⌘K
Home›Audi›S4›2018
Audi · Compact car

2018 Audi S4

Gas
Compact Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
B
Safety Signal
84 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns2
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA7
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
202520242023202220212020201920182016

The 2018 Audi S4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car. The most efficient version, the S4, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 7 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
S4GasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo213024$3,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38583.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Audi S4 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (2)

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.
▲high

Air Bags

74D9
145,337 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles. Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause 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.FixAudi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.
NHTSA campaign 19V547000reported Jul 24, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
7complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 2

Most-cited components

Engine4
Power Train1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Structure1
Service Brakes1
Suspension1

What owners describe

“Water pump defect for the 3.0L ea839 turbo engine found across many Porsche and Audi models. Defect causes damage to vacuum lines, thermostat, and can eventually lead to engine failure if not resolved. No way of knowing this is happening until you start to lose coolant (which will throw an engine code), but by that poi…”Jun 6, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“My 2018 Audi S4 has a catastrophic engine failure issue and this is common with the EA839 engine. There is a knocking in the motor that is caused by internal engine parts (rocker arms needle bearings) becoming loose and dislodged. The metal shavings travel in the motor oil and destroy the engine from the inside. Hendri…”Mar 13, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“PCV housing and lines failed. Caused pressure to build up thus shooting off the oil cap shooting oil everywhere! in addition to that it is a huge fire hazard considering the turbo is right next to it.”Apr 7, 2024 · Engine · 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 AWDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★★★10%

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

Other S4 model years

A

2025 Audi S4

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2024 Audi S4

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2023 Audi S4

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2022 Audi S4

1 recalls · 1 complaints

C

2021 Audi S4

4 recalls · 2 complaints

C

2020 Audi S4

3 recalls · 16 complaints

A

2019 Audi S4

1 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2016 Audi S4

0 recalls · 0 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.

JSON for this page · API