There are 14 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2008 Audi A4in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Overheating in traffic replaced water pump, gasket. radiator , fan control module, thermostat, and hoses. Happens every summer!!!!! No fluid leakage. Could this be the same problem as the 2013 model recall
AT 33,000 MILES CAR EPC LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION AND READING COULD NOT BE ATTAINED FOR ANY TROUBLE CODE. WITHIN 2 WEEKS JUST STARTED DRIVING THE CAR. OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START. HAD CAR TOWED TO SERVICE STATION. WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ONCE REPLACED THEY REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT HAS SEIZED. ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (WITH ONLY 34,000 MILES ON THE CARE AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE). CALLED AUDI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS TOO OLD AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT EVEN BRING THE ISSUE TO THE MANUFACTURER. WE HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED THROUGH LOCAL SERVICE STATION. SERVICE STATION SUGGESTED THAT WHEN THEY RESEARCHED THEY FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE A4 2.0T. WE REALIZE THAT THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD, BUT AT 34,000 MILES A CARS ENGINE SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. AUDI SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENGINE ISSUES.
JUNE 4 2016 MY VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. PER AUDI DEALER THE CAUSE IS ENGINE FAILURE AS THE OIL PUMP HAS A TENDENCY TO GO BAD CAUSING NO COMPRESSION IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE USED SYNTHETIC OIL AND HAD ITS OIL CHANGED FREQUENTLY INCLUDING HAVING TO ADD ADDITIONAL OIL AS IT WAS BURNING THROUGH OIL QUICKLY WHICH APPEARS TO BE COMMON IN THESE VEHICLES. THE CAMSHAFT ALSO NEEDED REPLACING WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A FAULT IN THE ENGINES AND SUCH BREAKDOWNS SHOULD NOT OCCUR. AUDI HAS QUOTED $14000 TO FIX AND OFFERED NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT OR FURTHER EXPLANATION.
ENGINE CONSUMES OIL
AT 47658 MILES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DEALER STATED IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT & REPAIRED AT COST OF $2007. (2/14) AND SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AT 60,711 MILES AT COST OF $2305. THERE WAS A CAMSHAFT WARRANTY EXTENSION (RECALL) FOR 10 YRS. 100,000 MILES FOR SAME CAR FOR 2005 TO 2007. MY 2008 CAR WAS PURCHASED 10/07 & WOULD ASSUME MFG. IN 2007 WHICH WAS THE TIME PERIOD THE CAMSHAFT PROBLEM EXISTED AND COVERED UNDER THAT WARRANTY. IT APPEARS AUDI DID NOT WANT TO EXTEND THAT WARRANTY INTO THE NEXT YEAR EVEN THOUGH THE CAMSHAFT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. THE CAMSHAFT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO REPLACED AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ONCE MUCH LESS TWICE ON A MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE CAR MUCH LESS THAN AN AUDI. THIS IS MY THIRD AUDI AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE. TO DATE I HAVE SPENT $4300 IN 2 YEARS ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED. YOUR THOUGHTS AND ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
2008 AUDI A4 AVANT WITH THE 2.0 LITER TURBO MOTOR/ ENGINE CODE IS BWT. CAMSHAFT LOBE AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PREMATURE WORN OUT. AUDI KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN 2010 ABOUT THE PREMATURE WEAR ON THE CAMSHAFT LOBE AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. *TR
THE VEHICLE HAD A LONG STANDING OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM COMMONLY KNOWN ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE WHICH AUDI ACKNOWLEDGED BY AUTHORIZING A REPAIR. AS A RESULT, AUDI OF AMERICA AND SCHMITT'S AUDI IN BOWMANSVILLE, NY AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE PISTON RINGS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I REPORTED THE PROBLEM MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AUDI DID NOT AGREE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS UNTIL AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE ENGINE WAS TAKEN APART BY SCHMITT'S IN OCTOBER 2013 AT JUST UNDER 57K MILES, THE TIMING BELT WAS REMOVED AND THE PISTON RINGS WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, APPROX. 