What breaks most · 1990 to 2009 model years
Audi Quattro problems by year
Owners have filed 97 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Audi Quattro across model years 1990 to 2009. Three years stand out: 1999 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2002 for electrical system complaints and 1997 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 1995 and 1993.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2002, 1997
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 1995, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 971990 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 199921 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 72 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 2Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Steering (2) | |
| 21 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) | |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | Parking Brake (2) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 1999 Audi Quattro
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 29% |
6 | 2 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 19% |
4 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 14% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 10% |
2 | 1 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 10% |
2 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel System, Other | 10% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 10% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The hand brake, if engaged in the first or second notch, fails about three hours after having sucessfully immobilized the car. On a standard driveway, the car rolls back the length of the drive way and gathers enough momentum to go about 6-9 feet beyond the curb. This could have fatal consequences. *ak
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The electrical system has had numerous problems and currently the turn signals often do not function although at times the work for a short period. *nm
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Consumer stated when approaching a intersection while traveling about 45 mph, and upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost all power without no warning, causing a near accident. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer replaced the computer chip within the transmission, problem still exists. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Audi Quattro years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2002, 1997 carry the most filings on the Audi Quattro. The 1999 alone has 21 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Audi Quattro problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Audi Quattro problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Audi Quattro complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.