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Audi VIN decoder

Audi is a German premium brand and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which completed its buyout of the remaining Audi shares in November 2020. Within the group, Audi leads the Progressive brand group, which also includes Lamborghini, Bentley and the motorcycle maker Ducati. Audi builds sedans, estates, coupés, SUVs and a growing number of electric models.

Decode a Audi VIN

Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.

  • 66 model pages
  • 214 recall campaigns
  • 11,724 owner complaints
  • model years 1995–2027
  • 5 WMI codes in vPIC
  • origin: Germany

Audi at a glance

NHTSA data
Audi: key facts from NHTSA data
Country of originGermany
RegionEurope
NHTSA recall and complaint dataYes, model years 1995–2027
WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC5
Model pages66
Other model names in NHTSA data9
Vehicle recall campaigns214
Owner complaints11,724
Complaints reporting a crash421 (3.6%)
Complaints reporting a fire197 (1.7%)
Complaints reporting an injury269 (2.3%)
Complaints reporting a death4 (<0.1%)
Data updatedSeptember 25, 2026

About Audi VINs

Audi's own list of sites includes Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm and Zwickau in Germany, Győr in Hungary and San José Chiapa in Mexico, which opened in 2016 to build the Q5. The Hungarian plant explains one of Audi's WMIs: Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority lists TRU under Audi Hungaria Zrt. in Győr. Most other Audis carry German W-prefix codes.

Volkswagen introduced the Audi brand to the United States for the 1970 model year, and Audi has been sold there ever since. NHTSA therefore holds recall campaigns and owner complaints for U.S.-market Audis, and this page summarises that data by model. The notes below cover Audi's WMIs, how European-market Audi VINs differ from U.S. ones, and what our decoder can and cannot tell you.

NHTSA’s files hold 214 vehicle recall campaigns and 11,724 owner complaints for Audi vehicles from model years 1995 to 2027, summarised here on 66 model pages. The A4 has the most complaints (2,893), followed by the A6 (1,656) and the Q5 (1,337). Of those complaints, 421 report a crash, 197 a fire, 269 at least one injury and 4 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.

Audi WMI codes

Source: NHTSA vPIC · 5 codes

The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 5 WMIs to Audi; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.

Audi WMIs in NHTSA vPIC (5)
Audi WMIs in NHTSA vPIC (5)
WMIManufacturer (vPIC)CountryVehicle type
TRUAUDI AGHungaryPassenger Car
WA1AUDI AGGermanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)
WAUAUDI AGGermanyPassenger Car
WU1AUDI SPORT GMBHGermanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)
WUAAUDI SPORT GMBHGermanyPassenger Car

See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.

Audi models in NHTSA data

66 model pages · by complaints

Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2027.

Audi models with the most NHTSA complaints (30 of 66)
Audi models with the most NHTSA complaints (30 of 66)
ModelModel yearsRecall campaignsComplaints
A41995–2024272,893
A61995–2026541,656
Q52008–2026331,337
Q72007–2026321,042
A32001–202520728
S41995–202215560
A52008–202619325
TT2000–202312319
A81995–202631252
A4 Allroad2013–202412251
Q32008–202619238
Q82019–202616201
A3 Cabriolet2015–201911164
e-tron2019–202413150
S52008–202614142
S61995–202521141
A72007–202524138
SQ52013–202614120
S32015–20241288
Allroad1998–2020686
Quattro1995–2009–82
A4 Cabriolet2006–2009464
Q5 e2020–2025–64
A4 Avant2009–2012–60
S72013–20251457
A5 Cabriolet2010–2022951
Q4 e-tron2022–2026745
RS 62003243
S82007–20261642
Q6 e-tron2025–2027333
Show 36 more Audi models
Other Audi models in NHTSA data, by complaints (36)
Other Audi models in NHTSA data, by complaints (36)
ModelModel yearsRecall campaignsComplaints
Q5 Sportback2022–2025629
A6 Allroad2020–2026923
RS 32017–2026722
e-tron Sportback2020–2024222
RS 52013–20231020
Cabriolet1995–2003320
e-tron GT2022–20261518
901995–1997318
RS 72014–20261617
S5 Cabriolet2010–20231116
SQ72020–20261115
R82008–2022214
SQ82020–20261012
1001995–200129
RS 6 Avant2021–2026148
Q4 Sportback e-tron2022–202638
RS e-tron GT2022–202687
RS 42004–200837
TT Roadster2012–201837
SQ6 e-tron2025–202717
RS Q82020–2026126
A3 Sportback e-tron2016–201834
Q6 Sportback e-tron202514
A6 Sportback e-tron202522
A7 e2021–202212
e-tron Quattro2019–202312
R8 Spyder2011–201831
S6 Sportback e-tron202521
SQ6 Sportback e-tron20253–
Q8 Sportback e-tron20242–
S4 Cabriolet20092–
Q8 e-tron20241–
R8 GT Spyder20121–
SQ5 Sportback20251–
SQ8 e-tron20241–
SQ8 Sportback e-tron20241–

– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.

Other Audi models in NHTSA data

NHTSA also lists these Audi model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: A3 e-tron, A5 Sportback, A8 L e, B8, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q5 Hybrid, S e-tron GT, TT RS, TTS.

How to read a Audi VIN

VIN notes

Which WMI codes appear on Audi VINs?

NHTSA's vPIC database lists five WMIs for Audi. Three belong to Audi AG and two to its performance subsidiary, Audi Sport GmbH. Each pair splits passenger cars from multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), the U.S. class for SUVs, and one code is registered in Hungary rather than Germany.

Audi WMIs listed in NHTSA vPIC (checked September 2026)
Audi WMIs listed in NHTSA vPIC (checked September 2026)
WMIManufacturer (NHTSA vPIC)CountryVehicle type
WAUAudi AGGermanyPassenger car
WA1Audi AGGermanyMPV (SUV class)
TRUAudi AGHungaryPassenger car
WUAAudi Sport GmbHGermanyPassenger car
WU1Audi Sport GmbHGermanyMPV (SUV class)

A VIN beginning with W places the manufacturer in Germany; TR falls in the range allocated to Hungary. See the WMI code guide for the full allocation logic.

How do European-market Audi VINs differ?

An Audi built for the U.S. must carry a check digit in position 9 and a model-year code in position 10, as 49 CFR Part 565 requires. In Europe, the check digit became mandatory only for vehicle types approved from 6 July 2022, under EU Regulation 2021/535; earlier EU rules mirrored ISO 3779, which leaves positions 4 to 9 to the manufacturer. Some European-market Audi VINs, particularly from older model lines, may therefore fail a check-digit test even though they are genuine.

Neither ISO 3779 nor the current EU rules require a model-year code, and ISO 3779 allows a year character to express either the model year or the calendar year of production, so a year read from a European VIN should be confirmed against the registration document. More detail is in the European VIN decoding guide.

Related Volkswagen Group brands

Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group, alongside Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, SEAT and Škoda. Shared platforms do not mean shared WMIs: each company's VINs start with its own identifier.

Audi VIN questions

4 questions

Why does my imported Audi decode with missing details?

Our decoder uses NHTSA's vPIC data, which is built from information filed for vehicles sold in North America. An Audi built for Europe or another market will still show Audi AG from the WMI, but model, engine and equipment fields are often blank.

Does this page show recalls for my Audi?

It shows NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint counts for U.S.-market Audi models, grouped by model and model year. NHTSA's public data is not VIN-specific, so check your own car at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with an Audi dealer.

What does a TRU VIN tell me?

TRU is a WMI that NHTSA's vPIC database lists for Audi AG passenger cars, and its first two letters fall in the range allocated to Hungary. The rest of the VIN still needs decoding to identify the model.

Can an Audi VIN reveal accident history?

No. The VIN encodes manufacturing information. Accident, title and ownership records come from licensed history providers and are not part of this decoder.

Related brands

(n) = model pages · (—) = no U.S. data

Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.

  • Volkswagen (32) Germany · 255 recall campaigns
  • Porsche (104) Germany · 142 recall campaigns
  • Bentley (29) United Kingdom · 55 recall campaigns
  • Lamborghini (18) Italy · 39 recall campaigns
  • SEAT (no NHTSA model pages) Spain
  • Škoda (no NHTSA model pages) Czech Republic

All 59 brands »

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.