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1996 Audi A4 Recalls & Complaints

6

open safety recalls on record

Serious

133 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.11 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious06E060000

Exterior Lighting

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH

Remedy & full details

AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Serious06E049000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Serious06V403000

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

THIS CONDITION CAUSES ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES SUCH AS WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW IGNITION SWITCH WITH AN OPTIMIZED ANCHOR POINT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 27, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834. NOTE: THIS RECALL SUPERSEDES THE REMEDY PROGRAM UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL (PLEASE SEE 00V317).

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, AS A RESULT OF A PROBLEM IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE ANCHOR POINT OF THE SPRING MAY CRACK. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE RETURN SPRING FORCE TO BE INSUFFICIENT FOR RETURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE RUNNING POSITION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE.

Serious97V175000

Air Bags:Frontal

ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND WIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS CAN ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BY TOUCHING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STEERING WHEEL.

Moderate00V317000

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

THIS CONDITION CAUSES ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES SUCH AS WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE PLASTIC IGNITION SWITCH HOUSING CAN FRACTURE AT THE RETURN SPRING ANCHOR POINT. FRACTURE OF THE HOUSING COULD CAUSE THE RETURN SPRING FORCE TO BE INSUFFICIENT FOR RETURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE RUNNING POSITION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE.

Moderate96V088000

Electrical System:Horn

THIS CONDITION COULD PREVENT A DRIVER FROM SOUNDING A WARNING BY USING THE HORN INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

CORRECTIVE ACTION: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND CONTACT SPRING WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE ELECTRICAL GROUND CONNECTION.

THE HORN CAN WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL GROUND CONTACT.

Complaint volume

133 this model-year 4 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

Complaints filed133
Reporting a crash4
Reporting a fire1
Injuries reported1
Deaths reported0
Severity Index0.11

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

  1. Electrical System:Ignition:Switch — 17 reports
  2. Suspension:Front:Control Arm — 9 reports
  3. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 7 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 6 reports
  5. Electrical System:Ignition — 4 reports
  6. Suspension:Front — 4 reports
  7. Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm — 4 reports
  8. Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly — 4 reports
  9. Electrical System — 4 reports
  10. Air Bags:Frontal — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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