2012 Audi S4
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2012 Audi S4. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2012 Audi S4. Newest first.
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 vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.
Risk and remedy
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 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers.
Owner complaints
22 complaints2 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Power train
Circuit board on the mechatronics unit failed and car IS under 100K miles. sudden shaking and banging on the highway when giving it gas above 30. frequent jolts, dangerous to drive...
- Power train
The dsg transmission in my audi S4 experiences abrupt jerking from 2ND to 1ST great while decelerating. It also jerks and feels like it IS being hit while shifting from 1ST to 2ND when accelerating normally.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel injector leaking and needs replaced. my car was never on the recall list. sitting at audi dealer now.
- Power train
The gearbox malfunction screen on the dash showed up out of nowhere then followed by a parking brake malfunction then the car goes into neutral and just sits there revving the engine. I try to put it in neutral then drive but the lever gets stuck and I cant move to drive. This first happen in the…
The gearbox malfunction screen on the dash showed up out of nowhere then followed by a parking brake malfunction then the car goes into neutral and just sits there revving the engine. I try to put it in neutral then drive but the lever gets stuck and I cant move to drive. This first happen in the highway and I couldn't do anything about it and I know this car has high mileage but looking at it this transmission has problems all the way to the 2016 models. This IS something that needs to be looked at because this IS a potential hazard at highway speeds
- Power train
While driving today on the highway my 2012 audi S4 experienced the common dsg gearbox malfunction alert along woth the TPMS fault light. On the highway loosing all power and causing the vehicle slow drastically while in traffic nearly causing an accident. The amount of complaints on this same issue…
While driving today on the highway my 2012 audi S4 experienced the common dsg gearbox malfunction alert along woth the TPMS fault light. On the highway loosing all power and causing the vehicle slow drastically while in traffic nearly causing an accident. The amount of complaints on this same issue IS astonishing that audi has not taking care if this yet. This malfunction can cause a serious accident, its time to recall the dsg transmission and fix the issue!!!!!! As well as reimbursement for all the people who spend thousands of dollars trying to diagnose the issue, audi will try to make you pay upwards of $5,000 to $10,000 in repairs rather than do the right thing and fix the problem.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Coolant pump blew out causing the engine to overheat.
- Electrical system · Power train · Unknown or other
While driving in traffic, my car dropped into lower gears and stopped moving, and two error codes popped up "gearbox malfunction" and "TPMS malfunction". Looking this up online and discussing with my mechanic, this IS something happening in a lot of the cars that are this make & model and have the same transmission.
- Fuel/propulsion system
My coolant pump went out and overheated the car. The coolant leaked out. My car only has 60K miles on it. Audi recently recalled coolant pumps for this very reason on the A4, A5, A6 but havent made the recall for the s class. Please be advised this IS a serious issue and placed me and family in harms way.
- Power train
At ~61,000 miles the 2012 audi S4 started driving rough in low gears. The car has hesitation issues followed by & jerky acceleration/deceleration in low gears out of & into a stop. The reverse gear has similar hesitation & jerky acceleration. car then started periodically displaying the message…
At ~61,000 miles the 2012 audi S4 started driving rough in low gears. The car has hesitation issues followed by & jerky acceleration/deceleration in low gears out of & into a stop. The reverse gear has similar hesitation & jerky acceleration. car then started periodically displaying the message: gearbox malfunction: you can continue driving dealer diagnosed the error code as p179e - drive position sensor electrical error, which IS tsb 2032211/1
- Power train
"Takata recall" I was driving my car when I got the 'gearbox malfunction" on my dash and a check engine light. It then said that reverse was not available. The car went limp and when shifting into 2ND gear from 1ST gear would rev to very high rpms and then finally shift. I would not go above 40…
"Takata recall" I was driving my car when I got the 'gearbox malfunction" on my dash and a check engine light. It then said that reverse was not available. The car went limp and when shifting into 2ND gear from 1ST gear would rev to very high rpms and then finally shift. I would not go above 40 mph and was slow to move from a stop. I took it to the audi dealership and they told me it was the mechatronic unit. I was informed that it cost $5,400.00 dollars for them to replace the unit. I am just baffled as to why a car that IS only 6 years in age and has only 86,000 miles on it has an electrical part that IS going out so soon. Audi claims to make the best dsg transmission in the european platform, yet many have had this issue with the mechatronic unit and yet audi hasnt chosen to warrany it or even give the option to cover the drivetrain as a whole. A car that IS $40,000.00 retail new should not have this kind of issue within its early lifetime. And if this IS a mechanical item that IS going to failure so soon then why not atleast cover it or assist with an alternative transmission extended warranty.
