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#BS-2005-AUDS4-7F6B

2005 Audi S4

Based on reports from 54 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
54
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Recalls
2
TSBs
213
🟢

Preliminary Verdict

Proceed with Caution

Based on 54 complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine rattle on startup

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
2

paint peeling

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

leaking oil

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the LightsHIGH

29 owners reported lights issues — failures commonly reported around 55K miles.

!Inspect the Exterior Lighting:headlightsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
20
30–60K
11
60–90K
9
90–120K
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (20 reports) • Median: 55K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Lights (29 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Lights29 (54%)
Exterior Lighting:headlights5 (9%)
Electrical3 (6%)
Air Bags:frontal2 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine2 (4%)
Airbags2 (4%)
Visibility2 (4%)
Engine2 (4%)

2005 Audi S4: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 54% of all reports filed for the 2005 Audi S4, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 55,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 55K-mile mark.

Exterior Lighting:headlights Issues

Exterior Lighting:headlights complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2005 Audi S4, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to exterior lighting:headlights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2005 Audi S4, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2005 Audi S4, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
06
5
07
1
08
3
09
15
10
8
11
4
12
2
13
4
14
4
15
1
16
3
17
3
18

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2005 Audi S4. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

17V032000Mar 2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

18V427000Jun 2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Audi S4 is the 2010 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2005 Audi S4 vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)

This vehicle

54

Class avg

267

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical subcompact cars vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 54 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Audi S4 Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989
View all Audi S4 years →

2005 Audi S4: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2005 Audi S4?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2005 Audi S4 is related to the lights, with 29 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2005 Audi S4 reliable?
The 2005 Audi S4 has 54 complaints, 4 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2005 Audi S4 problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2005 Audi S4 have any recalls?
Yes, the 2005 Audi S4 has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Audi S4 problems start?
Based on 44 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 55,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 54 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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