2012 AUDI A4 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
23
Owner Complaints
0
Recalls
29
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 AUDI A4
The 2012 AUDI A4 has received a total of 23 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. 29 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (13 complaints), Fuelpropulsion System (3 complaints), and Power Train (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 AUDI A4
There are no recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2012 AUDI A4. No Active Recalls
Owner Complaints for the 2012 AUDI A4
23 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 AUDI A4. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Audi A4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 90,512 and at the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 175,000.
There is a recall for the year after this when many Audi owners of this model have the same issue per the Audi forums. We have the coolant leaking issue as well and it should have been included in the recall
1) Turbo, not because I'm looking to replace it 2) the car could stall when merging into highway or passing on the left lane 3) Yes 4) No 5) Yes, Check Engine Light came on afterward Check engine light came on after I tried to merge into a lane, while I was stepping on the gas peddle hard there was no acceleration. While the car did not stall, but it was not moving fast enough to provide the distance I need to be safe from the car behind me.
There have been wide-spread reports & complaints with Audi A4's starting in 2009. Audi settled a class-action lawsuit in 2015 but it only covered vehicles madein 2009-2011. If you look at any Audi owner blog or any car blog you'll find thousands of complaints about excessive oil consumption resulting in owners needing to replace pistons. In my case, I was given an estimate to replace pistons & timing belt for over $8,000 in 2021. There are additional class-action lawsuits pending against Audi BUT on my own I can do nothing and I have contacted Audi multiple times since they are "clearly" well-aware of that this is a wide-spread problem with their cars. HOW IS IT the NHTSA has no information on this problem? How is it that a recall wasn't instituted years ago? What are you doing to protect consumers from Audi's refusal to help owners? It is impossible that this problem hasn't been previously reported. I need this matter resolved, I need the car repaired & I need Audi to pay for the cost of repair based on their faulty manufacturing. Given that thousands of Audi owners are affected, clearly, this should qualify as a recall.
I have continued to notice increasing oil consumption on my 2012 AUDI A4. I have mentioned this to my dealership, however they kept dismissing it as an old car. I noticed that there have been numerous reports of this with AUDI vehicles. I requested for 2 part oil consumption test, which failed. Nonetheless, they keep suggesting that there is nothing to be done. Please advise, if this meets concern similar to other consumers with this issue.
Safety Rating for the 2012 AUDI A4
The 2012 AUDI A4 received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 AUDI A4
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 29 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 AUDI A4. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
37 14 44 2032812 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
Further transmission control module (TCM), J217, software calibration needed to improve shift concerns. Further engine control module (ECM), J623, software calibration needed to improve hesitation. Hesitation concerns, harsh downshifts when braking, or harsh 1-2 upshifts.
37 14 40 2028405 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
Customer may report that the transmission warning light is on. A software change in the diagnosis function was made.
37 14 40 2028405 — POWER TRAIN
Customer may report that the transmission warning light is on. A software change in the diagnosis function was made.
37 14 42 2029027 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Customer may report transmission warning light is illuminated. In some cases, the vehicle will not move after being started and placed into gear. After key cycle, the vehicle drives without restriction.
37143920328127 — POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY
Hesitation concerns, harsh downshifts when braking, or harsh 1-2 upshifts
141820312457 — EQUIPMENT
Under certain driving conditions, the linkage for the waste gate actuation can encounter excessive wear which leads to play at the waste gate flap. This leads to boost escaping through a loose flap, which sets DTC P029900 (Negative Pressure Deviation).
37 14 29 2029027 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Customer may report transmission warning light is illuminated. In some cases, the vehicle will not move after being started and placed into gear. After key cycle, the vehicle drives without restriction. The DTCs are stored due to an issue with the transmission control module software.
37 14 27 2028405 — POWER TRAIN
Customer may report that the transmission warning light is on. A software change in the diagnosis function was made.
37 14 24 2037127 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
A jerky accelerator response is felt when the vehicle is pulled away from a stop in reverse. Incorrect calibration of clutch program. New software in the transmission control module (TCM), J217 (address word 02) addressed the condition.
37H5UPDATE — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Multitronic (NVLW)
Showing 10 of 29 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 AUDI A4
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the AUDI A4
- 2007 AUDI A4 — 226 complaints
- 2008 AUDI A4 — 203 complaints
- 2009 AUDI A4 — 150 complaints
- 2010 AUDI A4 — 77 complaints
- 2011 AUDI A4 — 17 complaints
- 2012 AUDI A4 (current)
- 2013 AUDI A4 — 27 complaints
- 2014 AUDI A4 — 38 complaints
- 2015 AUDI A4 — 23 complaints
- 2016 AUDI A4 — 18 complaints
- 2017 AUDI A4 — 75 complaints