Model research hub
Audi S4
The Audi S4 is the high-performance version of the A4, sold across generations from the C4 (1991) through the current B10. CarGurus says the V8 years, 2004 to 2009, easily earn the worst title despite being great to drive, and that early B8 S4s get worse reliability marks than later ones, with 2011 and 2012 criticized for excessive oil consumption. REREV says to skip 2005, 2010-2011, 2014 and 2018-2019, and that the 2012 model year consistently ranks as the most reliable S4 ever built.
What the Audi S4 is and who buys it
Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) describes the S4 as the high-performance variant of the Audi A4, related to the RS 4, with an original 1991-1994 version based on the Audi 100 and all subsequent S4s starting with the B5 platform car based on the A4.
Best and worst S4 model years by generation
CarGurus (opens in a new tab) says the V8 years, from 2004 to 2009 (the B6 and B7 generations), easily earn the worst title despite being great to drive, that Audis typically require more maintenance than rival brands and RepairPal rates them below average for reliability, and that early B8 S4s get worse reliability marks than later ones, with 2011 and 2012 criticized by owners for excessive oil consumption and troubles with the optional dual-clutch transmission. REREV (opens in a new tab) says to skip the worst years, 2005, 2010 to 2011, 2014 and 2018 to 2019, to avoid catastrophic transmission failures, timing chain disasters and engine defects, and that these years share a pattern: first-year launches with unresolved bugs (2010, 2018), a last-year model with aging design flaws (2005), or mid-cycle updates with specific supplier problems (2014, 2019). It says the 2012 model year consistently ranks as the most reliable S4 ever built, and that CarComplaints shows far fewer issues on 2012 compared with 2010 to 2011, with the 2013 even cleaner. Miramar Speed Circuit (opens in a new tab) says the 2012 is often considered the most reliable and best year to buy for its dependability, safety, affordability and resale value, though it lists excessive oil consumption, timing chain issues and carbon buildup among common problems across the model's history.
The current S4 on federal data
Federal data on this site shows the 2020 S4 with 3 recalls and 16 complaints and the 2021 S4 with 4 recalls and 2 complaints, mostly covering tires and suspension, and the 2024 and 2025 with none.
Questions buyers ask
Which Audi S4 year is the most reliable?
REREV (opens in a new tab) says the 2012 model year consistently ranks as the most reliable S4 ever built, with far fewer CarComplaints issues than 2010 to 2011.
Which Audi S4 years should I avoid?
CarGurus says the V8 years, 2004 to 2009, easily earn the worst title, and REREV adds 2005, 2010-2011, 2014 and 2018-2019 for catastrophic transmission, timing chain and engine problems.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2025 Audi S4 is built around 3.0L turbo V6, rated at 349 horsepower across its compact performance sedan body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2025 U.S. lineup has 3 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2025 S4 seats 5 and is a Compact performance sedan.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2025 S4.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2025 Audi S4
Every S4 trim shares the same 349-horsepower turbo V6 and 8-speed automatic; the three trims separate by technology, audio and lighting equipment.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
3 indexed Audi S4 model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Audi S4 | 2025 record → | |
| 2021 Audi S4 | 2021 record → | |
| 2015 Audi S4 | 2015 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Audi S4.
The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s, beginning with the "B5" platform car in 1997, have been based on the Audi A4; and as the A4 has evolved from one generation to the next, so has the S4.
- Motorsport
- In motor racing, APR Motorsport has currently entered a B8 S4 in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class.
Source: Audi S4 (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
Audi S4 at a glance
- Production
- 1991–1994, 1997–2025
- Class
- Compact executive car (D)
- Layout
- F4 layout
- Related models
- Audi A4, Audi RS 4
Year by year
The Audi S4 across 10 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints | NHTSA overall rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,300 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,250 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2023 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,250 | 1 | |||
| 2022 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,250 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2021 Audi S4 | 23 | $3,350 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2020 Audi S4 | 23 | $3,350 | 1 | 3 | 16 | |
| 2019 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,250 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2018 Audi S4 | 24 | $3,250 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 2016 Audi S4 | 20–21 | $3,700–$3,900 | 2 | 0 | 5 stars | |
| 2015 Audi S4 | 20–21 | $3,700–$3,900 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 stars |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Audi S4, one model year at a time.
