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KLUNK
KLUNK

2011 Audi S4

The Verdict

94 Smooth Ride

The 2011 Audi S4 has 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (18 complaints) and engine (5 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 94/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Audi S4, consider the 2015 model year which has 96% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2015 has 96% fewer complaints

View the 2015 Audi S4 dashboard →

94

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.

Recalls 1

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

15V019000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected v...

Risk

A fuel leak in the injection system in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-8...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

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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

Transmission
18
Engine
5
Body
3

By Severity

1
13
2
12
3
1

Worst Problems

Complaints

Transmission 2

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.

64mo ago
Transmission 2

THIS VEHICLE IS KNOWN FOR THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AT TIMES DUE TO THE VEHICLE MAKING SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED MOVEMENTS.

82mo ago
Transmission 1

TRANSMISSION BLEW UP ON THE HIGHWAY AT CRUISING SPEED. HAS TO GET A TOW AND PAY 12000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION

90mo ago
Body 3

MY CAR IS HAVING JERKY SHIFTING WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS DRIVER, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE ENGINE GETS HOT. I HAVE HAD FELT THE CAR JERK FORWARD A COUNTLESS AMOUNT OF TIMES AND HAVE GOTTEN WHIPLASH A COUPLE TIMES WHERE I'VE BEEN IN PAIN. TRANSMISSION ON MY AUDI S4 IS GIVING THE SAME ISSUES AS MANY OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON AUDIZINE.COM AND AUDIWORLD.COM, WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS. AUDI NEEDS TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE AND DO A RECALL ON ALL B8/B8.5 S4 VEHICLES!

101mo ago
Transmission 1

MY 2011 S4 STARTED GETTING THE "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION CONTINUE DRIVING" LIGHT AT ABOUT 40,612 MILES. AT THE SAME TIME MY VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHEN STOPPING AND ACCELERATION. WHEN SHIFTING DOWN THE GEARS MAKE A CLUNKING NOISE SPECIALLY FROM 3RD AND 2ND GEAR. I WAS ABLE TO USE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I BOUGHT BECAUSE AUDI DIDN'T WANT TO COVER MY VEHICLE. AUDI SERVICE ADVISORS RECOMMEND CHANGING THE MECHATRONIC AND CIRCUIT BOARD BUT MY WARRANTY ONLY AUTHORIZED THE CIRCUIT BOARD. MY VEHICLE STILL JERKS WHEN STOPPING AS IT DOWNSHIFTS AND WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP.

102mo ago
Body 1

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 25 MPH, CAR RANDOMLY SHOWS 'GEARBOX MALFUNCTION' AND 'TPMS' SIMULTANEOUSLY. CAR DROVE IN LIMP MODE FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STANDSTILL AND PUT IT IN PARK AND TURN IT BACK ON TO DRIVE. 'TMPS' SIGN IS STILL SHOWING. POSSIBILITY OF BEING A MECHATRONIC ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY WELL KNOWN AS AN ISSUE WITH THE 2010+ AUDI S4S.

102mo ago
Engine 1

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 75,000 MILES. I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WILL NOT COVER IT. IM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.

103mo ago
Transmission 1

DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS (~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~70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE JUST GAVE UP ALL POWER AND INSTANTLY DROPPED TO ABOUT 55-60 MPH ,IN MORNING COMMUTER TRAFFIC, DUE TO BEING IN A STEEP CANYON. IT TOOK A MOMENT BEFORE THE CAR FOUND A GEAR AND GAINED POWER AGAIN. I LIMPED THE CAR TO WORK AND PARKED SOMEWHERE WHERE I CAN EASILY MOVE THE CAR IF THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL STUCK WITHOUT HALF OF THE GEARS.

108mo ago
Transmission 2

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 2-3SEC THEN DROPS ABRUPTLY INTO 3RD, WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPEED IT DOES THE SAME THING TRYING TO SHIFT INTO 4TH - SKIPS AND DROPS INTO 5TH, SAME THING INTO 6TH - SLIPS OUT OF 5TH AND DROPS HARD INTO 7TH. SLOWING DOWN WAS NOT A HUGE PROBLEM AS LONG AS YOU HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM TO TAKE IT EASY. IF YOU SLOWED TO FAST THE GEARS WOULDN'T KEEP UP AND IT WOULD JERK VERY HARD. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER SINCE IT IS A SYSTEM FACTORY FAILURE WITH THE DSG UNIT SIMPLE AS THAT. REASON WHY I AM CONTACTING THIS AGENCY AS THE CAR SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT/KILLED THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED.

112mo ago
Transmission 2

DEC 5 2016, WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN ROUTE TO A SCHEDULED SERVICE APPOINTMENT AT AUDI OF ASHEVILLE, MY 2011 AUDI S4 LURCHED AND SEVERAL WARNINGS CAME UP INCLUDING "DSG FAILURE, NO REVERSE, TPMS WARNING", FOLLOWED BY "YOU MAY CONTINUE TO DRIVE". WITHIN 5 MILES AND AT A SPEED OF APPROX 35 MPH THE VEHICLE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF DRIVE AND CAME TO A STOP IN A TWO LANE ROAD, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT NO CONNECTION WITH THE REST OF THE DRIVE-TRAIN WAS EVIDENT. I BELIEVE THE "MECHATRONICS" CONTROL UNIT FAILED CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF DRIVE AND UNCONTROLLED, UNSYNCED GEAR CHANGES. I WAS APPROX 5 MILES FROM BEING ON AN INTERSTATE WITH A 6% GRADE. VEHICLE IS ONE OWNER, ORDERED AND SERVICED EXCLUSIVELY BY AUDI, 70000 MILES, NOT ABUSED. REQUIRES COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, WITH THE NOTED EXCEPTION OF THE TRANSMISSION THERE WAS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE REST OF THE VEHICLE.

