There are 50 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2005 Audi A4in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Headlights flickering. Must turn off the headlights and turn them back on for this issue to go away. All headlight components were replaced including the bulb and this issue still is there. The Audi dealerships seem to not know how to fix this issue. This issue is only on the left side/driver side. The dealer could not duplicate this issue on the right side/passenger side. All new parts were installed.
WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND GOES OUT. IF HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, HEADLIGHT WORKS JUST FINE. WHEN I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS CAR MAKE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. REPLACING THE BULB DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE SAID THAT AUDI DEALERSHIPS SAY THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM
SO I WAS DRIVING FROM WORK LIKE AROUND 10:25 PM MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 14 2015 WHEN I NOTICE THAT THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT OF MY CAR STARTED FLICKERING AND ALL THE SUDDEN WENT OFF WHICH CAUSED ME TO NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT WELL, AND THERE WERE PEDESTRIANS WALKING ON THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED ME TO DRIVE MORE SLOW THAN THE ALLOWED SPEED LIMIT GOOD THING IT WASN'T FAR FROM HOME WHERE IT HAPPEN...NEXT DAY THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN THE LIGHT STARTED FLICKERING AGAIN AND IT WENT OFF AT THIS POINT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AROUND TO ACTUALLY FIXED THIS ISSUE WITH NO LUCK ALSO I'VE SEEN A LOT PEOPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE WHICH THEY CALLED THE DIPPED HEADLIGHT ISSUE.. T
HEADLIGHTS DIP AND CONTINUE TO FLICKER AND TURN OFF DURING MILD DRIVING. THIS BECOMES DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS TURN OFF DUE TO THE FLICKER.
RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT RANDOMLY AND IS VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE REPLACED LIGHT BULB AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I HAVE READ MANY PROBLEMS AND AUDI IS AWARE OF THIS BUT CHOOSES NOT TO DO ANYTHING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, BOTH OF THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING ON AND OFF AS THE LEFT DIP LIGHT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN WHEN THE FAILURE WAS ACTUALLY OCCURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS DIPPED AUTOMATICALLY, WILL ALSO GO OFF; HEADLIGHT WILL ALSO FLICKER BEFORE DIPPING; HAVE GONE TO HAVE FIXED BUT DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM; THEY INDICATE THEY NEED TO GET THEM TP REPLICATE THE ERROR BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE; THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER APPEARS NOT WILLING TO FIX; APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S OVERALL; *TR
RIGHT HEADLIGHT FLICKERED AND WENT OUT. INSTRUMENTS INDICATED RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED. CYCLED POWER ON LIGHTS AND LIGHTS RETURNED FOR 30 SEC AND THEN CONTINUED PROBLEM. *TR
HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF BY ITSELF. WARNING MESSAGE "DIPPED HEADLIGHT" COMES OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AND HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON (NORMAL). CAR RUNS WITH NO HEADLIGHTS IN THE DARK ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS. THIS IS A COMMON (VERY KNOWN) PROBLEM WITH A4 MODELS. AUDI IS REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DESIGN/PART FLAW THUS NOT ISSUING A SAFETY RECALL. SEE MORE DETAILS HERE: HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/332613-CLASS-ACTION-LAWSUIT-DIPPED-HEADLIGHT-FLICKER-PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE LIGHTS FOR RE-ILLUMINATION HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
LEFT DIPPED AND RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT ON DASH WARNING. LIGHTS WILL FLICKER THEN JUST SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. *TR
PROBLEM: THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, I RECEIVE A WARNING MESSAGE THAT "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED, THEN THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT. TO "RESET" THIS, I CAN TURN MY LIGHTS OFF, THEN TURN THEM ON AGAIN, BUT I CAN ONLY DO THIS WHEN STOPPED, AS IT'S UNSAFE TO DO THIS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. ONCE I TURN THEM ON AGAIN, THEY'LL BE OK AGAIN FOR A WHILE, BUT THE PROCESS WILL REPEAT ITSELF AGAIN. *TR
