NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2009
Audi Quattro complaints and VIN decoding
NHTSA lists 82 owner complaints for the Audi Quattro from model years 1995 to 2009, and no vehicle recall campaigns filed under this model name. The 1999 model year drew the most complaints (21), and Engine and Engine Cooling is the component owners name most often.
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.
See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.
- 82 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
- 10 model years with data (1995–2009)
- most complaints: 1999 (21 for that model year)
- top component: Engine and Engine Cooling (15 complaints)
- 6 complaints reporting a crash (7.3%)
- 2 complaints reporting a fire (2.4%)
- 1 complaint reporting an injury (1.2%)
- 0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)
The 1999 model year has the most complaints: 21 of 82, or 25.6%. Next come 2002 (12) and 1997 (11). The fewest are for 2009, with 1 complaint.
| Model year | Complaints | Reporting a crash | Reporting a fire | Reporting an injury | Reporting a death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All model years | 82 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.
Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often, in 15 complaints (18.3% of all 82), followed by Service Brakes, Hydraulic (14) and Electrical System (10).
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 18.3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 17.1% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 12.2% |
| Power Train | 9 | 11.0% |
| Steering | 9 | 11.0% |
| Tires | 9 | 11.0% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 11.0% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 8.5% |
| Suspension | 6 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.1% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 6.1% |
| Structure | 4 | 4.9% |
| Visibility | 4 | 4.9% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3.7% |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2.4% |
One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.
What NHTSA owner complaints mean
These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.
- They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
- Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
- Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
- One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
- Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.
Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.
Are there any recalls for the Audi Quattro?
NHTSA lists no vehicle recall campaigns filed under the model name Quattro. NHTSA sometimes files versions of a model under other names, so check the brand’s other models too, and use NHTSA’s VIN lookup (opens in a new tab) for any particular vehicle.
Which Audi Quattro model year has the most complaints?
The 1999 model year, with 21 of the 82 complaints in NHTSA’s file (25.6%). The next are 2002 (12) and 1997 (11). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.
What is the most common Audi Quattro complaint?
Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often: 15 complaints, or 18.3% of all 82. Service Brakes, Hydraulic (14) and Electrical System (10) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.
How many Audi Quattro complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?
Of the 82 complaints, 6 report a crash, 2 a fire, 1 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.
The Audi models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Audi VIN decoder with every Audi model page, WMI code and VIN note.
- Audi A4 1995–2024 · 27 recalls · 2,893 complaints
- Audi A6 1995–2026 · 54 recalls · 1,656 complaints
- Audi Q5 2008–2026 · 33 recalls · 1,337 complaints
- Audi Q7 2007–2026 · 32 recalls · 1,042 complaints
- Audi A3 2001–2025 · 20 recalls · 728 complaints
- Audi S4 1995–2022 · 15 recalls · 560 complaints
- Audi A5 2008–2026 · 19 recalls · 325 complaints
- Audi TT 2000–2023 · 12 recalls · 319 complaints
All Audi models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.