2010 Audi S4
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2010 Audi S4. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
60 complaints2 involved a crash
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine · Fuel/propulsion system · Power train
Unknown
- Power train
Once car IS put into reverse it launches back ? Also in first one put in cost it wants to move practically forward .
- Power train
Car slammed into different gear, wasn't able to shift into 2ND and threw gearbox malfunction and TPMS errors. thankfully I was near home and able to make it there without an accident or being stranded, but my car IS now immobile. I spoke with audi and they said it will likely be a $4K repair…
Car slammed into different gear, wasn't able to shift into 2ND and threw gearbox malfunction and TPMS errors. thankfully I was near home and able to make it there without an accident or being stranded, but my car IS now immobile. I spoke with audi and they said it will likely be a $4K repair (mechatronics unit). after researching this more, it seems to be a common problem with these cars. it can happen at any time and can be extremely dangerous. there's also a pending class action lawsuit to get audi to do the right thing and recall these cars and fix them.
- Electrical system · Power train
My car flashed gearbox malfunction while driving down interstate I-264 in louisville ky. car seamed fine for about 2 miles and then suddenly went limp and I had no gears. had to hit flashers and coast into median. was almost hit by semi truck. repair shop could not find anything wrong. happened again 1 day after getting it back from shop. taking it to audi now. I have read that this IS a common problem.
- Power train
Mechatronic issues.
- Power train
The whole car jerked when going to 2ND gear and then thetpms, no reverse, and gear malfunction lights comes on. 2ND, 4TH, 6TH, and reverse gear are gone. restarting the car cleared the warning and drove fine for 10 miles before it happens again. try restarting again to clear the warning but light will come back on when going to 2ND or reverse.
- Power train
Gearbox failure seems to be common issue on the 2010 model. Seems a replacement mechatronics unit or full transmission will need to be done to resolve the issue.
- Electrical system · Power train
It happened again today driving down the highway going up to speed, at about 50 mph I got a "gearbox malfunction" error message in the cluster and it would not let me accelerate anymore, it was like the car was in neutral and pressing the accelerator pedal would just rev up the engine. The…
It happened again today driving down the highway going up to speed, at about 50 mph I got a "gearbox malfunction" error message in the cluster and it would not let me accelerate anymore, it was like the car was in neutral and pressing the accelerator pedal would just rev up the engine. The mechatronics unit on these vehicles are faulty, I know 2 other S4 owners with the years of 2011 and 2012 who also had their mechatronics fail on their S4. Along with the gearbox malfunction error also comes "parking brake error" who knows what in the world can happen when that message comes up. IS it going to suddenly apply the electronic parking brake going 50-70 mph down the highway and cause a possibility of a very bad accident? The repair IS very pricey for the mechatronic unit that goes bad, it IS no coincidence many of these S4 models have these go bad.
- Electrical system · Power train
Vehicle was in motion, the mechatronics unit on my car IS failing and just many many other vehicles of the same make, model, and year. The vehicle can stop engaging gears at any speed and can be very dangerous at any speed, especially on the highway
- Power train
Transmission failure. Lurching from a stop and lurching during shift changes.
- Power train
Vehicle was at a stop at a traffic light with brake engaged and vehicle suddenly engaged into gear and tried to surge forward. Had to put the transmission into neutral to disengage gear. in other instances, vehicle will slam into gear abruptly when accelerating from a full stop, and also lunges forward unpredictably. These incidents are all related to a failing automatic dsg transmission.
- Electrical system · Power train · Vehicle speed control
Gearbox malfunction and TPMS malfunction while driving on the road within the city about 45mph I felt a slight jerk and immediately following the warnings came on in the dashboard "tire pressure! System malfunction" & "gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear (you can continue driving)" throttle…
Gearbox malfunction and TPMS malfunction while driving on the road within the city about 45mph I felt a slight jerk and immediately following the warnings came on in the dashboard "tire pressure! System malfunction" & "gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear (you can continue driving)" throttle response was off and forced me to immediately puller over! while stopped I re-started the vehicle and the warnings went away, I sat there for a couple minutes and then continued driving. Few miles down the road the vehicle jerked again and warnings came back on, I needed to get to work so I continued driving; the car would take very long to shift gears and it would jump from 1ST to 3RD, from 3RD to 5TH and 5TH to 7TH gear jerking kind of violently every-time and throttle response between shifts was very lethargic to the point that the vehicle would slow down severely and I felt unsafe due to cars getting really close to my rear and them having to slow down drastically while the car shifted gears. due to the number of complaints I strongly feel that audi should be liable and held accountable for all repairs necessary and accidents that this issue can cause. if this issue would of presented itself while traveling at 75mph on the highway I believe it could of been a case of life & death. audi IS putting the people driving their vehicles and others around at risk by not recalling an unit or units known to cause problems.