THE HEADLIGHTS(HID) FLICKER AND SOMETIMES GO OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS. I HAVE NOT HAD A TOTAL FAILURE YET; ALTHOUGH, I HAVE BEEN FRIGHTENED. THE FLICKERING HAPPENS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THE TOTAL LIGHTS OUT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. *TR
RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED WARNING. RIGHT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER AND THEN SHUT OFF. I SUSPECT A FAULTY IGNITER BALLAST. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE 2005.5-2008 XENON HEADLIGHTS. CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
THE RIGHT MAIN HEADLIGHT FLICKERED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND THEN SHUT OFF. A MESSAGE APPEARED "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT". THE HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR FOR THE PAST YEAR ALMOST EVERY TIME THE HEADLIGHTS TURN ON. *TR
WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT NIGHT, WHEN ERROR MESSAGE "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" APPEARED, AND SHE NOTICED LEFT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT NOT WORKING. REPLACED WITH NEW BULB AND STILL NOT WORKING. A FEW MONTHS LATER, NOW BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING. THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. *TR
5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK AS I DO EVERYDAY, THE ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DASH READ "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED", LOSING ONE SIDE OF THE LIGHTING TO THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUED TO DO THIS EACH DAY AFTERWARD WHENEVER DRIVING IN THE EARLY MORNING OR EVENING WHEN LIGHTS WOULD BE REQUIRED. A FEW MONTHS AFTER, THE RIGHT SIDE HAD DIPPED AS WELL. I LOOKED UP SOME POSSIBLE SCENARIOS OF WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS ISSUE AND FOUND A FEW THINGS BUT HAVE NOT PINPOINTED THE ISSUE; WILL HAVE TO TRY THE DEALERSHIP SOON. 1) CHANGE OUT THE BULBS (BI-XENON) 2) CHANGE OUT THE BALLASTS 3) SOME OTHER ISSUE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE AND MANY OTHERS AS ONE DAY BOTH LIGHTS WILL GO DARK WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND WILL SURELY INDUCE SOME TYPE OF ACCIDENT. I HOPE THAT THE DOT WILL STRONGLY CONSIDER FORCING AUDI TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AS THIS IS A PREVENTABLE SITUATION. THANK YOU, *TR
SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2005 AUDI A4 2.0L AT MY LOCAL AUDI/PORSCHE DEALERSHIP, I HAVE HAD RECURRING ISSUES WITH MY HEADLIGHTS. IT STARTED WITH SHUDDERING AND FLICKERING WHILE IDLED, AND NOW THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD THAT MY LEFT LIGHT WILL ACTUALLY SHUDDER, FLICKER, AND GO COMPLETELY OUT. I HAVE TO MANUALLY SWITCH MY LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON (VERY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT) TO GET THEM BACK ON, ONLY TO EVENTUALLY SHUDDER AND GO OUT YET AGAIN. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE AUDI DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT COMPLETELY OUT, OF COURSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME AN ARM AND A LEG (OVER $1000) TO FIX JUST ONE HEADLIGHT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT YOU CAN GOOGLE "AUDI A4 DIPPED HEADLIGHT" AND GET THOUSANDS OF FORUMS FULL OF COMPLAINTS. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO NICKEL AND DIME WITH NEW BULBS THAT DON'T FIX THIS HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE BALLASTS AND IGNITER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY FOR AN ISSUE THAT'S AN OBVIOUS ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD WITH THIS MODEL OF AUDI. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS WITH LITTLE LIGHTING BECAUSE MY HEADLIGHTS ARE SO UNDEPENDABLE. THIS IS NOT OK, AND AUDI CONTINUALLY REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *JS
THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AND FLICKERS ON MY AUDI A4 QUATTRO T 2005 AND IT HAS HAPPENED DAILY AND IVE BEEN READING ABOUT IT IN BLOGS AND NOTHIN. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026