable. *tr
Rainwater leaked into the vehicle, collecting in the passenger footwell, shorting out several electrical components. I understand vw/audi vehicles have a history of this occurring due to firewall/pollen filter/sunroof deficiencies which allow this to happen and they and their dealerships are very uncooperative in even acknowledging such a problem exists in the design of these vehicles. This is an obvious inherent design flaw. Audi is very unfair to consumers to deny such a problem exists and they should be held accountable. At no time during any regular service was it ever suggested that these drain plugs should be cleaned - while the cleaning of the sunroof rails were??? No owner could possibly be aware that such a disaster awaits them if these inaccessible drain plugs aren't cleaned. *js
Air suspension failure
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 audi all road. The contact noticed that the headlight and self leveling light had illuminated on the instrument panel. After having a recall perform on his vehicle by the manufacturer. He did not notice any differences before hand. The current and failure mileage is 82000. The consumer stated the headlights still do not work and also the air bag suspension does not work. Updated 10/26/09
2002 audi allroad 2.7t. This vehicle is equipped with air suspension. The pump assembly is located under the car in between the rear wheels and has a protection cover. This car is allwheel drive and includes standard amenities such as a skibag. One would expect this car to hold well in cold climate. After 8 yrs of use, the pump assembly is corroded to the point where it has separated from its support. It is still operating, but now appears to rest on the protective cover, which itself is held by three fasteners also corroded and disintegrating. A concern is that the assembly falls off and presents a hazard for following vehicles, as well as a hazard for how the car handles as this pump feeds the air suspension. Pictures of the corroded assembly and cover fasteners are available. A search on audi-forum shows that there might be other instances of the same for this type of vehicle at about the same age. *tr
Other body or interior problem
The alarm in my 2002 audi allroad went off while I was backing out of a parking space and I could not get out of the car. When I would try to open the door with the electronic key, they would instantly re-lock and the door would not open by pulling up on the handle. Essentially I was trapped inside for approximately five minutes. It finally quit and when I got it in for service, the dealer said that moisture had gotten into the locking mechanism and it needed to be replaced. My point is in the unlikely event that I had to exit the car for my own safety, and I couldn't get out of the car, it could be a very serious safety problem. *jb
I had stopped at a light prepared to make a right turn. When I accelerated to turn I heard and felt a large clunk in the rear end of my car; I thought I had been rear-ended but no other car was there. I then could feel and hear something dragging so I pulled over. I could see the rear axle hanging down on the ground and the wheel well on the driver rear buckled inward. It turned out that one of the bolts that held my rear axle in place was missing and the other one sheared off due to stress. My car literally dropped its rear axle. I have never had work done that would have entailed removing this bolt so the only assumption is that it was either loose or missing when I purchased the car. I am very thankful that it happened when I was accelerating from a stop not passing a car on the interstate! *tr
Recalls on the 2002 model year
NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Audi Allroad, affecting an estimated 22,556 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 fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly and electrical system. 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
68,240 vehicles 2008-04-08- Defect
- Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 audi a6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 2.8l, or 3.0l engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l or 4.2l engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
70,512 vehicles 2006-06-05- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with halogen low beam headlights, certain connector pins in the headlight switch connector come into contact with each other causing a short circuit. Note: vehicles with xenon low beam headlights are not affected because the circuit in these vehicles contains a fuse, which precludes excessive current flow in the case of a short circuit. Audi s6 and s6 avant vehicles are all equipped with xenon low beam headlights and, therefore, are not longer affected by this recall.
- Consequence
- This condition could lead to overheating or fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reroute the wiring harness by installing a jumper wiring harness. The recall began on december 16, 2006. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
172,866 vehicles 2004-03-18- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, if a driver's knees push against the knee bolster (crash element) located under the dashboard, it can contact the headlight switch wiring harness, and an electrical short could occur.
- Consequence
- A fire could originate in the left dashboard area.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a protective covering on the knee bolster (crash element). In addition, the wiring harness as well as the felt protector on the left side of the dashboard carrier will be checked, and replaced if necessary. The recall began on july 26, 2004. Owners should contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
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 2002 compares with the other years
Across the 4 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2003 comes out best at 57 and 2004 worst at 64.
Within the 2001–2005 generation specifically, 2003 is the strongest year at 57 and 2004 the weakest at 64.
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 2001-2005 generation, 2003 Audi Allroad scores best at 57 and 2004 Audi Allroad worst at 64.
Where these figures stop being useful
13 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 13 reports, 13 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 100% 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 2002 Audi Allroad?
The most-reported failures are sunroof failure or glass breakage (5 reports, median 100,000 miles), air suspension failure (3 reports, median 130,000 miles) and other body or interior problem (3 reports, median 60,000 miles). 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.
Which year of the Audi Allroad is best?
Within the 2001–2005 generation, 2003 scores best at 57 out of 100 and 2004 worst at 64. 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