2015 Audi A4

Showing the 2015 A4 Premium. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
24–26 mpgcombined; city 21–24, highway 30–32; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,480–$16,770U.S. average; Ohio $14,580–$15,800 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
4over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
44filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2015 A4. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 A4. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine16000
Electrical system7001
Power train6000
Air bags4405
Engine and engine cooling4000
Unknown or other4000
Fuel/propulsion system3000
Steering3000
Exterior lighting2000
Structure2103
Back over prevention1000
Forward collision avoidance1000
3 more parts
Seat belts1000
Visibility/wiper1000
Wheels1103

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2006298
  2. 2007219
  3. 2008191
  4. 2009144
  5. 201064
  6. 201143
  7. 201245
  8. 2013111
  9. 201478
  10. 201544
  11. 201626
  12. 201786
  13. 201854
  14. 201913
  15. 2020158
  16. 202112
  17. 20227
  18. 202311
  19. 20246
  20. 20251

Every A4 year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2015 A4 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Engine and engine cooling: cooling system

NHTSA campaign 18V229000 · reported Apr 11, 2018 · 342,867 vehicles potentially affected

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can either become blocked with debris from the cooling system causing it to overheat or can short-circuit from moisture within the pump.

Risk: A blocked pump or a short-circuited pump can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pumps, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number's for this recall is 19N3/19N4. Note: This recall is in additional to the coolant pump software update applied as a remedy under recall 17V002.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system: wiring

NHTSA campaign 17V622000 · reported Oct 5, 2017 · 216,913 vehicles potentially affected

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A5 Coupe, A5 Cabriolet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad and Q5 vehicles. Contact corrosion within the electrical connector for the auxiliary heater may cause the heater wires to overheat or melt.

Risk: The melted wires can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the auxiliary heater and, as necessary, update the software, free of charge. The Recall began November 27, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 80C5 and 80C6.

NHTSA's record and documents

Engine and engine cooling: cooling system

NHTSA campaign 17V002000 · reported Jan 3, 2017 · 342,867 vehicles potentially affected

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can be blocked with debris from the cooling system, resulting in the pump overheating.

Risk: If the coolant pump overheats, it can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked with debris, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19M1.

NHTSA's record and documents

Air bags

NHTSA campaign 14V667000 · reported Oct 24, 2014 · 101,938 vehicles potentially affected

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 vehicles manufactured February 16, 2012, to October 21, 2014, and 2013-2015 Audi Allroad vehicles manufactured March 12, 2012, to October 21, 2014. Due to an improper algorithm in the air bag control module, if a crash necessitates deployment of the side air bags, a second impact to the front of the vehicle may not command the front air bags to also deploy.

Risk: If the front air bags do not deploy in the event of a secondary impact to the front of the vehicle, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will update the air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on November 14, 2014. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69K5.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 935 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2015 A4, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (315), electrical system (199), engine and engine cooling (70), unknown or other (67), service brakes (51).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2015 A4.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
A4
Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (AV-S8)Premium Gasoline24 / 31 / 26
A4 quattro
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboManual 6-spdPremium Gasoline22 / 32 / 26
A4 quattro
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S8)Premium Gasoline or E8521 / 30 / 24

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data