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KLUNK
KLUNK

2005 Audi S4

The Verdict

90 Smooth Ride

The 2005 Audi S4 has 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (36 complaints) and engine (4 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 90/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Audi S4, consider the 2015 model year which has 97% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2015 has 97% fewer complaints

View the 2015 Audi S4 dashboard →

90

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
200048415152
200120352120
2002291010
2004713153
2005213640
2006002901
200810300
20101211541
2011300518
2012012514
2013200147
201491151
201500010
201821040
201901010
2020201400
202110100

By Category

Electrical
36
Engine
4
Body
2
Brakes
1

By Severity

1
22
2
19
4
2

Worst Problems

Complaints

Electrical 1

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI PACIFIC (20460 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. AUDI PACIFIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

100mo ago
Electrical 2

TAKATA RECALL. I RECEIVED TWO LETTERS FROM AUDI IN MARCH 2017 AND RECENTLY A THIRD LETTER IN MARCH 2018 INFORMING ME OF THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG INFLATOR PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT LETTER STATES THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND THE AIRBAG COULD EXPLODE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I CALLED AUDI SERVICE IN APRIL 2017 AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2018 AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NO TIME FRAME FOR WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. HOW CAN I CONTINUE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CAUSE INJURY AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT FOR OVER A YEAR?

100mo ago
Electrical 2

TAKATA RECALL 1. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS. 2. IT THEN TURNS ITSELF OFF 3. THE MESSAGE "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" APPEARS 4. THIS HAPPENS WHILE MY VEHICLE IS PARKED AND IN MOTION SO IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. I HAVE HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR!

105mo ago
Engine 1

THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE MOTORS LOSING OIL EVERY 1000 MILES A 1QT IS NEED EACH TIME. THE ENGINE IS CAUSED AND BURNS OIL FAST TO THE MOTOR TO LOSE OIL MORE RAPIDLY. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY MOTOR IS LOSING OIL! AND SO DO OTHER MODELS HAVENING THIS PROBLEMS ISNT GOOD.

105mo ago
Body 1

I WAS ON MY WAY TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SANTA CRUZ, CA AND SO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EARLY TRAFFIC AT A LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN I HEARD A VERY STRANGE RUMBLE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER CAR AS MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR A 95,000 MILE SERVICE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. HOWEVER, PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING A BICYCLIST AND TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN STOPPED STEERING AND DIED. AT THAT POINT IT WAS BLOCKING TWO CARS IN A DRIVEWAY, BUT I COULD NOT STEER IT AT ALL. THIS WAS ON THE STREET DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DEL MAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I CALLED FARMERS INSURANCE AND MONTEREY PENINSULA AUDI WHERE IT WAS TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN HAD CRACKED AND THE FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY TO BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS IN ROUTINE SERVICES.

107mo ago
Electrical 2

MY DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FREQUENTLY GOES OUT WITH THE MESSAGE, "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT." IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON SOMETIMES THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, SOMETIMES NOT.

124mo ago
Electrical 1

HEATED SEAT ELEMENT BURNED OR MELTED THE SEAT WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF OVERNIGHT. PASSENGER SEAT LEATHER IS NOW SEPARATED, SHRIVELED (HARD AS A ROCK) AND WOULD HAVE BURNED THE PASSENGER IF THEY HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT.

129mo ago
Electrical 1

DRIVER HEADLIGHT DIPPED INFO ON DASH. HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF OR FLICKERS TILL IT TURNS OFF AND MUST TURN ALL LIGHTS OFF ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND RESET LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK AND FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HEADLIGHT WITH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, POLICE HAVE CITIED ME TWICE FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A FATALITY CRASH INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ON AUDI VEHICLE'S. ALSO THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 0 TO 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOON ON I95 IN MIAMI AS I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AT 0430 A.M. *TR

139mo ago
Electrical 2

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WITH AND THE MESSAGE, "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" CAME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPEN I STOPPED TO FILL UP WITH GAS AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WAS GONE AND THE HEADLIGHT WAS BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED A SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR

147mo ago
Electrical 2

BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM DEALER, USED, LOW MILEAGE, GREAT CAR. HEADLIGHTS WERE FILLED WITH CONDENSATION. DEALER SAID TO DRY THEM OUT AND RE-SEAL THEM. THAT DIDN'T WORK. THERE IS STILL WATER IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. IT HASN'T RAINED AND HAS NOT BEEN HUMID OUTSIDE. PULLED OVER THE FIRST NIGHT AND TOLD THEY WERE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEEDED TO GET THEM FIXED, LUCKILY JUST A WARNING ISSUED, NO TICKET. I CAN'T SEE AT NIGHT WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION/WATER THAT HAS ACCUMULATED IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THIS SHOULD BE A PROBLEM THAT AUDI RECALLS. IT'S NOT SAFE DUE TO DECREASED VISIBILITY, NO VISIBILITY AT TIMES, AND THE CAR WON'T PASS THE STATE INSPECTION UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP TOTALLY BLEW OFF MY CONCERNS TELLING ME SOME BS STORY ABOUT HOW TO FIX IT MYSELF BECAUSE THEIR LABOR RATES WERE SO HIGH. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND I REALLY HOPE AUDI ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. BOUGHT A CAR AND CAN'T EVEN PASS INSPECTION TO DRIVE IT, WORTHLESS VEHICLE AND MONEY SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. NOT HAPPY. *TR

148mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HID HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FLICKER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIP AND AS RESULT, AN ERROR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

152mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME DIM WITH LOW VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH HAVING A REFLECTOR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS BEEN OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70000.

