KnownCarProblems2001 Audi A4 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Audi A4, most often about the electrical (27% of complaints, typically around 43,500 miles). It is 8th of 26 A4 model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2001 Audi A4 problems
Electrical
35 complaints · 27%Half of these problems showed up before 43,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, instrument cluster/panel, wiring.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Audi A4. He heard a humming sound coming from the vehicle. The dealer stated that the camshaft tensioner needed to be replaced. He also stated that the power circuit failed due to a leak on the roof. The current and failure mileages were 42,140.
(1) I have had 3 Audi A4's that have had this same issue!!! 98', 99.5' and 01.5' A4's. Below in the incident date, I stated the date when I purchased my current car... This does not include the two previous A4's I had with the exact same problem years ago. (2) the lcd screen in the instrument cluster has several…
Engine
33 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 63,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
Oil light came on. Immediately pulled over and checked engine oil level. Not low. Took the car to the dealership. Originally diagnosed as needing a new oil pump due to oil sludge. On further inspection the dealer found scarring on the engine bearings and wear on the camshaft. Upon flushing all the pre-existing oil out…
'01 A4 2.8: (1) digital display is blurry and cannot fully understand everything the computer is displaying, (2) internal oil seals have become defective causing a foul burnt-oil smell within and outside the vehicle, (3) transmission downshifts very hard and rough, (4) very poor design by the engineers to place a…
Brakes
31 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, antilock, power assist.
'01 A4 2.8: (1) digital display is blurry and cannot fully understand everything the computer is displaying, (2) internal oil seals have become defective causing a foul burnt-oil smell within and outside the vehicle, (3) transmission downshifts very hard and rough, (4) very poor design by the engineers to place a…
Failure of ABS controller in 2001 Audi A4 1.8t. Was told by dealer that engine heat melts soldering in unit. $1,300 estimated repair ($1,000 for part alone). Intermittent failure light and beep when driving, ABS not active when light is blinking. I've read on Audi websites that this is a common failure that Audi of…
Air bags
11 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
Air bag light remains illuminating while driving. Consumer states, " that the dealer had reset the air bag module ten times'. And the problem keeps recurring.
Was going about 40 MPH and hit into a car that was making a left turn. The whole front end of the car is smashed in and still not one single air bag got deployed. It is an 2001 Audi A4 1.8t. There is over 6 airbags in the vehicle and not one got deployed.
Transmission
5 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly, manual transmission.
'01 A4 2.8: (1) digital display is blurry and cannot fully understand everything the computer is displaying, (2) internal oil seals have become defective causing a foul burnt-oil smell within and outside the vehicle, (3) transmission downshifts very hard and rough, (4) very poor design by the engineers to place a…
Was making a left hand turn going 5 MPH or less when the left front axel on my 2001 A4 broke off. It has been determined by the dealer to be a manufacturer defect, but Audi USA will not do anything to assist in the repair of the defective product as I am not the original owner of the vehicle. If I were, they would…
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 3%While driving the vehicle stalled. The consumer was able to restart the vehicle and pulled over at which time the vehicle stalled again. The consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic informed the consumer that transmission fluid had been added to the brake fluid which caused the brake…
2001 Audi A4 1.8 turbo: the timing belt broke while the car was traveling in heavy, rush hour traffic causing the car to be immediately disabled and stopped with no opportunity to move the car off of the highway. The 3-lane highway was backed up for 6 miles while police and emergency workers worked to tow the car. The…
Lights
3 complaints · 2%Parts named most often: headlights.
We have experienced an intermittent problem with the hid head lights flickering and shutting off during operation at night. The left low beam began to flicker and then shut off. The head light warning indicator light comes on. After inspection the next day, lights came back on and were working normally no warning…
In 2007 xenon headlights dropped/dipped headlight level sensor replaced and lights appeared to work correctly. In 2011 the same problem occurred again. Headlight leveling sensor and wiring harness replaced. Appears to be working ok. Driving with the headlights aimed incorrectly is a dangerous driving condition. It…
Steering
3 complaints · 2%Parts named most often: linkages, steering wheel/handle bar.
The tie rods on my car wore out after only 45k miles. I discovered this when I took the car in for required safety inspection. The repair shop said that this is very common on Audi vehicles, and they replace 4-5 sets per week. I feel that this is obviously a design flaw with Audi and that a recall should be reissued.…
During 90,000 mile service, the mechanic discovered that both side spindles (steering knuckles) were cracked. According to the mechanic, the car was in a position to loose steering capability with those items cracked. They said it's rare to see both sides cracked. Tie rod ends were also replaced due to wear. I still…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 Audi A4 recalls
Air bags: inflator module
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.
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Brake and clutch pedal bracket
Questions about the 2001 Audi A4
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 Audi A4?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (35 complaints, typically around 43,500 miles); engine (33 complaints, typically around 63,500 miles); brakes (31 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 Audi A4 have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 23, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the Audi A4?
- It is 8th of 26 A4 model years by number of complaints, with 131 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.