Problems · by component

2009 Audi A4 air bags problems

52 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Audi A4 cite air bags, 36% of all 144 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
52
36% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The negligent driver yielded to the flow of traffic without stopping. When he collided with us, the airbags (exploded) deployed so strongly that they damaged the windshield and our bodies: face, neck, etc. Our beloved Audi A4 2009 was totaled and after that we had several operations: 2 eye operations (need 2 more), dental surgeries, 3 neck surgeries ... multiple unpaid medical expenses.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 5, 2024Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11606543
“The turbo sounds like it's not going in/out of gear, oil going into spark plugs, radiator fluid leaking system getting real hot. Low engine poer picking up speed an issue. Air bag rear brake light malfunction, oil pressure not correct”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 24, 2024Air bags, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11579192
“The contact owns a 2009 Audi A4. The contact stated that while purchasing the vehicle the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact contacted the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2021Air bagsODI 11428684
“TAKATA INFLATOR: FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS, IF NOT MORE, WE HAVE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICES FROM AUDI USA TO CALL OUR LOCAL SERVICE AGENT AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GO IN AND HAVE THE AIRBAGS CHANGED. WE HAVE CONTACTED THEM ASKING FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS WORK DONE ON AN ALMOST MONTHLY BASIS AND THEY NEVER HAVE THE REPLACEMENT PART. THE A4 HAS BEEN LOCATED IN HUMID SOUTH FLORIDA FOR ALL IT'S LIFE AND IT IS NOW 10 YEARS OLD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'D LIKE TO HAND IT DOWN TO OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER, HOWEVER, WE ARE RELUCTANT UNTIL IT IS FIXED. THE COLLECTION, OUR LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THE REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 16, 2019Air bagsODI 11196754
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICES FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V427000 (AIR BAGS) AND 18V082000 (AIR BAGS) WERE RECEIVED IN 2018. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER (DCH MILLBURN, 2211 MILLBURN AVE, MAPLEWOOD, NJ) ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE DEFECT WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 8, 2019Air bagsODI 11185018
“TAKATA RECALL -- SINCE OCTOBER 2018, I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MESSAGES FROM AUDI THAT THE REPAIR IS AVAILABLE AND THAT I SHOULD SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IMMEDIATELY FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. SINCE THEN, I HAVE MADE SEVERAL APPOINTMENTS WITH MY LOCAL DEALER ONLY TO HAVE EACH OF THEM CANCELED DUE TO THE AIRBAG BEING ON BACKORDER OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE. ON JANUARY 24, I CALLED BOTH MY LOCAL DEALER, AUDI EATONTOWN, AND AUDI CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. THE FORMER TOLD ME THAT THERE ISN'T A SINGLE REPLACEMENT AIRBAG IN NJ WHILE THE LATTER THEN EXTENDED THE LACK OF AIRBAG REPLACEMENTS TO THE ENTIRE US.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 25, 2019Air bagsODI 11172125

Showing 6 of 52 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jan 11, 2017NHTSA 17V032000

Air bags

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.

Air bagsReported May 27, 2016NHTSA 16V376000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 27, 2026

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

Other 2009 A4 problem areas