Selling a broken or junk Audi Allroad
Two different cars wore the Allroad name in the US. The 2001-2005 wagons were A6 allroad quattros, and a fuel tank recall names them with 2.7-liter or 4.2-liter engines. The 2013-2018 cars were A4 allroads. Their complaint files don't look alike: the early wagons collect electrical and speed-control complaints, while 7 of the 13 complaints on the 2013 name the steering.
- Model years in EPA data
- 2001-2018
- Two versions
- A6 allroad quattro, A4 allroad quattro
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 83 (as of Oct. 10, 2026)
- Year with the most complaints
- 2001 (17)
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Engines named in recall 08V157
- 2.7L and 4.2L (2001-2005)
- Component named most
- Electrical system (13)
If yours is done, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
What owners reported, version by version
Our Allroad complaint counts are what NHTSA had on file October 10, 2026. Read them as reports, not a reliability score. Wikipedia dates the A6 allroad quattro from 1999 and the A4 allroad quattro from 2009 to 2024; the US years below come from EPA data.
2001-2005: the A6 allroad wagons
These five years hold 57 of the 83 complaints. The electrical system leads on the 2002 and 2003. Two recalls explain part of that. Recall 04V133 found that the knee bolster below the dash, if pressed hard by a driver's legs, can rub the headlight switch harness until it shorts; the dealer fix is a protective covering. Under 06V198, pins in the headlight switch connector on cars with halogen low beams can touch and short; dealers add a jumper harness. Those campaigns list 172,866 and 70,512 vehicles, and both may include other models.
The 2004 has 15 complaints, with vehicle speed control named most. Its 3 crashes and 2 fires are the most of any year on file. Recall 08V157 covers aging plastic at the fuel tank's rollover valve, which dealers reinforce or repair to stop leaks. Its 68,240 vehicles include 2001-2004 A6 quattro sedans, not only Allroads.
2013-2018: the A4 allroad
The later cars have 26 complaints in all. Steering is named in 7 of the 13 on the 2013 and 3 of the 4 on the 2015. Recall 14V667 updates the air bag control unit software on 2013-2015 cars; its 101,938 vehicles include A4 and S4 sedans. Recall 19V547 has dealers add cable ties to the passenger air bag harness on 2017-2018 cars, in a campaign of 145,337 that spans the A4, A5, S4, S5 and RS5.
Model-year table
| Year | Complaints | Crashes / fires | Recalls | Named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 17 | 1 / 0 | 3 | Fuel and propulsion |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 / 1 | 3 | Electrical |
| 2003 | 14 | 0 / 0 | 3 | Electrical |
| 2004 | 15 | 3 / 2 | 3 | Speed control |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 / 1 | 2 | Power train, engine, electrical (1 each) |
| 2006-2012 | 0 | - | - | None on file |
| 2013 | 13 | 0 / 1 | 1 | Steering (7) |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 / 0 | 1 | Electrical, engine, cooling (1 each) |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 / 0 | 1 | Steering (3) |
| 2016 | 0 | - | - | None on file |
| 2017 | 2 | 1 / 0 | 1 | Air bags, electrical |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 / 0 | 1 | Power train |
An A4 allroad has spent about a decade less on the road than an early wagon, so its owners have had less time to report trouble. Read the small later counts with that in mind.
Repair it or let it go?
- Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. An early wagon could still show the headlight switch or rollover valve work as open.
- Lights or dash acting up on a 2001-2005? Those two headlight switch recalls are where a diagnosis should start. Our electrical problems guide covers when a short is worth chasing.
- Steering complaint on a 2013 or 2015? Get it checked before you drive it far.
- Compare the shop's written quote with what running Allroads of that year are listed for. On a wagon past 20 years, age often decides it; see old or high mileage.
Selling the Allroad whole
- Jot down the VIN (dash or driver's door jamb), the odometer reading, and the fault: lights, steering, a leak.
- Ask for an offer on this site, or phone (877) 421-6008.
- Describe the spot: a wagon parked on a flat tire in a carport, say, or nose-in on a side street. The truck shows up equipped for that.
- Keep the wheels, battery and converter on the car, and own up to anything already removed.
- Pickup day: signed title plus your driver's license. Plate rules change from state to state; after you sell lists them.
Looking at a different Audi? See the A6, the A4 or every Audi we cover.
Questions people ask
- Which Allroad model year has the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 2001 leads with 17 owner complaints in NHTSA's file (count taken October 10, 2026). Close behind: 2004 at 15, 2003 at 14, 2013 at 13. The file is empty for 2006 through 2012 and for 2016.
- Was my 2013-2015 Allroad part of an air bag recall?
- It may be. Recall 14V667 covers some 2013-2015 Allroads, and dealers update the air bag control unit software for free. The same campaign also covers A4 and S4 sedans. Enter the 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; the result shows whether this campaign applies to your Allroad and if a dealer already did it.
- Will you buy an Allroad that won't start or move?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Share what the Allroad is doing, whether it rolls, and the street address where it's parked.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data (model years, classes, name variants) fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 04V133: knee bolster and headlight switch wiring, 2001-2004 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 06V198: headlight switch connector short, 2001-2005 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 08V157: fuel tank rollover valve, 2001-2005 allroad quattro nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 14V667: air bag control unit software, 2013-2015 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 19V547: passenger air bag harness, 2017-2018 nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Audi Allroad (A6 allroad and A4 allroad) en.wikipedia.org