Problems · by component

2006 Audi A4 exterior lighting problems

160 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Audi A4 cite exterior lighting, 54% of all 298 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
160
54% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“LEFT HEAD LIGHT FLICKERS AND SHUTS ITSELF OFF AFTER VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AND THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE WARNING DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD GIVES A "LEFT HEADLIGHT LEVEL" ERROR CODE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2019Exterior lightingODI 11271751
“THE HEADLIGHTS WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF, AND HAVE TO BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON. REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS OF LIGHTS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE XENON BALLAST AND SEALING THE BALLAST SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, AND SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BALLAST THAT CAUSES MOISTURE TO INVADE, AND SHORT THE HEADLIGHTS OUT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 22, 2018Exterior lightingODI 11163093
“THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND TURNS OFF. CHANGING THE BULB DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND NEITHER DID CHANGING THE BALLAST. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SETTLED CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HOWEVER THEY SAID THAT THE LAWSUIT EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR HEADLIGHTS TO 5 YEARS. THE LAWSUIT WAS SETTLED IN 2013 AND MY CAR IS A 2006 MODEL SO I AM NOT SURE HOW IT COULD EVER HELP ME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 27, 2017Exterior lightingCrash reportedODI 11056889
“2006 AUDI A4 QUATTRO, A VERY ANNOYING SITUATION IT ALSO AFFECTS SAFETY WHILE DRIVING IN DARK; I IGNORED IT FOR FEW MONTHS AS IT GOT WORST DECIDED TO TAKE IT IN. THEY SUGGESTED TO REPLACE BOTH IGNITERS (XENON BALLAST) AND BULBS. MY AUDI DEALER SAID THAT AUDI KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT -- CHANGING THE LIGHT BULB DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SINCE MY CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY IT WOULD BE ABOUT $1600. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. IT HAS BEEN OCCURRING A LOT RECENTLY WITH THE COLD WEATHER. I CAN'T TELL FOR SURE WHETHER IT IS TEMPERATURE RELATED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND MOST IMPORTANTLY A MAJOR SAFETY”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 3, 2017Exterior lightingODI 11052124
“I GET A "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" MESSAGE AND MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. I CAN CORRECT THE ISSUE BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON BUT THIS IS NOT SAFE AFTER DARK. THE CAR HAS BEEN DOING THIS WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. IT OCCURS MORE WHEN IT'S RAINING AND MORE AFTER DARK-WHEN YOU MOST NEED THE HEADLIGHTS. IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $1600 TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED BUT APPARENTLY THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL FIX THE ISSUE. I HAVE IN NO WAY DAMAGED THE HEADLIGHTS. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS CAR. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR SEVERAL YEARS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2017Exterior lightingODI 11021644
“RIGHT DIPPED HEADLAMP ISSUE RESULTING DIAGNOSIS AFTER NEW HEADLAMP ($125) AND ISSUE STILL CONTINUED WITH NEED TO REPLACE HEADLAMP IGNITION NOW ($950). I SEE ONLINE AT THIS IS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM IN MODELS FROM MY YEAR? AND BELIEVE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF WEED CALL AND REIMBURSEMENT. THE ISSUE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY SEEMING TO BE FIXED ONLY TO GO BACK OUT WITH NO SPECIFIC REASON...BOTH SITTING, DRIVING, TURNING CORNERS, OR HITTING BUMPS. THIS CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE OF PARTICULARLY WHEN THE HEADLAMP GOES OUT AT NIGHT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2017Exterior lightingODI 10947961

Showing 6 of 160 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2006 A4 problem areas