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2018 Audi A4

Gas
Compact Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA44
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA31 mpg
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Audi A4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the A4 Ultra, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 44 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
A4 UltraGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo273731$2,500
A4 quattroGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo243427$2,850
A4 quattroGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo243327$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39327, 38572, 38573.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Audi A4 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Seats

74E3
208,332 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.RiskA disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixDealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
NHTSA campaign 21V874000reported Nov 10, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
44complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 17

Most-cited components

Unspecified18
Electrical System17
Structure6
Fuel/Propulsion System6
Engine5
Power Train5

What owners describe

“The contact owned a 2018 Audi A4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was a puddle of fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The ve…”Feb 12, 2026 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA owner report
“This problem is extremely sporadic, and often remedies itself after car shut down, and sometimes require that the car sit for a period of time. I estimate the following issue happens ~1 time a month, or estimated 5% of the time. Weather (temperature specifically) does not appear to impact occurance. When reversing, at …”Jan 7, 2026 · Back Over Prevention · NHTSA owner report
“My screen turns on and off consistently not allowing me to use my backup camera. Causing a small collision while backing up when the camera turned off unexpectedly. Additionally when it’s off it will auto break when I’m not close enough to hitting and it’s loud and yanked me. This has been an issue for some time …”Dec 1, 2025 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★★10%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Other A4 model years

A

2025 Audi A4

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2024 Audi A4

0 recalls · 6 complaints

A

2023 Audi A4

1 recalls · 11 complaints

C

2022 Audi A4

3 recalls · 6 complaints

C

2021 Audi A4

4 recalls · 12 complaints

C

2020 Audi A4

3 recalls · 157 complaints

A

2019 Audi A4

1 recalls · 13 complaints

F

2017 Audi A4

6 recalls · 85 complaints

A

2016 Audi A4

0 recalls · 11 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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