- Safety
- 0
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 3
- on record
- MPG
- 23
- combined
Open recalls on record
3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Audi S4
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 16
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
3 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V874000high
Safety restraint issue
SEATS
Volkswagen 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.
Consequence
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers 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 crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Audi S4.
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 9.9%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA published rollover resistance for this vehicle but not frontal crash, side crash and side pole. An untested area is not a poor result — it means no published data exists, and the overall star rating is calculated without it.
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.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2020 Audi S4, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
20
City
27
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $3,300
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 393 g/mi
How this compares
At 23 MPG combined, the 2020 Audi S4 ranks 17th of 18 compact cars EPA rated for 2020 — 7 MPG short of the 30 MPG median for that group.
That places it among the thirstiest vehicles in its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $3,300, $1,225 more than the $2,075 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $16,500, a $6,125 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 393 grams per mile — about 5.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
16 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 16
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ELECTRICAL14
- OTHER1
- ADAS1
Normal Range
16 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Audi S4, newest first.
- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Recall
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
- Compact Cars
- Drive type
- All-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 3L 6-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (S8)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
20
City
27
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual cost
- $3,300
- Fuel
- Premium Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Recall
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.