156mo ago
Electrical 2

HAPPENS ALL THE TIME "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO ALL THEIR CARS. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE NOT WEAR AND TEAR. HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING REGARDLESS IF YOU REPLACE THEM OR NOT. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY AND THIS ISSUE STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. *TR

159mo ago
Electrical 2

THE XENON HEADLIGHTS IN MY S4 GO OUT AS THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE LIGHT MAY FLICKER. THE HEADLIGHT MAY "DIP." THE LIGHT SHUTS OFF AND I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR AND SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON FOR THE LIGHT TO REIGNITE. THE BULB AND CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW TWO YEARS LATER THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING. IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S (BASED ON FORUM DISCUSSION). *TR

166mo ago
Electrical 1

MY CAR IS A 2005.5 AUDI S4 WITH BI-XENON HID HEADLIGHTS. I ALMOST ALWAYS GET A DIPPED HEADLIGHT ERROR WHENEVER I TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS. IT OCCURS MORE OFTEN ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. THIS WILL RANDOMLY HAPPEN BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY RIGHT AFTER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SWITCHED ON. IT WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHEN THE ROAD IS EITHER ON AN INCLINE OR DECLINE, OR REALLY WHEN THE ROAD IS NOT FLAT. THE DIPPED HEADLIGHT ERROR IS CHARACTERIZED BY A FLICKERING, THEN A DIMMING, THEN ULTIMATELY, THE LIGHT TURNS OFF. THE ONLY WAY TO RE-IGNITE THE LIGHT IS TO COMPLETELY TURN OFF THE LIGHT SWITCH THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. ALTHOUGH THE AFFECTED HEADLIGHT WILL COME ON, IT WILL EVENTUALLY DIP AGAIN. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN BOTH TO ME AS A MOTORIST, TO OTHER MOTORISTS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO PEDESTRIANS. THIS WILL HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED - BOTH ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT/S COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN, THE PRECEDING FLICKERING CAN ALSO POSE A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD AS IT MAY CONFUSE ONCOMING VEHICLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY FROM AUDI MANY TIMES. AND I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM EVEN AS IT OCCURS AS SOON AS I DRIVE AWAY. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER AUDI A4/S4 OWNERS. I FEEL THIS IS CAUSE FOR AUDI TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE WITH THE OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS FOREMOST IN MIND AND WITH THE PREVALENT PROBLEM WHICH COULD SUGGEST A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. *TR

166mo ago
Electrical 2

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAMS ILLUMINATED THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL TURN OFF AND THE CAR WILL WARN OF A INOPERATIVE "DIPPED HEADLIGHT". THE HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF AT TIMES AND THIS CAUSES DISCONCERTING DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER CARS IN THE VICINITY. EVERY TIME THE LIGHT FLICKERS, THE WARNING SYSTEM CHIMES AND ALERTS TO THE MALFUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. OTHER DRIVERS ARE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY SEE YOUR HEADLIGHTS FLASHING AT THEM FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS CYCLED TO "OFF" AND BACK TO "ON", THE HEADLAMP IS RESTORED UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH ONE HEADLAMP FLICKERING OR COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO CYCLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PROPER ILLUMINATION. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM BRIEFLY OCCUR IN THE RIGHT HEADLAMP. I DRIVE IN FEAR THAT BOTH HEADLAMPS WILL GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO PREDICT WHEN THIS MIGHT HAPPEN. BESIDES THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF BEING TICKETED FOR MALFUNCTIONING LIGHTING, THERE IS A VERY REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THIS MANUFACTURER. THIS COMPLAINT IS WIDESPREAD BY HUNDREDS OF OWNERS ON MANY OWNER INTEREST WEB BOARDS. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CLEARLY DEFINED SOLUTION AND OWNERS CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY CHASING A PROBLEM WHOSE OWNERSHIP SHOULD REST ENTIRELY WITH AUDI OF NORTH AMERICA. I URGE THE NHTSA TO PURSUE A RESOLUTION WITH THE MANUFACTURER FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

171mo ago
Electrical 2

HEADLIGHTS DIP AND GO COMPLETELY DARK. TURNED OFF AND AFTER A SHORT TIME PERIOD HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON. *TR

176mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF. AFTER RESTARTING, THE HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND OCCURRED WHILE PARKED OR WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

182mo ago
Electrical 1

HELLO - I HAVE AN AUDI 2005.5 AUDI S4 AVANT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO DIP AND GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. GOOD THING BOTH IT HASN'T HAPPENED TO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I'M ABLE TO TURN OFF AND TURN ON AN GENERALLY THEY WILL COME BACK ON, OTHER TIMES NOT. *KB

182mo ago
Engine 1

2005.5 AUDI S4. 104,000 MILES. CHAIN TENSIONER DAMAGED. CAUSE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ENGINE SHOULD BE REPLACED. *TR

185mo ago

43 total

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