| Step | EPA records | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 to 2024 | Drives: All-Wheel Drive | Drives: 4-Wheel Drive | ||
| 2021 to 2022 | 23.0 to 24.0 | Drives: 4-Wheel Drive | Drives: All-Wheel Drive | |
| 2019 to 2020 | 24.0 to 23.0 | |||
| 2018 to 2019 | Transmissions: Automatic (S8) | Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S8) | ||
| 2016 to 2018 | 2 to 1 | 20.5 to 24.0 | Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S8) | Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S7), Manual 6-spd |
Buying used
What the Audi S4 recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | equipment (electrical) | None |
| 2021 | 4 | suspension (rear); seat belts (rear/other); tires; 1 more | None |
| 2020 | 3 | suspension (rear); seats; tires | None |
| 2019 | 1 | seats | None |
| 2018 | 2 | air bags (frontal); seats | None |
| 2015 | 1 | air bags | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| electrical system | 15 | 54% | 2020 (14) |
| back over prevention | 9 | 32% | 2020 (9) |
| engine | 6 | 21% | 2018 (4) |
| unknown or other | 6 | 21% | 2020 (5) |
| service brakes | 2 | 7% | 2018 (1) |
| lane departure | 2 | 7% | 2019 (1) |
| Model year | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Trim by trim
Every 2025 Audi S4 trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | AWD | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 369 | 3,847 | – | 24 | $56,195 |
| Premium Plus | AWD | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 369 | 3,847 | – | 24 | $60,095 |
| Prestige | AWD | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 369 | 3,847 | – | 24 | $62,795 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2025 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Audi S4 model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2022 | 3 | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3.0-liter 6-cylinder (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3.0-liter 6-cylinder (Turbo) | 349 | 3,847 | – | 15.3 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3.0-liter 6-cylinder (Turbo) | 349 | 3,858 | – | 15.3 |
| 2018 | 2 | 3.0-liter V6 (Turbo) | 354 | 3,858 | – | 15.3 |
| 2016 | 2 | 3.0-liter V6 (Supercharged) | 333 | 3,935 | – | 16.1 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Model-year recall record
Audi S4: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
More recalls than this model’s own average
- 2021 Audi S4 : 4 recalls on file, most commonly affecting seat belts and tires.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | not available | ||
| 2022 | 1 | not available | equipment |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | seat belts, tires, suspension, backup camera |
| 2020 | 3 | 16 | tires, suspension, seats |
| 2019 | 1 | 2 | seats |
| 2018 | 2 | 7 | airbags, seats |
| 2017 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | airbags |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Known gap: the NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi S4 model year 2022 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream, not returning a genuine zero. Those years are marked "not available" above instead of shown as clean; recall counts for those years are unaffected and come from the separate recalls API, which returned data for every year listed.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a Audi S4?
Recall count alone can't answer that: it says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record. What federal data can say: 2021 carried more. See the model-year table on this page for the exact counts and what they cover.
Q02Which Audi S4 model years should I watch for recalls?
The 2021 Audi S4 has 4 federal recalls on file, most commonly affecting seat belts, tires, suspension. Always confirm the open/completed status of every campaign for the specific VIN: a recall on this list may already be repaired on the vehicle in front of you.
Q03What are common recall-related problems on the Audi S4 by model year?
2022: equipment. 2021: seat belts, tires, suspension, backup camera. 2020: tires, suspension, seats. 2019: seats. 2018: airbags, seats. 2015: airbags.
Q04Why do some Audi S4 model years show "not available" for complaints?
The NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi S4 model year 2022 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream instead of the count genuinely being zero. Recall counts for those years are unaffected; they come from a separate NHTSA endpoint that returned data for every year listed.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Buying, records and recalls, Brakes, tires and steering, Climate and electrical.
2021 Audi S4 owners specifically: see Buying, records and recalls and Brakes, tires and steering and Climate and electrical.
Compared with
Models this Audi S4 is most often compared with.
Nearest Audi models
Other Audi models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2025 S4 come in?
The 2025 Audi S4 (compact performance sedan) comes in 3 trims: Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige.
Q02What are the 2025 S4 trims?
The 2025 Audi S4 trims are Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige, listed from the entry Premium up to the top Prestige.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2025 S4 use?
The 2025 Audi S4 is built around 3.0L turbo V6, rated at 349 horsepower across its compact performance sedan body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2025 S4 have?
The 2025 Audi S4 is rated at 349 horsepower (3.0L turbo V6).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2025 S4?
The 2025 Audi S4 is offered with Standard AWD.