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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2021 Audi A4

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
32
combined

Open recalls on record

4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2021 Audi A4

4 recalls
11 complaints
32 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 4 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 3 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 11 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
11
Complaints citing a crash
3

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 21V606000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

    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).

    Full campaign record
  • 22V034000high

    Tire/wheel issue

    TIRES

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V295000high

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V742000high

    Rear-visibility system issue

    BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Audi A4.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    4 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    9.9%
    Dynamic tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Standard
Lane departure warning
Standard

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2021 Audi A4 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 9.9% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2021 Audi A4 Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2021 Audi A4 Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2021 Audi A4 Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2021 Audi A4, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,641
Tailpipe CO₂
278 g/mi

How this compares

The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2021 Audi A4 against its peers.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

11 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

11
Total
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ELECTRICAL3
  • ENGINE2
  • SUSPENSION2
  • WHEELS/TIRES1
  • ADAS1

Notable Issues

11 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries. 3 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)3
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)2
suspension problems (noise, handling, ride quality)2

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Audi A4, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 22V742000

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

  2. Recall

    Recall 22V034000

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

  3. Recall

    Recall 21V606000

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

  4. Recall

    Recall 21V295000

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

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sedan
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual cost
$1,641
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Audi A4 years

Common problems

Audi A4 problems

334 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 22V742000

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

  2. Recall

    Recall 22V034000

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

  3. Recall

    Recall 21V606000

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

  4. Recall

    Recall 21V295000

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