- Electrical system · Unknown or other
Vehicle flashes a gearbox malfunction warning and most electronics went dead. Vehicle would not accelerate causing me to nearly be rear ended. After turning off car and restarting the vehicle continues to lose power randomly every mile or so. This created very unsafe conditions on a busy freeway.…
Vehicle flashes a gearbox malfunction warning and most electronics went dead. Vehicle would not accelerate causing me to nearly be rear ended. After turning off car and restarting the vehicle continues to lose power randomly every mile or so. This created very unsafe conditions on a busy freeway. The problem turned out to be a faulty sensor in the transmission. Audi has issued a technical service bulletin on this issue but will not acknowledge the huge safety issue with this defective transmission.
- Power train
While driving approaching a stoplight, I received a "gearbox malfunction. Ok to continue driving with limited functionality" error. the car then barely accelerated and I could not go more than 20mph (i was on a busy road speed limit 35mph but everyone goes about 50). I was able to finally get it…
While driving approaching a stoplight, I received a "gearbox malfunction. Ok to continue driving with limited functionality" error. the car then barely accelerated and I could not go more than 20mph (i was on a busy road speed limit 35mph but everyone goes about 50). I was able to finally get it to drive well enough to get it to the dealer. dealer said it needs a new circuit board which IS not covered by only the power train warranty, as it IS considered an electronic component.
- Electrical system
I have a complaint audi S4 and other audi cars have the same issue as I'm having you can be driving on the main road or on the highway and all of a sudden the car loses power and excelleration . I found that as a problem to the safety of me and the other people that have the same car model.
- Power train
Premature transmission mechatronic failure. car unable to reverse during a 3 point turn in a roadway across train tracks. since new the car had a clunky transmission. It progressively got worse but when brought to the dealer it was always, "operating within manufacturer's specifications" this IS…
Premature transmission mechatronic failure. car unable to reverse during a 3 point turn in a roadway across train tracks. since new the car had a clunky transmission. It progressively got worse but when brought to the dealer it was always, "operating within manufacturer's specifications" this IS the 2ND audi in a row that has been brought in multiple times for a problem that the dealer claims isn't a problem and IS "operating in specs of the manufacturer".
- Power train
Dsg transmission IS shifting very rough and sometimes slips. Also lurches forward suddenly from a stop causing the car to lunge forward.
- Power train
A gearbox malfunction (with codes p179e and p179f) may cause the car enter one of the "limp mode" states, which can cut engine power from the transmission. a message on the dash may say "gearbox malfunction" with a message if the car IS driveable or must be brought to the repair shop. in some…
A gearbox malfunction (with codes p179e and p179f) may cause the car enter one of the "limp mode" states, which can cut engine power from the transmission. a message on the dash may say "gearbox malfunction" with a message if the car IS driveable or must be brought to the repair shop. in some cases, this loss of power can make things difficult to pull over safely, as the stall can happen in an intersection, or in stop and go traffic on the freeway. audi has recognized this problem in the form of a tsb (2032211), however, all cars with this particular transmission may experience a similar issue, at any time, despite following manufacturer service intervals. the issue may appear to be intermittent and may not enter full limp mode until many miles later. my initial encounter with questionable transmission behavior was about 10-15k miles prior. this particular case documented was the worst scenario, but similar scenarios (coming off the freeway and stalling shortly after stopping, or not being able to engine brake properly due to transmission refusing to shift) have also been experienced.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel rail leaking fuel. related issues on other 2011 and 2012 audi S4
- Service brakes
I am a mechnic with 10 years of experience and I just started this new job two weeks ago. Their just three mechnics in the shop. We had a 2012 audi S4 come into the shop with the owner complaining of brake problems. The owner of the car said the somtimes all the sudden his brakes would go out while…
