1997 Audi A4 problems
NHTSA has received 119 complaints about the 1997 Audi A4, and 29% of them involve electrical system. After that come suspension (16%) and brakes (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 119 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 9 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 92,000 miles 45 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 9 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 45 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 92,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 118,000 miles (21 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 9 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 8 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 15th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Audi A4 with enough data (50 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 6 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was sitting at a stop light and was struck from behind at speeds between 40 to 60 miles a hour. My airbags did not deploy and my driver seat came lose from the floor and because of this I received injuries to my neck and face.
Wet braking. Brakes failed to grab in a timely fashion, major delay in braking action LED to my hitting the brake harder causing vehicle to skid sideways on a slippery roadway into another vehicle.
Front control arms are notorious for making clunking noise. You can replace them every 6 months and problem starts all over. This is safety design flaw that audi needs to assist in repairs or recall.
Dt*: the contact stated while turning the key to the start position with the engine running, the key will not back into the on position and as a result, the starter grinded. The key must be manually moved back to the start position. There is a NHTSA recall # 00v317000, concerning the ignition switch. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the VIN. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. The manufacturer has been alerted.