NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Audi A4. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
OUR BRAND NEW 2003 AUDI A4 WAS REAR-ENDED BY A FORD F-550 TRAVELING AT APPROX. 55 MPH. THE FORD F-550 DID NOT BRAKE BEFORE IMPACT AND HIT THE AUDI WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT IMPACTED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT WHICH HIT THAT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. ALL WERE STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. MY WIFE, THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND DRIVER, HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE AUDI. SHE SUFFERED PERMANENT BRAIN INJURY AS A RESULT OF HITTING THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR AND WINDSHIELD. SHE ALSO SUFFERED NUMEROUS OTHER INJURIES. SHE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO BEND THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL INWARD. MY COMPLAINT...THE DRIVER AIR-BAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHILE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR-BAG DID DEPLOY. HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR-BAG DEPLOYED, SHE MAY HAVE NOT SUFFERED BRAIN INJURY FROM THIS EVENT. I'VE CONTACTED AUDI SEVERAL TIMES FOR AN EXPLANATION WITH "BS" ANSWERS. I FINALLY TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST GIVEN HER A NEW CAR. PERHAPS I'M A BIT NAIVE. IN ANY EVENT, I'M CERTAIN THAT THE AIR-BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED HAD IT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. *NM
AUDI A4 QUATRO. I WAS ONLY PERSON IN THE CAR. SLOWING TO A STOP WAS HIT FROM THE REAR @ 55MPH BY A FORD TRUCK F550. TRUCK #4 SLAMMED INTO MY REAR CAR #3 WHICH SLAMMED INTO CAR #2 & FINALLY CAR #1. *AK MY TRUNK ENDED UP IN MY BACK SEAT, MY FRONT LOOKED LIKE AN ACORDIAN. THOUGH I AM ALIVE. MY DRIVER AIRBAG & DRIVER CURTAIN DID NOT DEPLOY!! MY SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD ME BACK. THE FORCE WAS SO GREAT THAT I BROKE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WITH MY HEAD AND I CONTINUED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE SEVERE CONCUSION, CAN NOT WORK & OF COURSE HAVE A WONDERFUL CASE OF WHIPLASH! AUDI CONSUMER IS TRYING TO TELL US THAT THE "PASSANGER" AIR BAG WENT OFF BECAUSE THE SEATBELT WAS NOT CLOSED! HOW STUPID! I THOUGHT BEING HIT @ THAT SPEED WITH SUCH A FORCE TO CREATE A CHAIN REACTION INTO THREE CARS..THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED & THE DRIVER SEATBELT SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM HITTING MY STERNUM ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WHICH, BY THE WAY WAS BENT BY MY BODY! ON THE FORCE OF MY CAR HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME...I BROKE MY SEAT & WAS IN A PRONE POSITION WHEN THE FIREDEPARTMENT CAME TO CUT ME OUT OF MY CAR. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE @ WHAT SPEED AN AIRBAG SHOULD DEPLOY! SHOULD THEY NOT DEPLOY WITH BACK HIT, AS WELL AS, A FRONT HIT? EVEN THOUGH I WAS SLOWING TO 5MPH, I HAD AMPLE ROOM BETWEEN MY CAR & THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WWAS HIT @55MPH AND THE FORD F550 DID NOT EVEN BRAKE OR ATTEMPT TO STOP. THUS MY SPEEN BECAME MORE THAN 5MPH.
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT BURST SPRAYING FREON ALL OVER ENGINE COMPARTMENT. REPAIRS WERE ATTEMPTED FOUR TIMES AND AFTER THE FOURTH TIME, I NOW HAVE WATER FROM THE AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM DRAINING INTO THE CAR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, JUST BELOW THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT.
WHILE PARKING THE 2003 A4 AUDI THE CAR HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND RAN INTO A BUILDING.
