10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,602 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2006 Audi A4:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #58

Sep 062010

A4

  • 35,000 miles
Left dipped headlamp that Audi claims they, "know about but don't have a solution."

- Old Tappan, NJ, USA

problem #57

Aug 072010

A4

  • miles
Audi headlight shutters and shuts down. Indicator states 'right headlight dipped'. failure started as intermittent and is now as often as everyday when headlights are on. Nothing has been done to correct the failure. When the light is turned off then on again, the light will work and then will shutter/shut down again. Consequence is a missing headlight at night which can cause other vehicles not to see me or lack of lighting in the driving pathway which could result in an accident (pedestrian, other vehicles, bikes, animals, etc..). car was taken into the dealer several times but dealer has claimed that no issue is reported in the cars software and therefore cannot be fixed.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #56

Aug 072010

A4

  • 45,000 miles
Audi A4 right dipped head light goes off intermittently for rhyme or reason. Multiple people report same problem. The dealer changed bulb but with same problem.

- Mountain Lakes, NJ, USA

problem #55

Jan 182008

A4

  • 50,000 miles
Every time you go over speed bumps or road dips the headlights flicker. Eventually one side will fail and you are forced to drive at night with one headlight and limited visibility.

- Arleta, CA, USA

problem #54

Aug 032010

A4

  • miles
Our Audi A4 has an issue with a dipped headlight. The dealer won't correct even though the headlight randomly goes out and has to be turned off and on again to relight. This will happen repeatedly. It isn't the bulb but some sort of igniter or ballast issue we think. This presents a real danger on a dark road as well as an opportunity for a traffic citation. Audi quotes us over 300 dollars to replace bulb but that is not the problem. It's been doing this for 2 years now and the bulb would have gone out permanently if that was the issue.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #53

Jul 262010

A4

  • 42,300 miles
I have a 2006 Audi A4 2.0T quattro and there is a serious defect with the xenon hid headlights. The headlights are wonderful, when they work of course. However, at night they flicker at different speeds and sometimes even go out. This is dangerous, and could easily cause an accident due to limited visibility. The worst part is, I've taken it to the dealer and they tell me nothing is wrong with it when clearly there is. Audi needs to diagnose this issue immediately.

- S Burlington , VT, USA

problem #52

Oct 152009

A4

  • miles
2006 Audi A4 headlights continuously malfunction while driving... the left and/or right headlight flickers and then automatically shut down. The message "left dipped headlight" appears. If I turn the light off (note: We're talking about driving at night here) and turn it back on again, the light will become normal again, for about a few minutes and then the cycle repeats itself.

- Algonquin, IL, USA

problem #51

Jul 252010

A4

  • 26,250 miles
Flickering of both xenon headlights with no apparent reason. It occurs about every 45 seconds. The dealership has advised to replace the ballast (control unit) for over 1000 usd, whereas in many others' experience, this has not had a positive resolution for the problem.

- Santiago, 00, USA

problem #50

Jul 062010

A4

  • 65,000 miles
Audi A4 2006 headlight dips and goes out during driving at night. Numerous complaints posted, but no solution has been established by Audi.

- Woodbury, MN, USA

problem #49

Oct 181999

A4

  • 72,000 miles
My 06 Audi A4 B7 2.0T is having problems with its headlights that are flickering and then going out. The only way to fix the problem is to turn off the headlights manually and then turn them back on. The hid lights do this quite frequently, it seems to be a big issue when I am driving and night and one of my headlights flickers out and then I have to turn my lights off to get it to come back on. I have had on numerous occasions both of them flicker out and I get the warning light inside the car stating that they have "dipped". I have read many Audi owners forums and they are having the same problems! I have reported it to Audi and all they tell me is that it's common and they can start replacing parts, but can not guarantee that it will fix the problem. My car is out of warranty and they are wanting $1,000 for them to replace the hid bulbs and ballasts. But from what I read doing this does not solve the problem, I can not afford to pay that kind of money and not have a guarantee that the problem will be fixed!!

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #48

Jan 012010

A4

  • 50,000 miles
Left headlight dipped problem with my 2006 Audi A4. The lights come on when the car starts, and they flicker a little, sometimes the left headlight will shut off and I will have to turn the lights off and turn them back on to 're-start' the left headlight. Often this will also happen while driving if I am on a bumpy road or a curvy road. The left headlight will go out, and it will give me the 'left headlight dipped' warning on my dash. I will usually have to wait till I get to a stop sign or stop light to shut off my lights and turn them back on. This seems to fix the problem temporarily, but it continues to happen. Audi has not been able to remedy the situation.

