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2020 Audi A4 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
1%
1 of 157 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2020 Audi A4. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 1% of relevant complaints.

Better than 99% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2020 Audi A4 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 1 of 157 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A4 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (1%). This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
1
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
157
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
1 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM111 · 71%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER68 · 43%
BACK OVER PREVENTION55 · 35%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE11 · 7%
LANE DEPARTURE7 · 4%
COMMUNICATION2 · 1%

The years either side

2010
87%
53 of 64
2011
82%
31 of 42
2012
80%
35 of 45
2013
31%
32 of 111
2014
51%
36 of 76
2015
70%
26 of 44
2016
57%
13 of 26
2017
50%
27 of 82
2018
30%
13 of 51
2019
too few complaints
2020
1%
1 of 157
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2020 compares with other Audi A4 years

Of the 10 Audi A4 years with enough complaints to score, the 2020 is the best on engine and transmission share (1%). The worst is the 2010 (87%). By volume, the 2020 drew 157 complaints (1 drivetrain), against 8 for the 2019 and 12 for the 2021.

Audi A4 years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2020 Audi A4

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANC09/23/2025
The cars MMI system will loose connection while in Motion making the car systems none functioning /. This can happen while at highway speeds or while backing up .

One of 1 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2020 Audi A4 engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2020 Audi A4, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
tires22V034000 · Jan 2022
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,…
seats21V874000 · Nov 2021
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…
suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly21V295000 · Apr 2021
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2020 Audi A4? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2020 Audi A4

Does the 2020 Audi A4 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 1 of 157 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A4 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (1%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2020 Audi A4?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2020 Audi A4 is electrical system: 111 of 157 complaints (71%) name it, followed by back over prevention (55) and forward collision avoidance (11). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 1% of the relevant total.

Is the 2020 Audi A4 reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 1% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 99% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 10 Audi A4 years we score, it ranks best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Audi A4?

No. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2020 Audi A4, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Audi A4 years are better?

The 2020 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Audi A4 years we track (1%). The other years run higher. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/audi-a4

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.