3,000 MILES LATER, ON JUNE 30TH, WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON I-90 THE TIMING BELT SNAPPED WITHOUT NOTICE, CAUSING BENT VALVES AND MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. THE CAR CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY SPLIT WITH RTE. 219 WHICH WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE POLICE HAD TO COME TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM TRAFFIC. SCHMITT'S WAS THE LAST TO TOUCH THE ENGINE BUT DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BELT FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS DEFECTIVE. AUDI OF AMERICA DENIED THAT THE BELT WAS DEFECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH ACCORDING TO THE 2008 AUDI MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE THE BELT WAS NOT DUE TO BE CHANGED UNTIL 110K MILES. THE BELT BROKE AT ROUGHLY HALF THE MILEAGE IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO BE CHANGED AT. AUDI DENIED ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE $4200 ENGINE REPAIR COST AND STATED I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEREFORE NO COVERAGE WAS AVAILABLE. I HAD EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH AUDI PRESIDENT [XXX] OFFICE AND WITH SCHMITT'S AUDI OVER A 6+ WEEK PERIOD TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, TO NO AVAIL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I TOO AM HAVING ISSUES WITH MY AUDI A4 TURBO I HAVE TO PUT OIL IN MY VEHICLE SEEMS LIKE EVERY MONTH OR SO. I'VE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY 6 MONTHS AND I HAVE HAD 2 OIL CHANGES AND ABOUT 10 QUARTS OF OIL IN THAT TIME. MY MECHANIC SAYS WITH SYNTHETIC OIL YOU SHOULD ONLY NEED OIL CHANGES TWICE A YEAR. I TOO KEEP GETTING TOLD THIS IS NORMAL...THIS IS NOT NORMAL, THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION....THIS CAN NOT BE GOOD FOR MY ENGINE. I ALSO WENT TO HAVE MY AC LOOKED AT AND FOUND THAT THIS VEHICLE ALSO HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO THE AC THIS CAR IS TURNING OUT TO BE NOT WORTH THE MONEY AT ALL. I CANT NOT BELIEVE AUDI IS SELLING THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH AUDI IN THE PAST BUT THIS TIME I THINK I HAVE HAD ENOUGH. *TR
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 AUDI A4 2.0 WITH APPROXIMATELY 37,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR LESS THAN 3000 MILES AND HAD TO ADD 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY MONTH OF OWNERSHIP (3). AUDI DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. LIKE THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT LISTED ON THIS TOPIC, I TOO HAVE SEE A NUMBER OF BLOGS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE 2008 A4'S HAVING ISSUES WITH EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. I'VE ALSO SEEN MENTION OF A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BEING ISSUED BY AUDI ON THIS BUT I'VE YET TO FIND IT. *TR
I PURCHASED THE A4 USED WITH ONLY 19K MILES ON IT. I NOTICED THAT AFTER DRIVING 1,000 MILES, 1 QUART OF OIL WAS GONE. I FILLED IT BACK UP AND DROVE ANOTHER 1,000 MILES. THE SAME THING. I HAVE A FAMILY RELATIVE WHO OWNS A VW PASSAT WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND HER CAR BURNED OIL TOO. AUDI SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THE OWNER WILL HAVE TO GET USED TO. THIS IS NOT NORMAL, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ENGINES. THERE ARE SO MANY FORUMS AND SITES DEDICATED TO THE VW/AUDI 2.0T ENGINES CONSUMING OIL. *KB
PROBLEM: PREMATURE WEAR OF THE CAM AND CAM FOLLOWER RESULTING IN P0087 ERRORS. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO RUN VERY ERRATIC, SURGING AND BUCKING AND A GENERAL LOSS OF POWER. THERE IS AN AUDI TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) ON THIS VERY ISSUE FOR MY 2005, 2006 AND 2007. THIS IS A VERY WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM! MY 2008 AUDI SHOULD BE COVERED. --- AT AROUND 60K MILES THE CAR STARTED EXPERIENCING THE DREADED PREMATURE WEAR OF THE CAM LOBE FOLLOWER AND THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP LOBE. THE FOLLOWER WAS REPLACED BUT THE CAM WAS NOT. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO MY AUDI MECHANIC AND I WAS TOLD THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND THAT AUDI HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, CAM FOLLOWER AND THE CAM TO 120,000 MILES AND MINE WOULD BE COVERED. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE AUDI DEALER THEY DID EVERYTHING THAT HAD A RECALL AND TOLD ME TO TRY IT. THE PROBLEM QUICKLY RETURNED AND I HAD MY MECHANIC REMOVE THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP AND WE LOOKED AT THE WEAR ON THE FOLLOWER AND CAM. THE CAM AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWER WERE EXTREMELY WORN. I DO HAVE PICTURES FROM THEN AND NOW THAT THE CAM AND FOLLOWER HAVE BEEN REPLACED, I HAVE THE OLD PARTS AS WELL. NEXT TOOK IT BACK TO AUDI DEALERSHIP EXPECTING TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED AND WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM AND WAS NOT COVERED. THEY THEN TOLD ME I NEEDED A CAM AND FOLLOWER AND I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE. I WOULD AUDI TO REIMBRUSE ME FOR THE WORK I HAD PERFORMED. *TT
I HAVE AN AUDI A4 2008 THAT HAS A LONG STANDING OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. THE AUDI DEALERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS ASSURES ME IT IS NORMAL FOR THE AUDI TURBO ENGINES TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL OIL 'TOP OFFS' BETWEEN THE REGULAR OIL CHANGE INTERVALS. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER (NON AUDI) TURBO ENGINE AUTOMOBILES, AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT 'NORMAL'. I HAVE READ MANY ONLINE FORUMS ON THIS TOPIC, WHERE THE AUDI A4 OWNER WAS EVENTUALLY INFORMED THE ENGINE SEALS WERE BAD, CAUSING THE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM, BUT AUDI WOULD NOT COVER ANY COSTS TO REPAIR SUCH ON THE 2008 A4 MODEL. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS USED SYNTHETIC OIL, WHICH SHOULD ONLY NEED OIL REPLACING TWICE A YEAR. BUT EVERY 4 WEEKS THE 'LOW OIL' DASHBOARD LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND I NEED TO ADD ANOTHER QUART OR TWO QUARTS. THERE IS AN AUDI DESIGN FLAW ON THE A4 ENGINE, OTHERWISE IT WOULD NOT BE BURNING THROUGH EXCESSIVE OIL THE WAY IT DOES.
SINCE WE LEASED OUR 08 AUDI A4 QUATTRO 2.0T WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAR SEEMING TO LOOSE POWER AND JERK USUALLY WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 60 AND 70MPH. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE REPLACED OR REPAIRED THE FOLLOWING UNDER WARRANTY: TWO DIVERTER VALVES (FIRST AT 500 MILES AND THE SECOND AT 1200 MILES) THE CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHEN COLD AS IF RUNNING ON 2CYL, REMOVED AN AIR FILTER PRE-SCREEN (AT 5000 MILES SCHEDULED SERVICE), REPLACED THE TURBO CHARGER AND BATTERY POWER CABLE (8500 MILES). UN-FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE CONTINUES WITH THE PROBLEM AT 13,880 MILES. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE CONSUMES OIL AND NOW ONLY GIVES US 15-17MPG IN THE CITY, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ARE BOTH NORMAL BY MAPLEWOOD AUDI. I CAN SAY THAT IF WE HAD KNOW ABOUT THE VEHICLES OIL CONSUMPTION, POOR FUEL MILEAGE (ESPECIALLY FOR A 4CYL ENGINE) AND THE ENGINE JERK WE WOULD HAVE NEVER LEASED THIS VEHICLE. *TR
PURCHASED 2008 AUDI A4 NEW FROM DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER 2007. TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, NOTICE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM AT 1QT EVERY 1,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL BUT MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS NOT. WITH THE HELP OF A PRO-BONO ATTORNEY, CONTACTED AUDI AND DEMANDED REPAIR AT 12,000 MILES. AUDI REPLACED RINGS AND CAR WAS FINE FOR 24,000 MILES. AT 36,000 MILES, LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON - 1 QT LOW AGAIN. HAD OIL CHANGED BY MY MECHANIC AND TWO DAYS LATER A NEW PROBLEM - LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ON. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR (NO CODES, DRIVES FINE). I DEMAND THROUGH AUDI AN OIL PRESSURE TEST. TEST CAME BACK NORMAL. THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT IS STILL COMING ON EVERY 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING. THE CAR GOES BACK IN THE SHOP AGAIN THIS WEEK. CAR IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026