- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.
Vehicle safety record
2002 Audi A4 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 189 complaints about the 2002 Audi A4 with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (76) and the engine & cooling (34). Those complaints describe 13 crashes, 6 fires and 4 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in June 2021 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2001 has 130 and the 2003 has 215.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical A4 year, for its age
#59 most complained-about 2002 vehicle
- Complaints
- 189
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 13
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 4
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2002 Audi A4 problems
Share of all 189 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2002 Audi A4 recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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 affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.
- The risk
- A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
What owners say
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189 complaints about the 2002 Audi A4
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 8.
2002 Audi a4 with 370k burned a bit of oil which was fine cleaned the engine out with cleaners it smoked a bit which is normal.. Headlights started flickering 'hids' so I parked it. 3 Days later I go to take the car on a test drive and the drivers headlight lit on fire ! Not sure if it was a headlight issue or a wiring issue.. Insurance will not cover it.
I slid off a wet curvy down hill road and slammed into an embankment. Went unconscious and woke with a large laceration to back of head. Saw that the passenger airbags exploded but none for driver's side. Seatbelt on driver's side tighten so tight could strangled me if I was wearing it. Have video of malfunctioning seatbelt and airbag
When it rains water gets in the car on the driver side now my window dont come down are up
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. The contact heard a ticking noise coming from the timing belt. Audi brooklyn (665 65th st, brooklyn, ny 11220, (833) 448-2449) was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 150,000. The vin was unknown.
Takata recall; fuel pump went out while driving causing car to stop and almost lead to an accident. (Ca electric components do not always work, window is a big one. Wheels all had to be replaced within six months and the axel appears to cause wheel damage. Constant leaks such as coolent.
While driving on a city street, the wheel steering suddenly blocked and it was not possible to steer the vehicle to the left nor to the right. Managed to stop the vehicle on the street shoulder. Diagnostic at the body shop: power steering belt broken and even missing. Need replacement.
While driving on the city street, the engine overheated and smoke came out. Stopped vehicle on the side road to see what's happening. Drove after engine has cooled off to the next body shop. Diagnostic: engine cooling is leaking, water pump is defect. Timing belt will be affected if not replaced as well.
I bought a car from a used car dealer in renton wa. After about a year went by I noticed that I haven't received the title. Called the dealer and they told me I have to contact dmv. Talked to a person in the renton office and twice to the covington office. They told me I have to pay a 39 dollar charge to get a title. Decided to maybe trade the car in and found out the frame was bent. I already spent 1200 dollars for parts missing on the car. Now another part is ad at another 1500 dollars to make the air work....
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Apparently the car had been crashed and picked back together just to off it. Complained a out parts missing and they agreed to give me 400 dollars for the first problem. Never did see the money. I would like to have a total refund of the difference from what they gave me for the car after the 25000 dollars they gave me for the truck load I traded in. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi a4 equipped with bridgestone potenza tires, size: 225/45r17. While parked, it was noticed that the front passenger side tire had tread separation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the tire was replaced. The contact also stated that the front driver side tire was replaced previously for the same failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tire and vehicle failure mileage was not available. The dot number and vin were not available.
Incident happened on the day shown above I was running errands car was working well through out the day it was when I went to pick my husband up from work I stopped at an intersection when traffic light turned green I stepped on the gas pedal and that's when it started chugging and choking and did not want to go more than 30mph and suddenly it just shut down we were able to pull over to the side of the road when we tried turning on the car again it felt heavy and sluggish failed to start. Left car over night locked and alarm on we always pump 91 chevron gasoline and keep up with 5k oil changes hired a indy mechanic and instantly notice the fuel pump was not activating please help. *Tr
I am writing regarding a sad story about my 2002 audi a4 quattro 3.0 Sedan . While I realize that the car is not new, and with 152,000 miles on the road; I am still disappointed with the series of events that has happened to me, not once, but twice now! About a week ago, as I turned the engine on, I heard a loud knocking like something had been hit and fallen apart in the engine. At the same time, the check engine light came on (flashing). I took it to my trusted mechanic. At this point, I am thinking that...
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the issue was with a coil ? But not really since they have been replaced and not that long ago, might I add! While the car was being inspected, the mechanic heard a noise coming from camshaft adjusters. Once they opened the case, they found screws lose that had literally fallen off and broken. The camshaft adjustment housing was also damaged, amongst other parts (i have pictures). How can this be possible? After all, the bolts are encased, and it is not like anyone messed with them. The sad part is that the same had happened on the other side a year ago. *Tr
Immediately after the first rainfall in my ownership with this vehicle, both headlights stopped working. Audi has not done anything to fix this problem. This is not a convenience issue but a safety issue for driving at night. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph she heard a loud popping noise and smoke came from underneath the hood. The contact was unable to drive the vehicle and it was towed to a dealer. They dealer advised her that the differential in the transmission overheated and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified and offered to buy her vehicle for $500. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was approximately 105,000.
Car jerks then shuts off especially when coming to a stop or after changing gears. It also jerks when on an inclined street, the car starts to roll back, jerks after acceleration, then cuts off completely. After it shuts off, it takes a while for it to turn back on and only to find the check engine and epc light on. It's come to the point where I'm too afraid to drive my own vehicle. *Tr
After driving for a few minutes the left dipped headlight message displays on the dash and the left (driver side) headlight will flicker on and off a few times and then go out completely. Turning the headlights off and on a few times will get it to come on again but only for a short time. This is a safety issue as the lights are a required safety item on all vehicles and it is a ticketable item. This needs to be a safety recall from audi as none of the dealers seem to know how to repair the item without having...
