Used Audi A4 B9: Engines, Recalls and What to Pay

The B9 A4 is the used German executive car with the cleanest breakdown record: every registration year from 2015 to 2022 sits in ADAC's best band. It is also the most expensive of the three rivals today. The faults that matter are model-specific: oil use on the 2.0 TFSI, water pump leaks, the mild-hybrid starter-generator recall and S tronic behaviour.

Which B9 years and versions exist

ADAC dates the German market launch of the saloon and Avant to November 2015. The A4 allroad followed in March 2016, the S4 in August 2016 and the RS4 Avant in January 2018. A model update in October 2018 renamed the engines to Audi's power-band names (35 TFSI, 40 TDI and so on). The real facelift was revealed in May 2019 and went on sale in Germany in autumn 2019, with 12-volt mild-hybrid technology on five engines. Production ended in July 2024, when the A5 took over.

The Avant is the version most buyers want: ADAC puts its share of the German market at about 90 percent. Boot space is 480 litres for the saloon and 505 litres for the Avant. ADAC lists the trim lines as the base car, sport and design.

Engines to choose

Outputs come from ADAC's used-car reports and auto motor und sport's 2019 facelift overview. ADAC finds the 122 PS diesel sluggish and recommends the 150 PS, 190 PS or stronger versions, which are also the most common on the used market; for petrol, the 150 PS base engine is enough for most drivers.

The 2.0 TFSI is part of Volkswagen's EA888 third-generation family. What Car? reports high oil consumption on the 2.0-litre petrols, so ask how much oil the car takes between services and check the level yourself. ADAC records a March 2017 recall for the 2.0 TFSI's auxiliary coolant pump, which could block and overheat, affecting 10,000 cars in Germany. What Car? also notes occasional water pump leaks across the range.

The 2.0 TDI is the EA288 engine, which Gebrauchtwagenberater.de considers free of serious faults when serviced and driven over longer distances. Short trips are its enemy: the particulate filter cannot regenerate, and EGR valves, injectors and the dual-mass flywheel become the weak points at high mileage. Unlike the BMW and Mercedes rivals, the four-cylinder TDI uses a timing belt; ADAC prices the change at EUR 850 at 210,000 km (2025 workshop data). On early 3.0 TDI V6 engines with engine numbers CRT 000001 to 073951, camshafts can fail because of a material defect.

Mild hybrid, S tronic and quattro ultra

From the 2019 facelift, five engines use a 12-volt mild-hybrid system with a belt-driven starter-generator, worth up to 0.3 l/100 km according to Audi's figures quoted by auto motor und sport. In June 2020 ADAC recorded a recall because the starter-generator's inverter coating could crack, let in moisture and cause a short circuit or fire; 53,250 cars were affected in Germany, including the 2.0 TFSI mild hybrid. Gebrauchtwagenberater.de dates the affected cars to model years 2017-2020. Any car from that window needs proof that the generator was replaced.

Most B9s have the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox (DL382), built for longitudinal engines from 2015 and rated for up to 400 Nm. What Car? owners report occasional lurches, and Gebrauchtwagenberater.de mentions a rattle at idle in D and R that Audi treats as normal. It recommends a gearbox oil change every 50,000-60,000 km and warns that heavy city traffic and frequent towing wear the clutches early. The S4 uses an eight-speed tiptronic torque-converter automatic instead. The guide to automatic gearbox types explains the difference.

Quattro ultra, used on four-cylinder quattro versions with the S tronic, disconnects the propshaft and the rear differential when the car needs only front-wheel drive, and its sensors check driving conditions every 100 milliseconds to decide when to reconnect them, according to WardsAuto.

Running costs

ADAC lists factory diesel consumption of 4.0-7.1 l/100 km across the range. The tank is small at 40 litres for the 2.0 TDI and 54 litres for most petrols. Servicing runs every 29,000 km or 24 months for diesels; ADAC put the cost at EUR 560-710 in its 2025 report. Front discs and pads cost EUR 910-940 on the same 2025 basis, noticeably more than on the C-Class. German insurance classes for the diesels range from 15/22/24 to 15/24/26, lower than the 23/25/24 of a diesel C-Class.

What ADAC and TUV data show

ADAC's 2025 breakdown statistics put 2015 cars at 7.6 breakdowns per 1,000, 2016 at 7.0, 2017 at 4.9, 2019 at 3.7 and 2021 at 1.3, every year in the best rating band. The TUV Report 2026 is equally positive for younger cars, with 3.3 percent significant defects at 2-3 years (average 4.0) and 3.0 percent at 4-5 years (average 5.3). The weak point appears with age: at 8-9 years, spring and damper faults run at more than twice the average rate. What Car?'s owner survey is less glowing, placing the A4 15th of 23 executive cars with 90.1 percent, and it lists 17 UK recalls, which it calls unusually many.

Prices today and the B8 alternative

ADAC's cheapest German list price was EUR 32,400 at launch in 2015. AutoScout24 asking prices in November 2026 show a median of about EUR 14,300, with most cars between EUR 9,800 and EUR 16,500 among 12,949 offers. Those are generation-wide figures, so real prices depend on year, mileage, engine and condition; facelift cars and S4 or allroad versions sit at the top.

On a tighter budget, the A4 B8 (2007-2015) had a median of about EUR 7,800 and a range of EUR 4,900-9,500 in November 2026. It is older, and Auto Express warned in 2016 that its four-cylinder engines can use up to a litre of oil every 1,000 miles. The Audi A4 model page covers both generations.

Against its rivals, the A4 costs more than a used BMW 3 Series F30 and a used Mercedes C-Class W205, but it holds the best breakdown record of the three.

How to find a good one

Ask for the full Audi service record and check by VIN that the starter-generator, coolant pump, fuel rail and towbar recalls were done. Drive the car through slow traffic and a hill start to judge the S tronic, then check the oil level after the drive. The checks below cover the rest.