{"id":"2018_audi_s4","make":"Audi","make_slug":"audi","model":"S4","model_slug":"s4","year":2018,"url":"/audi/s4/2018/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":38583,"model":"S4","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S8)","cyl":6,"displ":3.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":21,"hwy":30,"comb":24,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Premium","vclass":"Compact Cars","co2":374,"fe_score":5,"ghg_score":5,"fuel_cost":3250,"save_spend":-5000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"VGA","modified":"Tue May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2017"}],"vclass":"Compact Cars","segment":"Compact car","recalls":[{"campaign":"21V874000","component":"SEATS","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2021-11-10","owner_notified":"2022-01-07","units":208332,"summary":"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.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"74E3","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V547000","component":"AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2019-07-24","owner_notified":"2019-09-09","units":145337,"summary":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Audi RS5 Sportback, 2018 S5 Cabriolet, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, S4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, and 2017-2018 A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad vehicles.  Oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) connecting cable may cause 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.","remedy":"Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install cable ties to the harness, free of charge.  The recall began September 9, 2019.  Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.  Audi's number for this recall is 74D9.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"74D9","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":2,"critical_count":0,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":84,"grade":"B","complaints":{"count":7,"crash":0,"fire":0,"injured":0,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Engine",4],["Power Train",1],["Vehicle Speed Control",1],["Structure",1],["Service Brakes",1],["Suspension",1]],"by_year":{"2017":1,"2018":2,"2022":1,"2024":1,"2025":2},"excerpts":[["2025-06-06","Engine","Water pump defect for the 3.0L ea839 turbo engine found across many Porsche and Audi models. Defect causes damage to vacuum lines, thermostat, and can eventually lead to engine failure if not resolved. No way of knowing this is happening until you start to lose coolant (which will throw an engine code), but by that poi\u2026"],["2025-03-13","Engine","My 2018 Audi S4 has a catastrophic engine failure issue and this is common with the EA839 engine. There is a knocking in the motor that is caused by internal engine parts (rocker arms needle bearings) becoming loose and dislodged. The metal shavings travel in the motor oil and destroy the engine from the inside. Hendri\u2026"],["2024-04-07","Engine","PCV housing and lines failed. Caused pressure to build up thus shooting off the oil cap shooting oil everywhere! in addition to that it is a huge fire hazard considering the turbo is right next to it."]]},"investigations":[],"ncap":[{"desc":"4 DR AWD","overall":null,"frontal":null,"side":null,"rollover":5,"rollover_risk":0.099,"seats":5,"fcw":"Standard","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":24,"ncap":null,"complaints":7},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 02:56 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}