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you spend thousands of dollars trying to swap out parts until you find something that might stop it. Most blogs have said that the dealer can never find a solution to the problem after they have spent $2-3k and finally gave up and are driving the car without 1 or more headlights. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. The contact was driving 25 mph when the front driver side headlight illuminated on and off before failing completely. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage 143,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. The contact stated that the vehicle would constantly overheat without proper warning. The contact replaced the radiator and thermostat, but to no avail. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who advised that the problem was within the engine, but could not determine the specific cause of the failure. The vehicle was not inspected by the dealer or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
2002 Audi a4 1.8T, transmission ctv, the car has 75,000 miles everything works in the car with some minor stuff, but the transmission start to jerk when stop in a red light, is almost uncontrollable, it want to move the forward, so I have to press the brake hard so it doesn't move. It starts to get dangerous to drive in that kind of condition. This is the second audi I own and that?S a shame that so good quality car has this kind of problem and the dealers and audi usa don?T do anything about it. You spend 30 thousand of dollars and you have to throw your car away because the fix cost more than what your car is worth. *Tr
On december 3rd, 2010, I was driving south on i-405s heading from long beach, ca to san diego, ca. I was driving approximately 45 mph when my check engine light came on and I lost all acceleration in my car. I still had electrical power (ie, indicators still worked, my manual transmission worked and interior dome lights worked). I pulled straight over to the side of the highway at which point I noticed that the hood of my car appeared to be melting and that smoke was rising out of the engine. I jumped out of the...
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car and ran to the side of the road to call 911. Two gracious strangers attempted with two separate fire extinguishers to put out the fire but were unable to. The entire engine compartment was entirely consumed by flames within 2-3 minutes. By the time the fire department and emts arrived, the entire car was aflame and was no longer salvageable. It only took about 5 minutes for the entire car to go up in flames. All that remained once the fire was put out was the rear-hatchback door. Everything else in the car was completely and totally melted and burned. The state trooper who was at the scene of the incident said that the car was so badly burnt it would be extremely hard to determine what caused the fire. I have pictures of the car after the fire and would be happy to share them if needed. The fire was so fast, hot and quick that it was only 30 minutes from when my check engine light came on and I had to pull over, to the end of the entire ordeal. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle downshifted to first gear and instantly came to a stop. The contact had no control of the vehicle. The contact coasted to the side of the road and the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop. The mechanic stated that the transmission control module was defective. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The current and failure mileages were approximately 97,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 audi a4. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated which caused the vehicle to go through an intersection. The contact engaged the brakes to stop and shut the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and the rpms increased rapidly so the contact had the vehicle towed to an authorized dealer. This failure was the second occurrence. The dealer performed a diagnostic test but could not find the cause for the failure. The dealer suggested that the floor mat had become caught on the accelerator pedal but the contact stated that it had not happened. The failure mileage was 56,600. Updated 01/18/11 *bf updated 01/31/11
No known events lead up to the failure. The message "left dipped headlight" appears and the left headlight stops working at the same time. This problem happens frequently in audi a4 of model year 2002-06. *Tr
The headlights for the 2002-2005(6) audi a4 will flicker on and off and often turn off completely while driving this is not caused by ann accident or improper care but rather faulty manufacturing. It is very common with these vehicles. When this problem begins it will typically occur regularly (every use of the vehicle). Replacing the bulbs does not correct this problem as it is inherent in the igniter which audi charges approximately $600. *Tr
2002 Audi a4 with hid head lamps turn off intermittently while driving vehicle. Get an error code "front right dipped headlight" or "left front dipped headlight" while lights go off completely. Has been going on for years such that I had the bulbs replaced but did not fix problem. *Tr
Passenger side headlight on 2002 audi a4 quattro keeps malfunctioning after multiple dealership maintenance. *Tr
Audi A4: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 298 | 3 | F |
| 2005 | 219 | 4 | F |
| 2004 | 189 | 3 | D |
| 2003 | 215 | 4 | F |
| 2002 | 189 | 2 | F |
| 2001 | 130 | 3 | D |
| 2000 | 96 | 5 | C |
| 1999 | 190 | 7 | F |
| 1998 | 258 | 6 | F |
2002 Audi A4 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Audi A4 | 189 | 2 | F | |
| 2002 BMW 3 Series | 442 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo S60 | 189 | 9 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 184 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Audi A6 | 96 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 48 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2002 BMW 5 Series | 0 | 2 | B | Compare |
| 2002 BMW 530I | 0 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2002 Lexus IS | 0 | 1 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2002 Audi A4
Does the 2002 Audi A4 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2002 Audi A4: inflator module (June 2021); engine (March 2014). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Audi A4?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (76), engine & cooling (34), lights (18).
How many complaints has the 2002 Audi A4 had?
189 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 15, 2002 and the latest on November 25, 2020. Of these, 13 describe a crash and 6 a fire, and together they report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2002 Audi A4 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 24 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Audi A4 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Audi A4 years have the most complaints?
2006 (298), 1998 (258), 2005 (219). See every Audi A4 year compared.
What should I do if my 2002 Audi A4 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data