I am a mechnic with 10 years of experience and I just started this new job two weeks ago. Their just three mechnics in the shop. We had a 2012 audi S4 come into the shop with the owner complaining of brake problems. The owner of the car said the somtimes all the sudden his brakes would go out while he was driving and his brake pedel felt soft. I took on the work. My shop foreman told me to bleed the brakes out. So I did. I noticed tht the brake resivior had a thick green subtance in it. I knew from my experience that their was a lot of water and other contamination in the system. I imeaditly informd my foreman that the system needed to be flushed and cleaned. My foreman told me tht the car was done and to move on. I imeaditly expressed my concern and gave my professional advice that that car was not to be driving until it was fixd. The brakes could fail anytime and somone could be killed. Hrs later I looked outside and seen the cars owner and his kids get into the car and drive off. I again expressed my concern to the foreman. He had told the customer tht it was fixed. My forman just let this costmer leave out in a car with his kids the was unsafe to be on the road. The car IS a death trap. My foreman just didnt care. Next day the car came back with the costomer complaing the his brakes faild on him and that they where not fixed. If someone had been killed than it would be my foremans falt for neglance. I think he should goto jail for this. It IS moraly wrong and dangerous. Wht IS it gonna take for thease type of actions from him to stop. Hopfully not for somonemto die first.
- Power train
Dsg transmission started to shift poorly. Shifts would "slip" between gears and sometimes it would down shift very hard. This occured mostly in urban driving, stop and go.
- Power train · Service brakes · Vehicle speed control
Very abruptly shifts up or down launching the car forward without warning
- Power train
I own a 2012 audi S4 with a 7 speed dsg transmission and notice hard shifting in 1-2 and 2-1 and also into reverse and drive. I have read about this being a mechtronics unit or whole replacement of the transmission can be needed. After bringing the car into audi 4 times with these issues they…
I own a 2012 audi S4 with a 7 speed dsg transmission and notice hard shifting in 1-2 and 2-1 and also into reverse and drive. I have read about this being a mechtronics unit or whole replacement of the transmission can be needed. After bringing the car into audi 4 times with these issues they finally said that I need to replace the tcu and update software on the ecu. I asked if this will fix the issue and they said that this repair will be the first in an order of parts to be replaced to hopefully fix the problem. Next would be the mechtronics or the entire transmission. I bought the car with 29K miles and 8 months left on the factory warranty from a local small dealership. After purchasing the car and going to the dealer with these issue 4 times..now they tell me audi voided the power train warranty of the car at 5K miles due to a ecu tune. So they are denying the claim. I talked to a local tuner to see if the car had a tune on the ecu..they said no..i also called several nationwide tuners to ask them if my cars vin was on record of getting a tune and they said no. So since it was before I bought the car I do not know what company or for how long it was tuned for. the local dealer never told me while bringing the car in for transmission issues that I did not have a power train warranty until a major cost was involved. they know there are problems with these transmission hence the updated tcu and software update to the ecu as well as the updated part# of the mechtronics unit they would replace it with. this should be something audi should cover up to 100K with a tune ecu or not. A ecu tune has no control over the transmission tcu or the parts in the trans. *tr
- Fuel/propulsion system
TL* the contact owns a 2012 audi S4. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited a fuel leak. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 10,500 and the current mileage was 14,200.
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.
- 11009348This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor.
- 11009347This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11009332This bulletin provides information when there are noises and/or vibration in tight turns in vehicles with quattro drive.
- 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).
- 11009312This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender.
- 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.
- 11005878This bulletin provides information about replacing the clutch end cover.
- 11005877This bulletin provides information about replacing the clutch end cover.
- 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
- 11003019This bulletin provides informaiton for when the horn sound quality is poor.
- 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
- 11002950This bulletin provides informaiton for when the horn sound quality is poor.
- 11002912This bulletin provides information when there are speaker rattles, vibration or audio interference.
Every Audi S4 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.