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2020 Audi S4 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2020 Audi S4 has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 3safety recalls
- 17owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 9%fail the UK MOT
17 complaints, against an average of 12 for the other 7 Audi S4 model years.
Every Audi S4 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2020 Audi S4?
The components named most often in the 17 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2020 Audi S4 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 17 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2020 Audi S4 been recalled?
3 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Tires Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Seats Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
Suspension: Rear: Axle: Non-Powered Axle Assembly Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
How often does the 2020 Audi S4 fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2020, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2020 Audi S4 owners report?
12 of the 17 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
My instrument cluster and its replacements have malfunctioned multiple times. 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). That replacement one worked fine for a while and then did the same thing on 7/15/2024 at 33,655 miles and on 1/10/2025 at 42,532 miles. The instrument cluster was then replaced again on 2/10/2025 at 43,841 miles (production date 9/18/23). That replacement unit took only a couple of days to act up again with the blank screen on…
My instrument cluster and its replacements have malfunctioned multiple times. 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. That replacement one worked fine for a while and then did the same thing on 7/15/2024 at 33,655 miles and on 1/10/2025 at 42,532 miles. The instrument cluster was then replaced again on 2/10/2025 at 43,841 miles. That replacement unit took only a couple of days to act up again with the blank screen on startup on 2/13/2025 at 43,965 miles and once more on…
The Audi MMI malfunctions and reboots randomly while driving. Possibly being a software issue. There is a TSB code that the dealer used to reference for me ( TSB 2078437/1), but I cannot find it on the NHTSA website. 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. The issue does not appear as a warning lamp or any type of notification, and there are multiple…
I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a persistent and dangerous issue with the MMI (Multi Media Interface) system in my 2020 Audi S4. Since February 2025, the system has been spontaneously rebooting both while the vehicle is idling and in motion. 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. These reboots now occur every few minutes, severely affecting both usability and…
The vehicle software (known as Audi MMI) has been continuously rebooting every 30 seconds after the vehicle is started. 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 car crossing behind me. There are zero messages anywhere in the car that an issue is present.
The main infotainment system is stuck restarting every 1-2 minutes. When the car is put into reverse, the rear back up camera will turn off while the vehicle is in motion and not resume.
The MMI (multimedia interface) screen goes dead and reboots frequently (every 2-5 minutes) while driving. It is extremely frustrating and distracting. In addition, when the screen blacks out while driving in reverse, the backup camera, back up sensors and cross traffic warning systems do not operate until the system reboots, which can take several minutes. This problem occurs constantly while driving and requires me to re-enter navigation destination while driving. Using CarPlay for navigation is also affected, as the system reboots whether or not I am using a secondary media source like…
The Multimedia Interface (MMI) Touchscreen Radio will constantly reboot while driving regardless of variables. Diagnosis’ have proven problem to be undeterminable, this is a serious safety concern as I have lost back up camera and other safety features while driving, while I await the system to reboot. This reboot has been occurring non-stop since January. My research online and in other forums has led to a substantial group of vehicle owners suffering from the same issues across their vehicles. Audi has made no effort to rectify with the dealership simply stating they can charge to diagnose…
My Audi has been having an ongoing issue with the MMI rebooting while i am driving. It takes away my ability to see the maps and or hear the map telling me which direction to go. It has not been inspected yet however it is a common issue with the 2020 Audi cars that can be replicated however it is not predictable.
The main screen of the vehicle, which is called the MMI from what I understand, repeatedly shuts down and restarts while driving, up to 5 times or more per hour while driving. Sometimes this process can take 3 or more minutes. There appear to be hundreds of Audi customers that this affects according to my research. The dealership (Audi of Nashua) charged for a possible software update repair that did not work, and do not seem to be familiar with a fix other than a $5,000+ repair to replace expensive hardware components. This is a major safety issue because it is what controls the phone and GPS…
The MMI spontaneously reboots numerous times while driving. When the reboots happen, the screen goes black, and key systems such as the backup camera, rear obstacle detection, and navigation become unavailable until the reboot completes and the systems reload. Restoring functionality requires user input to get through the loading screens. The issue started in February 2025. I have attempted a factory reset (which did not solve the issue), and I have performed an OBD scan, which returned no fault codes. This appears to be a widespread issue based on the numerous reports found on user forums…
Audi MMI (infotainment) frequently resets during use of car. Spoke to tech at audi and they confirmed this is an issue on many 2020 audi A4 and S4 vehicles. The blind spot monitors, parking sensors, and backup cameras all disabled when this happens. It can happen at any time.
2020 Audi S4: questions owners ask
Is the 2020 Audi S4 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi S4; the most common categories were electrical system (15, 88.2%), back over prevention (9, 52.9%), forward collision avoidance (1, 5.9%). There are 3 safety recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Audi S4?
Across 17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (88.2% of complaints), back over prevention (52.9% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (5.9% of complaints), lane departure (5.9% of complaints), visibility/wiper (5.9% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2020 Audi S4 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2020 Audi S4; the most recent (campaign 22V034000, 2022-01-26) concerns Tires. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does the infotainment screen freeze, reboot or go black in my 2020 Audi S4?
11 of the 17 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2020 Audi S4 (64.7%) describe the infotainment or touch screen freezing, rebooting or going black. One owner wrote: "The Audi MMI malfunctions and reboots randomly while driving. Possibly being a software issue. There is a TSB code that the dealer used to reference for me ( TSB 2078437/1), but I cannot find it on the NHTSA website." (NHTSA complaint 11676957, July 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does the backup camera not work on my 2020 Audi S4?
4 of the 17 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2020 Audi S4 (23.5%) describe the rearview or backup camera failing or showing a blank screen. One owner wrote: "The Audi MMI malfunctions and reboots randomly while driving. Possibly being a software issue. There is a TSB code that the dealer used to reference for me ( TSB 2078437/1), but I cannot find it on the NHTSA website." (NHTSA complaint 11676957, July 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own S4
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2020 only.