- Berkley, CA, USA

problem #47

Jun 082010

A4

  • 54,000 miles
On the 2006 Audi A4, the left headlight will flicker then turn off. I have to turn off the lights, then back on and the light is normal again for a period of time. The problem is intermittent. Many others on the web are complaining about this problem and Audi has not recalled and does not appear to have a common fix. The most common solution others have experienced is replacing the igniter.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #46

May 302010

A4

  • miles
Intermittent headlight malfunction. Over the course of 4.5 years of ownership, the left headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "left headlight dipped". this condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 60-70 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted. Seems to be worse when it is cold out. Anecdotal evidence (conversational, and via internet owners' forums) suggests that the problem is widespread among a substantial portion of Audi's model range and years.

- Chelsea, MI, USA

problem #45

May 182010

A4

  • 48,000 miles
Headlight malfunction. Right headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "right headlight dipped". this condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 7-8 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted, then be fine for weeks or months at a time. The dealership has been notified of the problem on at least 3 visits, and has claimed that everything is fine and they can not reproduce. They have suggested/guessed that it is the xenon light bulb itself, however it has checked out fine each time, and as mentioned, has functioned flawlessly after each occurrence with merely a restart of the vehicle. No parts have been repaired or replaced, however they have claimed to perform a visual inspection of the electrical connections on at least one visit. Annecdotal evidence (conversational, and via internet owners' forums) suggests that the problem is widespread among a substantial portion of Audi's model range and years.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #44

May 192006

A4

  • 108,000 miles
Audi adaptive headlight flickering. 2006 Audi A4 with adaptive (xenon) headlamps that "flicker" for no apparent reason. This defect has now happened more than 20 times, and was once addressed by dealer for almost $900. Several months later, same thing happened. Problem seems to come and go. Sometimes 5 or 6 months will go by before it re-occurs. This a safety problem for several reasons: 1. while this "flickering" is occurring it causes oncoming drivers to endure a flashing bright white light, much brighter than standard halogen high beams, being directed right at them. 2. if this "flickering goes on for more than several seconds, the guilty lamp goes out, cutting night vision considerably. 3. replacement of bulbs, a dangerous procedure warned against in owners manual, is very expensive, and does not address the problem. 4. this problem has been reported by a number of owners on several web sites for Audi owners. Audi is aware of this defect and has ignored it for several years. Headlamps are a significant safety item, and as such, need to operate in a reliable manner that is safe for not only the operator of the affected vehicle, but also those around them.

- Nashua, NH, USA

problem #43

May 102010

A4

  • 47,000 miles
Right or left headlight turns off at random times and the driver information display shows a "headlight dipped" warning. Brought this to the notice of the Audi dealer, who insisted that the bulb is not covered under warranty after the first 12 months and further noted that the problem could not be recreated and no code was stored. This is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by Audi.

- Woburn, MA, USA

problem #42

May 142010

A4

  • 58,000 miles
"dipping" passenger headlight.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #41

May 072010

A4

  • 25,000 miles
Intermittent headlight malfunction. Over the course of a year and a half of ownership, the right headlight has malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. The specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is "right headlight dipped". this condition is both unsafe, and illegal - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. It has happened about 7-8 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted, then be fine for weeks or months at a time. The dealership has been notified of the problem on at least 3 visits, and has claimed that everything is fine and they can not reproduce. They have suggested/guessed that it is the xenon light bulb itself, however it has checked out fine each time, and as mentioned, has functioned flawlessly after each occurrence with merely a restart of the vehicle. No parts have been repaired or replaced, however they have claimed to perform a visual inspection of the electrical connections on at least one visit. Anecdotal evidence (conversational, and via internet owners' forums) suggests that the problem is widespread among a substantial portion of Audi's model range and years.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #40

Apr 042010

A4

  • 27,500 miles
Audi A4 2006 repeated "dipped headlamp". brought to Audi many times for repair where the computer was reflashed without success. Finally had to replace igniter and bulb for $1800 even though car was still under warranty. Now happening again on the other side (other headlamp). This is a common issue with many Audi owner and should have a Audi recall about this.

- Old Tappan, NJ, USA

problem #39

May 012010

A4

  • 27,524 miles
Audi A4 B7 bi-xenon headlights fail during driving at night. Error message "headlight dipped" is shown in the display. No fault code is generated. Had the chance to shoot a video of the failed light on the 1st of March 2010: www.youtube.com/watch?V=8ai0xdbic-a problem is occurring since October 2009. Was reported to Audi, but Audi did not address the issue at that time since there was no fault code saved in the system.

- Doylestown , PA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »