The Audi A4 is a compact sedan that targets the luxury audience and Audi has managed to capture a good portion of users. The 2013 Audi A4 has sold over 38,000 units and that is a decent number for a small sedan that cost $32,500. The German brands are known to be sturdy as well as reliable, and the A4 proves to be that. Users have had a few issues with the car and the A4 carries a total of 100 complaints on NHTSA with 4 recalls. The car mostly faces issues with the engine timing chain or the steering but the numbers are fairly low when compared to a few of its rivals. The Audi A4 is up against cars like the Lexus IS 250, the Mercedes Benz C Class, and the Acura TL.
2013 Audi A4 Sedan Problems, Issues, Complaints, Recalls, and Which Year to Avoid
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Battery – The car was said to not start very often and there weren’t any issues found by the dealers in the diagnosis. The battery was inspected and the ground connector had corrosion, which disturbed the power supply to the ignition coil. Replacing the connector fixed the issue.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – Users were facing an abrupt stalling issue and they also reported hearing a noise from the engine bay. The car had to be inspected and the mechanics found a loose timing chain that was said to skip a couple of teeth while the engine was running. This damaged the head vales, instantly cutting the power off. The mechanics stated that the timing belt tensioner had to be replaced along with a new belt and head valves.
- Engine cooling – Users noticed a warning light flashing, which denoted that the car had a possible coolant leak. The car had to be diagnosed and the mechanics stated that the water pump had failed and replacing it can prevent the error from being displayed and also from the engine overheating and ultimately failing.
- Fuel system – Occupants started smelling gasoline in the car and they described the smell to be as if someone poured fuel inside the cabin. The car had to be taken to the dealers and they found a fuel leak under the rear seats that was said to come from the gas tank. The gas tank had to be resealed and the under-seat area had to be thoroughly deep cleaned.
- Transmission – The users complained that the gearbox had a faulty shift pattern with a transmission fault indicator message displayed on the dashboard. Dealers confirmed the issue to be caused by a faulty transmission control unit that needed to be replaced.
- Steering – The steering wheel was said to need constant corrections to keep the vehicle in a straight line as the wheel either slightly moves to the right or left. The dealers diagnosed the issue and claimed it to work as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but no updates were received.
Safety Problems
- Airbag – Users reported that the airbags failed to deploy during a crash and this caused serious injuries to the driver as well as the occupants. Audi claimed this to be a software issue and recalled multiple models in order to fix the glitch.
2013 Audi A4 recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
11th April 2018 |
18V229000 |
Coolant pump may overheat or short-circuit. |
A blocked pump or a short-circuit pump may increase the risk of a fire. |
The dealers will replace the coolant pump. |
|
2. |
5th October 2017 |
17V622000 |
Auxiliary heater electrical connector may melt. |
Contact corrosion within the electrical connector for the auxiliary heater may cause the heater wires to overheat or melt, increasing the risk of a fire. |
The auxiliary heater will be replaced and the software will be updated. |
|
3. |
3rd January 2013 |
17V002000 |
Coolant pump may overheat and cause a fire. |
If the coolant pump blocks the debris from the cooling system, the pump can overheat and lead to a possible fire. |
Dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked. |
|
4. |
24th October 2014 |
14V667000 |
Front airbag may not deploy on secondary impact. |
Due to an improper algorithm in the airbag control module, the airbags may not deploy during a secondary impact. |
The airbag control module software will be updated. |
Should you buy the 2013 Audi A4?
As far as reliability is concerned, the 2013 Audi A4 is a great car with an equal premium feel and daily usability. Audi has managed to deliver a sedan that does not eat up a lot of money when it comes to maintenance. However, users have faced a steering balance issue with the car which slightly turns the wheel to either side. The fact that not a lot of cars were said to have this issue does not affect the reliability that this car has to offer. The Audi A4 is perfect for someone looking for a luxury sedan that does not cause many issues and requires a lot of money to maintain. The car did have multiple software updates rolled out we recommend getting them done before picking the car up from the dealership.
