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AUDI

What is Audi?

August Horch founded Audi in 1909, headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany. 50 models tracked (1981–2026).

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 50 models · 1981–2026 · Updated Sep 20, 2026 · 4.2 ★★★★★★★★★★ Brand Score
Quick answer

Audi is a German carmaker founded in 1909, now part of Volkswagen Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 5 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 2 countries — Germany 97%, Hungary 3%. 50 models are tracked here (1981–2026). Reliable? yes, on balance — 4.2 out of 5 across 50 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).

50
Models
1981
Since
1
Vehicle types
Germany
Origin
1909
Founded

Who makes Audi

Audi AG is a German luxury automaker headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group. Founded in 1909 by August Horch as Audi Automobilwerke, the brand's four-ring logo represents the 1932 Auto Union merger of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. Volkswagen acquired the modern Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1966. Audi competes in the German premium triumvirate alongside BMW and Mercedes-Benz and pioneered permanent all-wheel drive in passenger cars with the 1980 Quattro coupé. The brand's Vorsprung durch Technik slogan, in active use since 1971, signals an engineering-led positioning. Audi RS variants are produced by Audi Sport GmbH (formerly quattro GmbH), and the e-tron sub-brand designates Audi's battery-electric models, including the Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron and e-tron GT. Audi shares its parent's Frankfurt Stock Exchange listing under VOW3 (Volkswagen Group). Recall data for every Audi VIN is reported to NHTSA, and EPA fuel-economy ratings, IIHS Top Safety Pick designations and J.D. Power studies provide independent benchmarks. ForCar.org decodes any Audi VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.

August Horch founded his namesake company in 1899, but trademark disputes after his 1909 departure forced him to rename his new venture; he chose Audi, the Latin translation of the German horch (listen). The 1932 merger of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer formed Auto Union AG, the source of the four-ring logo. The brand was reborn under Volkswagen ownership in 1965 with the Audi 60 sedan, and the 1980 Quattro coupé brought permanent all-wheel drive to mainstream sedans.

FIG.01·About Audi
Audi
Founded1909
Founded byAugust Horch
HeadquartersIngolstadt, Germany
Owned byVolkswagen Group
Slogan«Vorsprung durch Technik»
Models tracked here48 (1981–2026)
Assembled in2 countries
ROWS 7·SOURCE ForCar Editorial + NHTSA VIN records

Technology it is known for: quattro permanent all-wheel drive, virtual cockpit digital instruments, MMI infotainment, Matrix LED and Digital Matrix headlights, Audi pre sense safety.

This page covers Audi AG, the German automaker owned by Volkswagen Group — not the Audi Foundation or any unrelated audio brand.

Where Audi cars are actually built

A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 9,296 vehicles on record, 5 distinct manufacturer codes.

FIG.02·Where Audi cars are built
Assembled inShareVIN starts withYears seen
Germany97%WAU, WA1, WUA, WAV1982–2026
Hungary3%TRU1998–2016
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA records, grouped by VIN manufacturer code

Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Audi beginning WAU was assembled in Germany.

All Audi models 50

Every Audi model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.

SUVs & crossovers 15Cars & sedans 30Wagons 2More models 3

Audi SUVs & crossovers 15

Audi SUVs & crossovers by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Audi Q52009–2026881,12927 mpg4.5/5
Audi Q32015–20262719526 mpg4.5/5
Audi Q72007–20266799322 mpg4.5/5
Audi e-tron2019–202621114115 mpg4.5/5
Audi Q82019–20262619087 mpg4.5/5
Audi SQ52014–20262810323 mpg4.0/5
Audi Q42022–20266—115 mpg5.0/5
Audi Q62025–20264—104 mpg5.0/5
Audi RS Q82020–202620216 mpg4.0/5
Audi allroad2001–20051422417 mpg3.5/5
Audi A4 allroad2013–20262917526 mpg4.0/5
Audi SQ82020–202617673 mpg4.0/5
Audi SQ72020–2026171117 mpg4.0/5
Audi e-tron Sportback2020–202264377 mpg5.0/5
Audi SQ62025–20261—91 mpg4.5/5
ROWS 15·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Audi Cars & sedans 30

Audi Cars & sedans by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Audi A41996–2026982,98231 mpg4.5/5
Audi A52008–20265124530 mpg4.5/5
Audi S52008–20264211624 mpg4.0/5
Audi A32006–20267682439 mpg4.5/5
Audi RS 72014–20267419 mpg4.5/5
Audi RS 52013–20254221 mpg4.5/5
Audi RS 32017–20268323 mpg4.5/5
Audi A61995–20261461,52430 mpg4.5/5
Audi RS 62003–2004——16 mpg4.5/5
Audi TT2000–20233733926 mpg4.0/5
Audi S41992–20264257724 mpg5.0/5
Audi S32015–2026198627 mpg5.0/5
Audi A81997–20206022628 mpg4.0/5
Audi S61995–20255612522 mpg4.5/5
Audi A72012–20255813230 mpg4.0/5
Audi S82001–2026444520 mpg4.0/5
Audi e-tron GT2022–202628—85 mpg4.0/5
Audi RS 42007–20085415 mpg4.0/5
Audi S72013–2025375722 mpg4.0/5
Audi A8 L2021–2026——23 mpg4.5/5
Audi TT RS2013–202211224 mpg3.5/5
Audi RS e-tron GT2022–202622185 mpg3.5/5
Audi TTS2009–20234226 mpg3.5/5
Audi 50001981–1988417320 mpg3.5/5
Audi 1001989–19942010219 mpg3.5/5
Audi V81991–19947315 mpg4.5/5
Audi 901988–1995167422 mpg4.0/5
Audi 801988–199182622 mpg4.0/5
Audi 40001981–1987111624 mpg3.5/5
Audi 2001989–1991112119 mpg3.5/5
ROWS 30·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Audi Wagons 2

Audi Wagons by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Audi RS 6 Avant2021–20268417 mpg4.5/5
Audi A6 allroad2020–2026203325 mpg4.5/5
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Audi More models 3

Audi More models by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Audi R82008–202381318 mpg3.5/5
Audi Q5 e2020–2025347—4.0/5
Audi A8 L e2021–2021———4.5/5
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Audi by the numbers

What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.

FIG.03·Audi by the numbers
TopicAudiDetail
Recalls1,379 campaignsMost recalled: Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Owner complaints9,063+ filedMost reported: A4
Fuel economy115 mpg bestLeader: e-tron
Crash safety★★★★★ top rated8 models tested by NHTSA
Insurance$2,394/yr typicalCheapest: Q3
ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA and HLDI records
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Audi hybrids & electric models

Audi's electrified lineup — 19 hybrids and 9 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.

Audi hybrids 19

Audi hybrids
ModelYearsBest figureRecallsForCar score
Audi Q52009–202627884.5/5
Audi A41996–202631984.5/5
Audi Q72007–202622674.5/5
Audi A52008–202630514.5/5
Audi A32006–202639764.5/5
Audi RS 72014–20261974.5/5
Audi A61995–2026301464.5/5
Audi Q82019–202687264.5/5
Audi S32015–202627195.0/5
Audi A81997–202028604.0/5
Audi S61995–202522564.5/5
Audi A72012–202530584.0/5
Audi S82001–202620444.0/5
Audi RS 6 Avant2021–20261784.5/5
Audi RS Q82020–202616204.0/5
Audi S72013–202522374.0/5
Audi A4 allroad2013–202626294.0/5
Audi A8 L2021–202623—4.5/5
Audi A6 allroad2020–202625204.5/5
ROWS 19·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA

Audi electric & plug-in 9

Audi evs
ModelYearsBest figureRecallsForCar score
Audi e-tron2019–2026115214.5/5
Audi Q82019–202687264.5/5
Audi e-tron GT2022–202685284.0/5
Audi Q42022–202611565.0/5
Audi Q62025–202610445.0/5
Audi RS e-tron GT2022–202685223.5/5
Audi SQ82020–202673174.0/5
Audi e-tron Sportback2020–20227765.0/5
Audi SQ62025–20269114.5/5
ROWS 9·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA

Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.

AUDI

Get a Audi window sticker by VIN

Recreate any Audi's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.

Audi window stickers →

How to read a Audi VIN

Every Audi built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:

FIG.05·How to Read a Audi VIN
1–3 · WMIWA1
4–8 · VDSCM826
9 · Check5
10 · YearR
11 · PlantA
12–17 · Serial004352
  • WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Audi and the country it was built in (real Audi codes below).
  • VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
  • Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
  • Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
  • Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
  • Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
Real Audi WMIs — the first 3 VIN digits by build country
  • GermanyWA1 · WAU · WU1 · WUA
  • HungaryTRU
17 CHARS·SOURCE SAE / ISO 3779 · NHTSA vPIC

The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.

Who owns Audi, and what you get

Audi belongs to Volkswagen Group. Audi competes in the global premium and luxury segments alongside BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with overlap into Volkswagen Group platforms shared with Porsche and Bentley. The brand's engineering-led positioning emphasizes quattro AWD traction, interior craftsmanship and the Audi Sport RS performance variants. Within Volkswagen Group, Audi serves as the technology and powertrain incubator whose innovations migrate down to VW and Skoda.

FIG.04·Audi ownership and warranty
Audi
Country of originGermany
OwnershipVolkswagen Group
Basic warranty4 years / 50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty4 years / 50,000 miles
Assembly countriesGermany, Hungary
ROWS 5·SOURCE Manufacturer terms + NHTSA VIN records

⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 4 years / 50,000 miles. See when Audi models actually start to break →

Everything on Audi
Recalls1,379 campaignsFuel economy115 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems10,893 complaintsCheck a VINBy production runCargo space37 models measuredDimensionsSize and weightWhat yours is worthValuation by modelInsurance costPer model, per stateWindow stickersOriginal Monroney labelsDecode a VINWhat each character means

Audi — frequently asked

Is Audi german?

Audi is a German company, headquartered in Ingolstadt and founded in 1909. The cars are a separate question: 97% of the Audi vehicles in our records were assembled in Germany.

Where are Audi cars made?

Across 5 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Germany (97%), Hungary (3%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.

Who owns Audi?

Audi is part of Volkswagen Group.

How many Audi models are there?

We track 50 Audi models spanning 1981–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.

What is the Audi warranty?

New vehicles come with 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 4 years / 50,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.

Is Audi reliable?

It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Audi model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.

Explore other brands

Brands like Audi
BrandModels trackedSearch demand
Kia25 models8,584,430/mo searched
Hyundai35 models7,930,010/mo searched
Subaru21 models7,003,430/mo searched
Tesla7 models6,150,350/mo searched
GMC25 models5,461,570/mo searched
Porsche15 models5,177,140/mo searched
ROWS 6·SOURCE ForCar catalogue
Model data and search demand from ForCar's catalog of 50 Audi models. Recalls, complaints and safety ratings sourced from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Brand facts compiled by ForCar Editorial. Last updated Sep 2026. Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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