- Power train
Gearbox malfunction
- Power train
Audi 7SP dl501 's-tronic' transmission for: 2010-2015 audi S4 and S5, 2013-2015 audi RS5, S6 and S7. Vehicles experience mechatronic unit failure and clutch faults. Resulting in: sudden shaking and violent 'juddering,' hesitation from the car when pressing the gas pedal, a 'surge' forward that…
Audi 7SP dl501 's-tronic' transmission for: 2010-2015 audi S4 and S5, 2013-2015 audi RS5, S6 and S7. Vehicles experience mechatronic unit failure and clutch faults. Resulting in: sudden shaking and violent 'juddering,' hesitation from the car when pressing the gas pedal, a 'surge' forward that feels like the car has been rear-ended, and hard downshifting or clunking when slowing down or driving at slow speeds. Also clunking and trouble shifting gears, difficulty engaging into drive or reverse. Vehicle showing "gearbox malfunction, you can continue driving" "gearbox malfunction, do not continue driving" vehicle going into "limp mode" in any driving situation. Clutches not engaging properly, slipping between gears. Issues can occur while trying to accelerate, merging into traffic, driving up a hill, shifting gears at a low speed. my experience: while switching vehicles in driveway, vehicle when into reverse and I backed up, then stopped, put transmission into drive and after a jolt forward, vehicle felt like it stalled, however engine was still running, but no forward gear, (epc light illuminated) vehicle then rolled backwards into parked vehicle, but could have been catastrophic had it jumped back into drive as 3RD car, father, and garage were in front path. 2ND time: vehicle could not reverse,(epc light illuminated) ran into parking curb while expecting to go backwards. 3RD time: after finally getting out of the parking spot (restarting car for the 4TH time and epc lights) put into drive, vehicle surged forward, then transmission disengaged,(epc light illuminated) leaving me and vehicle vulnerable for rear collision,with leg out of the door I was able to push and coast my vehicle out of the way, just to miss being rear ended, as car would not engage in drive after 3 attempts of cycling ignition.
- Power train
Vehicle's transmission became non-operational while driving on the highway. This was due to multiple failed sensors in the "s tronic transmission integrated sensors" module. Early sensor failure has been a known issue as audi issued tsb 35 12 08 2032211/1 on december 21, 2012 (only 3 years after…
Vehicle's transmission became non-operational while driving on the highway. This was due to multiple failed sensors in the "s tronic transmission integrated sensors" module. Early sensor failure has been a known issue as audi issued tsb 35 12 08 2032211/1 on december 21, 2012 (only 3 years after original model production began) outlining the problem. The failure causes an obvious safety hazard and no recall has been issued.
- Power train
My S4 threw the "gearbox malfunction, reverse disabled" as well as a TPMS error code while in traffic, and went into limp mode and would not allow me to accelerate. Very dangerous, and inconvenient. Limped home at very slow speed while transmission clunked and struggled to change gears. The code…
My S4 threw the "gearbox malfunction, reverse disabled" as well as a TPMS error code while in traffic, and went into limp mode and would not allow me to accelerate. Very dangerous, and inconvenient. Limped home at very slow speed while transmission clunked and struggled to change gears. The code has gone away since I restarted the vehicle, and now it lunges forward when you're coming to a stop, which makes you feel like you've been hit from behind. Taking off from a stop IS bouncy and super jerky. If I hesitate before accelerating from a stop, it will sometimes go smoothly. The engine rpm's surge while coasting to a stop, or going down, hill especially with foot off the pedal.
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting · Power train
When driving in regular drive box indicator comes on. Saying gearbox malfunction limited function. I only have 63125 miles and keep my car maintenance.
- Power train
One week after purchasing car, car exhibiting symptoms of mechatronics unit failure (bang/jerk when stopping, rpm jumpy in 1/2ND gear, reverse IS jumpy).
- Power train
TPMS & gearbox malfunction car will not drive in reverse and jerk in forward gears while also increasing revs all by itself. major safety hazard as the car was in motion on a major busy road!
- Power train
My S4 lunges at stops, or it feels like I've been hit from behind. Takeoff from a stop IS bouncy, bouncy reversing, especially uphill. if I take my foot off the breaks and hesitate before accelerating, sometimes it's smooth. The tac bounces while coasting to a stop, or going down hill with foot…
My S4 lunges at stops, or it feels like I've been hit from behind. Takeoff from a stop IS bouncy, bouncy reversing, especially uphill. if I take my foot off the breaks and hesitate before accelerating, sometimes it's smooth. The tac bounces while coasting to a stop, or going down hill with foot off the pedal. these issues have been intermittent the last several years, but are now more profound. I've taken the car to my local dealer several times to no avail. Very frustrating to pay 50K for a car that drives like this, while audi pretends it's not a problem. Lots of these issues in various forums.
