AI Damage2020 Audi S4: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Audi S4 filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and backover prevention. The maker issued 912 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 912
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 88% of all complaints
- 2 Backover prevention 53% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 4 Forward collision avoidance 6% of all complaints
- 5 Lane departure 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 15 complaints (88% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 280.
- Backover prevention: 9 complaints (53% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Visibility: 1 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 42.
- Forward collision avoidance: 1 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Lane departure: 1 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 15 | 0 | 280 |
| Backover prevention | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 42 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 209 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Service brakes | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Suspension | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 18 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The original instrument cluster/virtual cockpit failed to boot and had a black/blank screen on 4/19/2024 at 29,687 miles and was replaced on 5/15/2024 at 29,923 mi (11/13/23 production).
The reboot issue shuts off all functions associated with it, including, but not limited to: navigation, rearview camera, and parking sensor use. This poses a risk since it can be distracting to pull back your navigation while driving or having your rearview camera cutoff mid mid-use.
When this occurs, the screen goes black and critical safety systems such as the rearview camera, parking sensors, and navigation become unavailable. The system requires driver interaction to restore functionality once it restarts, creating a major distraction.
This causes the entire dashboard (and entertainment screen) to repeatedly reboot which is very distracting while driving. While backing out of a parking spot, the MMI system rebooted which then disconnected my backup camera, blind spot warning, and rear collision warning systems which resulted in me almost hitting a…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,312 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 38% least complained about).
On average one model year of the S4 has 3 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 17, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has…
This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
- This bulletin provides information when there is an abnormal knocking noise from the engine compartment;…
- This bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel
- This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations
- This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases
- This bulletin provides information when the rear parking sensor sometimes does not work, rear parking…
This bulletin provides information when the rear parking sensor sometimes does not work, rear parking sensor loose, rear parking sensor fault message.
- This bulletin provides informaiton when DTC B200FF0 is stored
- This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer
- This bulletin provides infomraiton abou the Audi frequency analysis application, which is available in the…
This bulletin provides infomraiton abou the Audi frequency analysis application, which is available in the App Store for Android and Apple phones.
- This bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped
- This bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning
- This bulletin provides informaiton when the airbag warning lamp is active, event memory "B200000 - Faulty…
This bulletin provides informaiton when the airbag warning lamp is active, event memory "B200000 - Faulty control module, symptom 305".
NHTSA lists 912 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Audi S4?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, backover prevention, visibility. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (76%), rear-view camera (41%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Audi S4?
NHTSA lists 912 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Audi S4 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.