Audi A4 vs Subaru WRX
Which used car has the cleaner record?
We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.
| Side by side | A4 | WRX |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Years sampled | 2016, 2020, 2024 | 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Owner complaints | 150 | 64fewer |
| Recall campaigns | 3 | 3 |
| NHTSA investigations | 7 | 5fewer |
| Overall safety (NHTSA, US) | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Combined economy (EPA, US) | 9 L/100km | 11.2 L/100km |
The quick read
Over the sampled model years, the Audi A4 has 150 complaints and 3 recalls, and the Subaru WRX has 64 complaints and 3 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.
Deeper analysis
Based on US NHTSA data covering model years 2016, 2020, and 2024, the Audi A4 accumulated 150 owner complaints across those years compared to 64 for the Subaru WRX, while both cars share an identical count of 3 recall campaigns. The WRX shows notably fewer complaints in this dataset, which may suggest a smoother ownership experience, though complaint volume can reflect sales volume and owner demographics as much as actual reliability. Keep in mind this is US-sourced data, so it serves as a rough signal rather than a definitive verdict for European buyers evaluating a specific used example.
NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.