116mo ago
Transmission 1

AT ABOUT 49K MILES THE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES LURCH BACKWARDS WHEN IN REVERSE OR GOING FROM REVERSE TO PARK. TOOK INTO MECHANIC. NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES SHOWED UP. AROUND 60K MILES THE CAR OVERHEATED. AUDI STATED IT NEEDED A NEW THERMOSTAT WHICH WAS AROUND $1000. DROVE THE CAR ACROSS COUNTRY FROM CA TO CO. AROUND 62K MILES CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULD NOT GET OUT OF 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION" WARNING CAME ON. STATED NOT TO GO INTO REVERSE. DROVE HOME SLOWLY. NEXT MORNING ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF. TOOK TO MECHANIC. NO PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND. MAY 2016 AT 69K MILES CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AGAIN. COULDN'T GET RPMS UP. RESET CODES USING DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. DROVE FROM UTAH TO CO. CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE PROBABLY 40 TIMES ON I-70. CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. MADE IT TO DEALER (PRESTIGE IN LAKEWOOD, CO). MECHATRONICS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND CAR IN NEED OF ENTIRELY NEW TRANSMISSION. COST $12,000. DEALERSHIP 'PAID' $8000. I PAID $4000. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR.

120mo ago
Transmission 1

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.

124mo ago
Transmission 2

THIS VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM A FAULTY MECHATRONICS UNIT, CAUSING THE CAR TO MIS-SHIFT AND SURGE WHILE DRIVING, OR FAIL TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN STOPPED IN TRAFFIC IN "D" DRIVE, DUE TO PARKING BRAKE DRIVE-SELECT MALFUNCTIONS. IN THESE CASES THE CAR MUST BE TURNED OFF, IN TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN. THIS TECHNIQUE HAS WORKED SO FAR BUT I AM AFRAID THIS WILL NOT WORK EVENTUALLY, AND BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE ON THE ROADWAY.

127mo ago
Engine 2

ENGINE - EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (1QT REFILL IS REQUIRE FOR EVERY 750MILES). DSG TRANSMISSION ' GETTING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DRIVE ON DASHBOARD. THIS IS DUE TO P179E - DRIVE RANGE SENSOR ELECTRICAL ERROR.

130mo ago
Transmission 2

AFTER TURNING MY CAR ON A GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WARNING APPEARED BUT SAID I COULD CONTINUE DRIVING. AFTER DRIVING THE MESSAGE AND SERVICE LIGHT EVENTUALLY WENT OFF WITH EVERYTHING GOING BACK TO NORMAL. THE CAR APPEARS TO HAVE A VERY COMMON MECHATRONIC UNIT ISSUE THAT IS PART OF THE FAULTY DSG THAT AUDI HAS PUT IN THE B8 S4 MODEL.

131mo ago
Transmission 2

VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT STRANGE SHIFTING BEHAVIOR IN LOW GEARS. WHEN UPSHIFTING OR DOWNSHIFTING FROM 1-2-3 AND VICE VERSA THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES HESITATE OR SHIFT INAPPROPRIATELY. AUDI DEALERSHIP UPDATED SOFTWARE AND CHECKED THE PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS NOT ANY ERROR CODES. PROBLEM WOULD COME AND GO USUALLY WHEN IT WAS HOT OUTSIDE. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR (SEPT 2015) CAR HAS AGAIN BEEN ODDLY SHIFTING IN LOW GEARS AND EVEN REVVING TO HIGH RPMS BEFORE DOWNSHIFTING IN AUTOMATIC MODE. CAR FINALLY THREW AND ERROR CODE SAYING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION AND CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT FIND THE RIGHT GEARS TO SHIFT. CAR HAS BEEN EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF MECHATRONIC UNIT FAILURE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

131mo ago
Transmission 2

ROUGH/CLUNKING SHIFTING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD, OR LACK POWER WHEN ACCELERATING.

131mo ago
Engine 2

I WAS ACCELERATING, AFTER LEAVING A RESTAURANT, INTO TRAFFIC. I RECEIVED THE "DSG MALFUNCTION LIGHT" AND SUDDENLY AT ABOUT 20MPH MY LURCHED FORWARD AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE AND SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. CAR RESTARTED AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS BUT DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD GO WITHOUT NOTICE. IF I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND THROTTLE WENT OUT SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. *TR

140mo ago
Transmission 1

I WAS CRUISING AT APPROX. 55MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK. I HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF ANYTHING PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND DECELERATING AS IF I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I MADE AN EMERGENCY MERGE INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN AND WAS LUCKILY NOBODY REAR ENDED ME. AFTER INSPECTION OF MY TIRES WHICH WERE OK I GOT BACK IN CAR. D OR R WOULD NOT WORK. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE.

140mo ago
Transmission 1

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS CLUNK WHEN COMING TO A STOP FROM 3, 2, TO 1, AND SHIFTS NOISILY AND ABRUPTLY PARTICULARLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OR IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES IE MIDDLE OF SUMMER ON A HOT DAY. *TR

140mo ago

26 total

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