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Audi Recalls by VIN

Paste the VIN of any Audi below to see every recall for its model and year. Every one of the 223 NHTSA campaigns across 42 Audi models is listed underneath — including how long Audi takes to admit a defect: 3.5 years on average.

NHTSA campaigns · 223 campaigns · 42 models · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

Audi has 223 recall campaigns across 42 models. A defect is admitted 3.5 years after the car was built on average, and 29.1% of campaigns come five years or later.

What gets recalled on a Audi

By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.

FIG.01·Audi — what gets recalled
SystemCampaignsShare
Air Bags4520.2%
Fuel System, Gasoline3113.9%
Electrical System2410.8%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic167.2%
Seat Belts104.5%
Engine And Engine Cooling104.5%
Structure94%
Power Train83.6%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

How long a defect stays unadmitted

Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Audi acts once a defect exists.

FIG.02·Audi — how fast defects are admitted
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average gap3.5 yearsBetween the car being built and the defect being admitted
Admitted 5+ years later29.1%Share of campaigns on cars already well used
Campaigns on record223Across 42 models, 1981–2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.

Audi recalls by model

42 Audi models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the SQ5 a defect is admitted in 0.7 years, on the A4 it takes 7.5 — the same company, the same paperwork, 6.8 years of difference.

FIG.03·Audi recalls by model
ModelCampaignsYears coveredMost recalled systemAvg gap before admission
Audi A6541995–2026Air bags4.1 yrs
Audi Q5332009–2026Electrical system2.7 yrs
Audi Q7322007–2026Fuel system, gasoline4 yrs
Audi A4301996–2026Air bags7.5 yrs
Audi A7242012–2025Air bags2.2 yrs
Audi A8241997–2020Fuel system, gasoline4.8 yrs
Audi S6211995–2025Air bags3.9 yrs
Audi A3202006–2026Air bags4.6 yrs
Audi A5192008–2026Engine and engine cooling2 yrs
Audi Q3192015–2026Exterior lighting1.3 yrs
Audi Q8162019–2026Back over prevention1.8 yrs
Audi S4161992–2026Air bags6.2 yrs
Audi S8162001–2026Back over prevention3.5 yrs
Audi e-tron GT142022–2026Electrical system1 yrs
Audi S5142008–2026Suspension1.3 yrs
Audi S7142013–2025Air bags2.5 yrs
Audi SQ5142014–2026Electrical system0.7 yrs
Audi TT142000–2023Fuel system, gasoline7.2 yrs
Audi 5000131981–1988Fuel system, gasoline3.4 yrs
Audi A4 allroad122013–2026Air bags1.9 yrs
Audi e-tron122019–2026Electrical system1.8 yrs
Audi RS Q8122020–2026Back over prevention1.2 yrs
Audi S3122015–2026Air bags2.3 yrs
Audi SQ7112020–2026Back over prevention1.6 yrs
Audi SQ8102020–2026Back over prevention1.5 yrs
Audi 10091989–1994Equipment4.4 yrs
Audi A6 allroad92020–2026Back over prevention1.5 yrs
Audi RS e-tron GT82022–2026Electrical system1.2 yrs
Audi 400071981–1987Power train3 yrs
Audi 9061988–1995Air bags3.8 yrs
Audi 20051989–1991Equipment4 yrs
Audi RS 342017–2026Air bags0.7 yrs
Audi V841991–1994Equipment5.6 yrs
Audi 8031988–1991Power train4.4 yrs
Audi allroad32001–2005Electrical system3.3 yrs
Audi RS 432007–2008Air bags10 yrs
Audi RS 6 Avant32021–2026Back over prevention2.3 yrs
Audi e-tron Sportback22020–2022Back over prevention4.5 yrs
Audi R822008–2023Power train2.3 yrs
Audi RS 722014–2026Back over prevention2.3 yrs
Audi RS 512013–2025Air bags0.5 yrs
Audi TT RS12013–2022Fuel system, gasoline1.5 yrs
ROWS 42·SOURCE NHTSA + ForCar

Check your own car

Audi has 223 campaigns on record across 42 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 223 figure says nothing about any particular Audi: decoding the VIN narrows those 223 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Audi dealer can tell you.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveEvery recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusNHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar

Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Audi stands among all makes on record →

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Everything on Audi
Fuel economy115 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems10,978 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 meansAbout the brand50 models tracked

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does Audi have?

223 campaigns across 42 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.

Is Audi slow to admit defects?

On average a Audi defect is admitted 3.5 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 29.1% of campaigns come five years or later.

Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?

It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.

How do I check my own Audi?

By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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