AutoUtility currently tracks 81 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Audi A4. Air Bags & Restraints issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 27 complaints (33.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 2 report one or more injuries. The 2017 Audi A4 belongs to the 5th Generation (B9) platform.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
19 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"I have been trying to register my vehicle in California for several months, however, in order to do so, I need the car to pass SMOG. Initially I was told that the issue was related to an emissions sensor and that I had to drive the vehicle a few more miles to get the sensor to register properly...."
"The headlights on my 2017 Audi A4 have developed stress cracks in the headlamp housing. According to the inspection performed by an authorized Audi dealer, these cracks will obscure headlight projection and lower the visibility range at night. The dealer specifically noted there were no signs of..."
"The Audi "Drive Select" transmission function switches to "Sports Mode" in rain and snow. This makes the vehicle dangerously jumpy in slippery conditions. This has happened to me (I think) three times in the last couple of years, always in rain or snow. My knowledge of the car allowed me to slowly..."
"I experienced similar undesirable engine behavior on two occasions. Upon coming to a stop, the auto start/stop system stopped the engine. Shortly after, when attempting to drive away, the stop/start system attempted to start the engine, but failed; the starter briefly activated to turn over the..."
"Coolant leak from thermostat/ water pump housing."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2025)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Audi A4 | 45 | 4 | 1 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Audi A4 | 25 | 0 | 0 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Audi A4 Current Page | 81 | 4 | 1 | Current |
| 2018 Audi A4 | 49 | 1 | 2 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Audi A4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Audi A4 | 143 | 1 | 3 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Audi A4 | 13 | 3 | 4 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Audi A4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Audi A4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Audi A4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Audi A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 30 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2017 Audi A4
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2017 Audi A4 is Air Bags & Restraints, appearing in 27 records (33.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (19) and Electrical System (10).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 81 consumer defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign for the 2017 Audi A4.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Audi A4, 4 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 2 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.