Audi S4
Registered from 1998 to 2021.
About this model
The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s, beginning with the "B5" platform car in 1997, have been based on the Audi A4; and as the A4 has evolved from one generation to the next, so has the S4. Audi's platform generation names, beginning with "B5" in 1997, are used throughout to distinguish between generations/evolutions of these products.
From the Wikipedia article Audi S4, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2020 3.0 diesel. 51 of 748 tests failed, 7%.
Better than 68% of 2020 cars. The typical one fails 8%, across 906 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 63% | 32 |
| Suspension | 10% | 5 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 8% | 4 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 6% | 3 |
| Visibility | 6% | 3 |
| Lights and electrics | 4% | 2 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
- Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 63% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Suspension — 10% of its failures
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- Exhaust and emissions — 6% of its failures
- Seat belts and airbags — 8% of its failures
- Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended
- Visibility — 6% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 40–60k miles this one fails 9% of its inspections, against the 13% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 6% | 5% | 144 | |
| 20–40k miles | 6% | 10% | 435 | |
| 40–60k miles | 9% | 13% | 141 |
720 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 20k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.0 diesel · 337 hp · 1909 kg · 2826 mm wheelbase · 7.2 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 3.0 diesel · 1881 kg · 2827 mm wheelbase · 7.0 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 3.0 diesel · 1885 kg · 2827 mm wheelbase · 7.0 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 3.0 petrol · 1727 kg · 2828 mm wheelbase · 7.4 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 3.0 petrol · 355 hp · 1705 kg · 2810 mm wheelbase · 7.1 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2014 | 3.0 petrol · 329 hp · 1829 kg · 2820 mm wheelbase · 8.0 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2013 | 3.0 petrol · 329 hp · 1825 kg · 2820 mm wheelbase · 8.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2011 | 3.0 petrol · 329 hp · 1789 kg · 2817 mm wheelbase · 9.5 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2010 | 3.0 petrol · 1789 kg · 2817 mm wheelbase · 9.4 L/100km (NEDC) |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/00788/23
The airbag may deteriorate over time and if deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and metal fragments could pass through the cushion material causing injury to occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users