THE BLINDING BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS ON SOME NEW CARS ARE DANGEROUS. I FLASH MY BRIGHTS AT THEM THINKING THAT IS THE PROBLEM. IF CAR MANUFACTURERS CONTINUE TO PUT THEM ON NEW CARS, WILL THEY BE LIABLE FOR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE BLINDING LIGHT? *JB
THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS WHEN IT RAINS. ALL FOUR DOORS FILL WITH UP WATER. WHEN I OPEN ANY DOOR A QUART OR MORE POURS OUT OF EACH DOOR, DOOR SILLS ARE ALWAYS WET. IN THE WINTER, WATER FREEZES ON THE DOOR SILLS AND CAN'T OPEN DOOR OR HAVE TROUBLE (CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR IF I CAN'T GET IN IT!) TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO GET IT FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THE CAR IS TO AUDI SPEC.'S AND DID NOTHING! CALLED AUDI CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY ARE DOING NOTHING AND ALSO I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A MANAGER TO RETURN MY PHONE CALL FOR A WEEK NOW. I HAVE LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES, STILL NO RETURN PHONE CALL (GREAT AUDI SEVERCE!). FROM THIS WATER DAMAGE THE MIRRORS ARE NOT RESPONDING TO THEIR HOLD POSITIONS AND I'AM ALSO AFAID FROM ALL THE MOISTER IN THE DOORS THAT THE ELECTRONICS WE START TO CORROSION PROCESS AND WHO PAYS FOR THAT IN THE LONG RUN? I WOULD THINK THE LEAST THEY COULD HAVE REPLACED THE WEATHER STRIPPING AROUND ALL THE DOORS. MY AUDI IS 6 MONTHS OLD WITH 1800 MILES, FOUR DOORS RUSTING AWAY, AND THE DEALERSHIP AND AUDI WANTS TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I EVEN SHOWED THEM THE RUST AT BOTTOM OF DOORS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ICE BUILDS UP SO MUCH AND CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR, IS THIS A SAFTY ISSUE? I'M JUST TIRED OF GETTING MY SHOES AND FEET WET GETTING INTO A $40,000 CAR, THEN HAVE TO GO GET CHANGED, BUT FOR SOME REASON THIS IS OK? I JUST NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE IN WHICH WATER IS ALLOWED TO GET INTO THE CAR'S DOOR BEFORE. I WOULD LIKE TO MEET THE ENGINEER WHO DESIGNED THIS FEATURE!
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN EXPLOSION AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WERE LOUD NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PARTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE ON THE GROUND. THE CAR THEN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CLAIMED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN SOME TYPE OF IMPACT WHICH CAUSED THE EXPLOSION TO OCCUR, AND AUDI WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES. THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO FIND THE PROPER REASON FOR EXPLOSION. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE A RENTAL CAR AT HER OWN EXPENSE TO HAVE A VEHICLE. *MR *CB *JB
MY 2003 AUDI A4 FAILED TO START ON DECEMBER 24TH, 2002 AND MAY 2ND, 2003. BOTH TIMES I WAS LEFT STRANDED. THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE STEERING LOCK, IGNITION CYLINDER, AND STEERING COLUMN. AFTER THE PROBLEM OCCURED A SECOND TIME, THEY REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AT 5,000 AND 11,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 2 TIMES.*AK
MY 2003 AUDI ALL ROAD HAS A CONTINUAL PULL TO THE RIGHT. IT WILL NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT FOR MORE THAN 5-8 SECONDS AT A TIME, ON MOST ROAD SURFACES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS FOUR TIMES IN 3400 MILES. EACH TIME THE CAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND HAD TO BE ADJUSTED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTS THAT THE CAR IS PERFORMING TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS, BUT IT STILL HAS A PULL TO THE RIGHT. *LA
THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED TO HOLD AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB *SCC *JB
VEHICLE COMES EQUIPPED WITH A SPORTS RIM THAT LEAVES THE BRAKE ROTORS EXPOSED TO ICE AND SNOW. IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT WARMED UP FOR 10 MINUTES THERE IS A GLAZE OF ICE ON THE ROTORS. THIS CAUSES BRAKE FAILURE, AND RESULTS IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND INDICATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. ALSO, AT 70 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP FAILED TO FUNCTION. THIS WAS DUE TO SALT IN THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED THE WASHER TO SEIZE. *AK
WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO LEFT OR RIGHT AND GRINDING/GROANING NOISE CAN BE HEARD. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN 4 TIMES AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*JB
2003 AUDI A4 3.0 QUATTRO. THE CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH OUTSIDE MIRRORS. BOTH MIRRORS AREN'T ADJUST TO ITS POSITION THAT IS SET IN MEMORY. EVERYTIME THE CAR WAS USED BY MY SPOUSE, I HAVE TO MANUALLY READJUST BOTH MIRROS INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST BY WHAT WAS PROGRAMMED IN MEMORY. MORE OVER, THE DRIVER OUTSIDE MIRROR JUST CHANGE IT POSITION AFTER 1 OR 2 DAYS OF DRIVING. IT IS VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE I FEEL EVERYTIME WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR WITH A WORRY THAT THE MIRROR ISN'T IN ITS POSITION THAT I SET.
2003 AUDI A4 REQUESTING FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS HAVING FREQUENT STALLING WHEN STARTING AND WHEN IN USE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE FELL WITHIN THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER RANGE REGARDING THE RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS DISPLAYING FREQUENT STALLING AT START UP AND INTERMITTENT STALLING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN USE. RECALL # 07V375000. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THIS CAUSED A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES . DRIVER WENT TO HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK