2021 AUDI A4

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

4RecallsNHTSA Verified11ComplaintsNHTSA Data1InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
ℹ️Average Safety Profile

This 2021 model shows average reliability, primarily driven by 4 recalls affecting the seat belts system.

Key Factor:seat belts recalls

πŸ“‹Why This Matters

Understanding recall history helps predict future ownership costs. Each unaddressed issue represents potential repair expenses.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Focus Area:general reliability
πŸ“Š

Expert Analysis

  • πŸ“ˆ
    Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
  • ⚠️
    Primary Risk Area:Acceleration Issues
  • βš–οΈ
    Vs Brand: Worse than avg (1.8)
    πŸ“
    Summary:
Critical Component: Acceleration Issues

Safety & Reliability Score

62/100
Average

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-32
Complaint Impact-0.55
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2021 AUDI A4

Model Year2021
MakeAUDI
ModelA4
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more β†’
Jan21
NEWProduction
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
May21
RECALLRecall Issued
May21
ISSUEFirst Report
May22
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

3 complaints (27% of total)
➑️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
βœ…

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 11 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟑Medium
5(45%)
🟒Low
6(55%)
βœ…Good News: No critical or high-severity complaints reported for this vehicle.

Mileage Failure Analysis

βš™οΈEngineering Insight

Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 0-20k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 15,809 miles.

πŸ“Š Mileage data extracted from 4 of 11 complaints (36% coverage)
0-20k
3 reports (75%)
20k-40k
1 reports (25%)
40k-60k
0 reports (0%)
60k-80k
0 reports (0%)
80k-100k
0 reports (0%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

πŸ› οΈ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

SEAT BELTSTIRESSUSPENSIONBACK OVER PREVENTION

Official Safety Recalls (4)

Campaign: 21V606000

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V034000

TIRES

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence

Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V295000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Consequence

A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V742000

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence

A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2021 A4.

INV-2021-1000🟒 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding A4 performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 21,426

Consumer Complaints

11 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2021 A4.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Acceleration Issues27%
Warning27%
Crash/Accident18%
Accident9%
Display9%
Blank9%
Noise9%
Shake9%
Jerk9%
Check Engine Light9%
ElectricalπŸ”΅ Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The instrument cluster has stop working. Have to monitore vehicle information, Mileage, service, Safty notifications and general vehicle information from the Audi app.

Oct 8, 2025Under Review
OtherπŸ”΅ Low
TIRES

Tires are original equipment. Only 19,000 miles on them. Was told all 4 tires have belt shifts and hop some. Suggested they should be replaced. These tires were great when new but you could tell from driving they were degrading. I'm [XXX] and never had an issue with tires this new. The belt shifting could be a manufacturing issue or hitting to many potholes. I suspect it is a combination of the two. Tire size is 245/40R18. Looking at internet reviews, these tires are great but wear out very prematurely. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Aug 31, 2025Under Review
Engine/PowertrainπŸ”Ά Medium
POWER TRAIN

I am writing to report a persistent issue with my 2021 Audi A4, VIN [XXX] . I have been experiencing a noticeable vibration, humming, and shuddering sensation that occurs specifically when turning at slow speeds (e.g., in a parking lot or when making a tight turn at an intersection). This issue has been diagnosed at a dealership, and the diagnostic report from the service invoice dated 07/12/2025 noted "VIBRATION HUMMING SHUDDER WHILE TURNING." The vehicle's mileage at the time was 38,888 miles. Dealership diagnosed this issue as a failing AWD clutch system. I took the car to a different repair shop, and they redirected me to the Audi Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). The symptoms described in the TSBβ€”"vibrations, humming, droning, or rubbing can be heard and/or felt in the vehicle interior... when the steering wheel is turned to full lock"β€”perfectly matches my experience. TSB Link - [XXX] The vehicle details are: Model: Audi A4 Year: 2021 VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: 39490 Since this is an issue due to a sub-optimal part shipped by Audi, many other Audi owners are also facing similar issues. Therefore, I want to report this issue to the NHTSA and take action on cars sold by Audi. This issue divert driver attention and is a potential cause of accident while taking the turn as driver may get distracted. I already got my car serviced at Audi dealership but they didn't inform me about this issue while the car was under warranty. Now the car is out of warranty after Apr-2025, I'm facing this issue significantly and dealership is charging close to $5000 to fix the issue. Please let me know what information you require from me to proceed. I would like Audi to place a recall on the car models facing this issue and implement the fix for all owners facing the issue because of faulty part shipped by Audi of America. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Aug 16, 2025Under Review
Safety SystemsπŸ”΅ Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

The instrument cluster has failed per the recall 90VC. Audi issued the recall for every model made in 2021 with the exception of the A3 and A4 and I believe this was a mistake as my instrument cluster has the same failure.

