Audi A4 saloon - Reliability & safety
The Audi A4 is safe and modern, but it hasn't all been plain sailing for owners
Audi's famed interiors continue to impress buyers, but issues with flexibility, reliability, running costs and the ride and handling lower its overall score in our Driver Power survey.
Audi A4 reliability
The Audi A4 was rated poorly for reliability in our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey of cars currently on sale in the UK, coming 65th out of the 75 cars ranked. Perhaps surprisingly, the A4 achieved its strongest ranking in the MPG and running costs category, which is impressive for an executive car. It also performed fairly well for its engine and gearboxes, but you told us its practicality and infotainment could be better.
Audi as a brand finished a fairly disappointing 23rd out of the 29 manufacturers rated in 2021, although this is above BMW. Around 16% of Audi owners told us they'd reported at least one fault within the first 12 months of ownership.
Audi as a brand finished a fairly disappointing 21st out of the 30 manufacturers rated in 2020, although this is above BMW and Mercedes. Owners praised the build quality of the company's cars but ownership costs and a lowly reliability ranking were less impressive.
Safety
One of the A4's strong points is a range of advanced technology to help keep you safe while driving. The car's adaptive cruise control is so clever that the A4 can almost drive itself in stop-start traffic. The car will also keep itself in lane on the motorway, as long as you periodically place your hands on the steering wheel. Also available on higher-spec cars are Audi's 'Matrix' LED headlights, which dim automatically when on full beam to avoid dazzling the drivers of oncoming cars.
All of this equipment contributed to the A4 getting the full five-star safety rating from independent testing body Euro NCAP, including a 90% score for adult occupant protection, 87% for child protection and 75% for pedestrian protection.
