Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Audi S4 problems

Owners filed 26 complaints about the 2011 Audi S4 with NHTSA between Mar 2012 and Apr 2021. The most-cited component is power train (22).

Complaints
26
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train22
  2. Engine5
  3. Electrical system2
  4. Vehicle speed control1
  5. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  6. Suspension1
  7. Other / unknown2

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20122
20130
20145
20156
20164
20172
20184
20192
20200
20211

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

22 reports
“CAR HAS DEVELOPED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IN THE MECHATRONIC UNIT. CAR GIVES A GEARBOX MALFUNCTION DISPLAY IN THE CAR. REVERSE WILL NOT WORKING AND THE CAR WILL REPEATEDLY GO INTO NEUTRAL AT ANY SPEED. SOMETIMES THEN IT WILL JERK BACK INTO GEAR VERY VIOLENTLY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 9, 2021Power trainODI 11407302

Engine

5 reports
“I WAS EXITING OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I HAD TO CUT 3 CARS OFF TO PULL ONTO TO THE SHOULDER, WHERE THE CAR CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND EVENTUALLY DIED. A GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, BUT SAID IT WAS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS ABLE TO GET ME CAR INTO PARK AND START . AFTER SITTING FOR A FEW MINUTES I WENT ON MY WAY, HOWEVER, THE CAR SPUTTERED AGAIN OUT OF 1ST GEAR BUT SMOOTHED OUT ONCE I GOT GOING. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP BUT DIDNT COME BACK ON THE NEXT MORNING. I CALLED AUDI USA TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY ACTED LIKE THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING HAPPENING AND SAID IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 6 MONTHS AND THAT GEARBOX MALFUNCTION HAS NOW HAPPENED 3 TIMES, THE LATEST OF WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CALLED A COUPLE MECHANICS, INCLUDING A LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP, AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT ITS A BAD MECHATRONICS UNIT AND THAT IT IS EXTREMELY COMMON FOR MY PARTICULAR YEAR, MODEL AND TYPE (THERE IS A TSB FOR IT). WORST OF ALL, IT WILL COST ME $5000 + TO REPAIR. I BOUGHT THIS CAR 6 MONTHS AGO FROM A LARGE, WELL RESPECT DEALERSHIP AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED, WITH…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 30, 2018Power train, EngineODI 11065848

Electrical system

2 reports
“DSG MECHATRONIC FAILURE. WAS REPLACED UNDER CPO WARRANTY. HOWEVER PROBLEM PERSISTS. WHILE DRIVING CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL WITH TPMS + GEARBOX MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH AUDI S4 2010 AND 2011.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 19, 2016Power train, Electrical systemODI 10860407

Vehicle speed control

1 report
“GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WARNING AND THE TPMS MALFUNCTION CAME ON AT SAME TIME. CONTINUED TO DRIVE IN LIMP MODE FOR ABOUT 1 MILE AND THE CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. START THE CAR BACK UP AND STILL SHOWING WARNINGS. GET IT HOME AND ATTEMPT TO PUT INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR WON'T ENGAGE. I JUST HAPPENED TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND ALL LIGHTS WERE GONE. CAR WENT INTO ALL GEARS, DROVE FINE, AND GOT IT TO THE DEALER. TWO HOURS LATER I GET IN TO GO TO THE STORE AND AS SOON AS I SHIFT INTO D, THE TPMS AND GEARBOX MALFUNCTION LIGHT FLASH UP TELLING ME I HAVE NO REVERSE AND I'M STILL GOOD TO DRIVE. SO I DECIDE TO DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. AS SOON AS THE CAR WENT TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND IT SKIPPED, REVVED IN NEUTRAL FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS THEN DROPPED HARD INTO 3RD GEAR. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR AND DROVE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO PROBLEM - NO ERROR MESSAGE, NO FAULTY SHIFTING, NO JERKING OR ANYTHING. SO I DECIDED TO RUN TO THE STORE ABOUT 4 MILES AWAY AND SEE HOW IT HELP UP. I MADE IT TO THE STORE AND HALFWAY BACK BEFORE BOOM - IT HAPPENED AGAIN. CAR WILL START IN 1ST GEAR FINE, WENT SHIFTING INTO 2ND IT SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL FOR ABOUT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 10, 2017Power train, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10971673

Electronic stability control (esc)

1 report

Suspension

1 report
“I RECENTLY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2011 AUDI S4 SEDAN AND HAD A SUSPENSION AND/OR ALIGNMENT ISSUE WHICH CAUSED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, RESULTING IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL. I GOT THREE PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS (INCLUDING THAT OF A CERTIFIED AUDI TECHNICIAN) AND ALL AGREED THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION, CAUSING THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE TIRE TO WEAR PREMATURELY AND SPLIT OPEN. THIS INSTANCE IS ABNORMAL BECAUSE THE TREAD WAS WELL ABOVE THE TREADWEAR INDICATORS. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED ACCORDING TO THE FACTORY SPECIFIED SERVICE PLAN FOR MY VEHICLE, BY AUDI CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS. THIS PLAN SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE TECHNICIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO INSPECT TIRES FOR WEAR AND DAMAGE AT THE 25 THOUSAND MILE SERVICE (TO ENSURE SAFETY, RELIABILITY, AND VALUE OF THE VEHICLE). HOWEVER, MY SERVICE ADVISORS FAILED TO NOTIFY ME OF THE ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK. HAD THIS ISSUE BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWED THIS ABNORMAL WEAR, SO I HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. HOWEVER, IF THIS SUSPENSION PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED, THE NEW TIRES WILL ALSO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 27, 2012SuspensionODI 10453165
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

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