Aug 13, 2025Under Review
ElectricalπŸ”΅ Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

I have a 2021 audi a4 that is also being affected by the instrument cluster failure/recall. My model , a4 was not included but I am experiencing the same failure and this was reported to the dealership. An online search will show just how many people have issues with the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster screen just went out while driving. I have to monitor my functions via the app on my phone. The dealer wants to charge me full price when every other model in 2021 has been recalled for the same issue. The A4 should be added to the instrument cluster recall for 2021 audi.

Aug 1, 2025Under Review
ElectricalπŸ”Ά Medium
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The main instrument cluster is not stable- it tries to start up then crashes. As a result, speedometer, rpm’s, gas tank gauge, etc are not available while driving. The screen displays blank with a red triangle, tries to start up then crashes again. This seems similar to Audi recall campaign 90VC, but for some reason the A4 was not included in the recall, but I’m having similar symptoms with my A4.

Jun 18, 2025Under Review
Engine/PowertrainπŸ”΅ Low
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

The vehicle at 13,xxx miles on the high ways, and during stop & go traffic; vehicle begins to tremble, transmission and floor shakes, rpms are higher than normal, abnormal noises coming from engine (screeching), jerking on acceleration on the first gears, rough idle, happens only on highways after 1hr of driving. Can drive over 40 min without any check engine light turning on. No codes come up, while clearly having issues. After a day of being off, car goes back to normal without those issues, just vibrations and pulsing on idle. -happens on Texas highways where vehicle begins to have trouble with acceleration and transmission shakes yet no check engine or error messages appear. -problem has been shown to one Audi dealer while happening and another Audi dealer was able to reproduce the problem. They even noted how vehicle will do all the issues noted above while not providing any error codes or messages. - vehicle has been inspected but all they do is reset software and hand back keys. While issues are still prevalent. - no warning, no over heat or any codes appear on the vehicle. Issues started at 13,xxx miles. Only on long highway or stop and go traffic does it happens

Apr 1, 2025Under Review
OtherπŸ”Ά Medium
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The reversing image occasionally appears white screen phenomenon During the process of reversing, the reversing screen suddenly turns white and cannot see anything behind, which brings danger to the driver and others, causing danger to life and property. Apparently the dealer didn't take this seriously

Apr 7, 2022Resolved
Steering/SuspensionπŸ”Ά Medium
SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact leased a 2021 Audi A4. The contact stated that the dealer had provided her with the vehicle rental while her vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 4 MPH and turning into a parking pace on the 4th floor of a parking garage, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated on its own at 100 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times but it failed to respond. The vehicle crashed into the fence of steel and broke a portion of the wall. The air bags deployed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained two concussions and a heart attack. The contact sought medical assistance the next day and had been seeking medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and it was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,347.

Nov 16, 2021Resolved
Steering/SuspensionπŸ”΅ Low
SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2021 Audi A4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V295000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Jul 19, 2021Resolved

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2021 AUDI A4?

Yes, the 2021 AUDI A4 has 4 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR, TIRES, SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY.

Is the 2021 AUDI A4 safe to drive?

The 2021 AUDI A4 has 4 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2021 AUDI A4 has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local AUDI dealer.

πŸ“ŠYear-over-Year Context

➑️Stable Pattern

Compared to earlier years, the 2021 model shows stable reliability patterns. No meaningful structural change detected in recall frequency between adjacent model years.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Seat belts

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm seat belts recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all seat belts recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:21V606000
2

Tires

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm tires recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all tires recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:22V034000
3

Suspension

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm suspension recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all suspension recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:21V295000
πŸ’‘Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your AUDI dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

Families with young passengers, pregnant drivers, or those with frequent highway commutes should prioritize this information.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

πŸ”‘

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 4 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your AUDI dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediatelyβ€”recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
πŸ›’

If You're Buying Used

  • Request documentation proving all recalls were addressed before finalizing purchase.
  • Factor potential recall-related service time into your ownership cost estimates.
βš–οΈ

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Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.