1998 Audi A4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
321 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Audi A4, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 82,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1998 Audi A4 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2010, 2014, 2018.
Avoid
Where 1998 sits among all A4 years
What owners report
“Brakes do not resond for a couple of seconds when driving at highway speeds in wet road conditions”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 A4
“Timing belt tensioner failure engine runs poorly, could seize engine and cause accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 A4
“Car quit running. Would not restart. Brakes squeek and grind revealing excessive and premature wear.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 A4
“The left lower control arm has been replaced. This is a very common occurance among a4 owners. Audi has refused to replace the right lower control arm after it had begun showing similar problems. Audiworld.com lists well over 50 people who have had control arms replaced. I felt you should be…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 A4
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 124 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 82,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 65,000 and 109,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 1998 Audi A8 and 1997-1998 Audi A4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing…
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternative inflator of a different design, free of charge. Owner notification letters were sent September 21, 2021. Owners may contact…
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.…
Fix: 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 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…
Fix: 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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TIE RODS OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY ARE PROTECTED ON EACH SIDE BY A SEAL TO PREVENT MOISTURE AND DUST PARTICLES FROM ENTERING THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME TIE ROD SEALS MAY NOT SEAL…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. A CONTROL VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE CONNECTING THE BRAKE BOOSTER TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY NOT OPEN OR CLOSE FULLY AT TEMPERATURES BELOW -4 F UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A VACUUM BY-PASS SYSTEM INTO VEHICLES OPERATED IN THESE STATES WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VACUUM FOR FULL BRAKE ASSIST UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE BACKFIRES DURING A COLD-START, AN AIR SCREEN WHICH IS LOOSELY SEATED IN THE AIR FLOW METER CAN BECOME DAMAGED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RETAINING RING TO HOLD THE AIR SCREEN IN PLACE.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V495000.
Led to recall campaign 99V131001.
Technical service bulletins
85 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 1998 Audi A4. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Audi A4 reliable?
The 1998 Audi A4 drew 321 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (1998).
What are the most common 1998 Audi A4 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Audi A4 are brakes & stability (141 complaints), engine (32), and electrical (31).
At what mileage do 1998 Audi A4 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Audi A4 problems around 82,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 65,000 and 109,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Audi A4 have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Audi A4. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.