- Engine · Unknown or other · Vehicle speed control
My audi S4 2010 IS having a mechatronic issue. While driving my vehicle down the street it dropped a gear and a error message popped up stating gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear. My vehicle was then unable to reverse and also kept dropping and jumping to different gears. It made a very unsafe…
My audi S4 2010 IS having a mechatronic issue. While driving my vehicle down the street it dropped a gear and a error message popped up stating gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear. My vehicle was then unable to reverse and also kept dropping and jumping to different gears. It made a very unsafe and scary drive,i held up alot of traffic trying to drive back to my house. To get a new mechatronic cost betwenn 3-8 thousand dollars. Also there are thousands of audi owners on the web who are having the same issue. I think audi should recall this part that IS causing so many issues with the vehicle.
- Power train
Possible dsg transmission failure gearbox malfunction error message on dash.
- Power train
"Warning: gearbox malfunction- you can continue driving" appears after about 15 minutes of driving. the car does not malfunction, changes gears without problems, and warning remains on screen. car has 58K miles and has been well maintained. took to audi dealership and advised module G676 IS…
"Warning: gearbox malfunction- you can continue driving" appears after about 15 minutes of driving. the car does not malfunction, changes gears without problems, and warning remains on screen. car has 58K miles and has been well maintained. took to audi dealership and advised module G676 IS bad. cost to repair: $5334.39. there IS a tsb for this warning on this issue for several years of audis. audi will not cover any of the costs to repair although they realize this IS a common failure among this vehicle. this IS a manufacturer issue!! why are they not being held accountable?
- Service brakes
Follow up on audi S4 2010: electronic parking brake disengaged while parked in sloped parking lot. Car rolled back into another parked vehicle causing 1800 dollars worth of damage. Called the audi dealership about this issue and they claim "they have never heard of it. " I did some research and apparently this problem has been reported by approximately 6 other people on audi forums such as audiforum.com
- Service brakes
Audi S4 2010, electronic parking break randomly disengaged while parked in a sloped parking lot. Car rolled back into another vehicle causing 1800 dollars of damage.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11011303This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate.
- 11011285This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings.
- 11011282This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted.
- 11011240This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
- 11009983Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available
- 11009941This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system.
- 11009928This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds.
- 11009375This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern.
- 11009356This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes.
- 11009351This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing.
- 11009347This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11009327This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles.
- 11009313This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC).
- 11007345This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.
- 11007315This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11007305This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints.
- 11007297This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled.
- 11007264This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.
- 11007234This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11007224This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints.
- 11007216This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled.
- 11005935This bulletin provides informaiton when there are speaker rattles, vibrations or audio interference in the sound system.
- 11005911This bulletin provides informatin for the GFF test plan that is requied for AC compressor replacements.
- 11005884This bulletin provides service information pertaining to noises from wheel input shaft/drive shaft.
- 11005865This bulletin provides information when there are noises/vibration from the front of the vehicle while in dynamic mode.
- 11005861This bulletin provides information when there is a fault shown; Engine: start/stop system, and the start system is not working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles.
- 11005848This bulletin provides Audi technicians with information to prepare for contact to the Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
- 11003026This bulletin provides informationw hen there are optical concerns with the tail lights.
- 11003024This bulletin provides informaiton when there are speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference.A1
- 11002981This bulletin provides information when there are speaker rattles, vibration or audio interference.
- 11002957This bulletin provides informationw hen there are optical concerns with the tail lights.
- 11002955This bulletin provides informaiton when there are speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference.A1
- 11002912This bulletin provides information when there are speaker rattles, vibration or audio interference.
- 11002235This bulletin provides information when the door handle touch sensors for Audi advanced key are inoperative.
- 11002234This bulletin provides information when the exterior trunk handle is inoperative.
- 11002216This bulletin provides information for when there is a fluid sample request from Product Support.
- 11002208This bulletin provides information on the ordering procedures for VIN Plates, and Safety Certification labels.
- 11002135This bulletin provides information when the door handle touch sensors for Audi advanced key are inoperative.
- 11002134This bulletin provides information when the exterior trunk handle is inoperative.
- 11002116This bulletin provides information for when there is a fluid sample request from Product Support.
Every Audi S4 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.