
Audi TT reliability: problems and recalls.
Owners filed 330 complaints about the 2000 to 2018 Audi TT with the government, most about electrical.
No Lemon Index score yet: too few were sold in the U.S. for a fair per-car score, so here's what YouTube owners say, next to the raw complaint counts.
YouTube rank and complaints, by model year
YouTube rank: we read 580 YouTube videos about the Audi TT and ranked each year with 10 or more videos by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. It measures tone, not failure rates. Complaints are the raw number owners filed with NHTSA: popular years draw more partly because more were sold, and without usable sales figures we can't turn them into a per-car score.
What owners say on YouTube
2000–2006 TT · 192 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
2008–2015 TT · 192 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
2016–2023 TT · 189 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 73 | 6 |
| 2001 | 120 | 5 |
| 2002 | 38 | 2 |
| 2003 | 13 | 1 |
| 2004 | 25 | 2 |
| 2005 | 11 | 1 |
| 2006 | 4 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 14 | 2 |
| 2009 | 13 | 2 |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 4 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 |
Popular years draw more complaints partly because more were sold. We don't have usable sales for this model, so these are counts, not a score.
What owners complain about
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical | 35% |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 13% |
| Engine | 9% |
| Airbags | 7% |
| Tires | 5% |
| Lights | 4% |
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 31,000 and 81,000 miles. The middle report was at 51,247 miles, from 217 complaints.
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
In owners' words
All electrical performances shut down. Also, vehicle shut down while operating. Consumer was driving at approximately 55 mph when the vehicle suddenly shut down.
2001 Audi TT owner · NHTSA complaint 10081480
This is the second tire in 14,800 miles. No safety defect listed in summary.
2000 Audi TT owner · NHTSA complaint 732410
2002 Audi tt developed numerous mechanical problems.
2002 Audi TT owner · NHTSA complaint 10132400
Recalls 16
22V543000 Jul 2022 Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
Fix. Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.
21V470000 Jun 2021 Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4, and S4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver Air Bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CJ.
20V076000 Feb 2020 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Audi TT Roadster Quattro and TT Coupe Quattro vehicles. In the event of a crash, the fuel tank may become damaged by the fuel tank heat shield bracket .
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cap on the fuel tank heat shield bracket, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BX.
20V056000 Jan 2020 Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 TT Roadster, 2000 TT Coupe, 1999 Audi A8, 1998-2000 Audi A6, and 1999-2000 Audi A4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator when the parts become available, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed September 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BT.
19V014000 Jan 2019 Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
18V863000 Dec 2018 Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The fuel hose quick connector may detach from the fuel supply line in the engine bay, resulting in a fuel leak.
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the fuel line connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BK.
16V642000 Sep 2016 Electrical System / Software
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 TT roadster, A3 cabriolet, A3 sedan and A3 e-tron, 2016-2017 TT coupe, 2017 A4 sedan and Q7 and 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Fix. Audi will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97CB.
14E007000 Mar 2014 Engine And Engine Cooling / Engine
The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the af
Fix. Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
09V377000 Sep 2009 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 AUDI A3, TT, AND TT ROADSTER PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 29, 2005 AND AUGUST 26, 2009. THE CLOSING FORCE OF AN INTERNAL SPRING OF THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE IS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO HOLD THE VALVE CLOSED UNDER EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS POSSIBLY ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK.
Fix. VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND AUDI DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE WITH AN IMPROVED VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 16, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-253-2834.
09V333000 Aug 2009 Power Train / Automatic Transmission
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR LI
Fix. VOLKSWAGEN WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
08V064000 Feb 2008 Structure / Body / Roof And Pillars
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 720 MY 2008 AUDI TT COUPE VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH C-PILLAR TRIM COVER CLIPS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE RETENTION. IN THE EVENT OF A DEPLOYMENT OF THE REAR PYROTECHNIC SAFETY BELT, THE C-PILLAR TRIM COVER MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE SHEET METAL DUE TO LOW RETENTION FORCE OF THE TRIM CLIP.
Fix. DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED CLIP ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 7, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW/AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
07E023000 Mar 2007 Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Master Cylinder
CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.
Fix. CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
04V007000 Jan 2004 Power Train / Clutch Assembly
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX, DURING THE PRODUCTION OF THE GEARBOX, A SEAM AT THE CLUTCH WAS NOT WELDED TO SPECIFICATIONS. THIS COULD LEAD TO DEGRADED PERFORMANCE OF THE CLUTCH INSIDE THE GEARBOX.
Fix. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLUTCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
01V325000 Oct 2001 Suspension / Rear
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. MOISTURE COULD ENTER THE REAR TRACK CONTROL ARM'S MOUNTING BUSHING AND BOLT COMBINATION AND CAUSE CORROSION.
Fix. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRACK CONTROL ARMS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 12, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
99V300000 Nov 1999 Suspension / Front / Control Arm / Lower Arm
PASSENGER VEHICLES. IN SHARP HIGH SPEED TURNS OR ABRUPT LANE CHANGE MANEUVERS AT SPEEDS SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE POSTED SPEED LIMITS, AND DEPENDING UPON ROAD CONDITIONS, PRECISE STEERING RESPONSE MAY BE DEMANDED TO RETAIN DIRECTIONAL STABILITY.
Fix. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT STABILIZERS IN FRONT DRIVE AUDI TT'S AND THE FRONT AND REAR STABILIZERS IN AUDI TT'S EQUIPPED WITH QUATTRO DRIVE. A MODIFIED CONTROL ARM WILL BE INSTALLED IN FRONT TOGETHER WITH FIRMER SHOCK ABSORBERS IN FRONT AND REAR. IN ADDITION AUDI WILL INSTALL A REAR SPOILER.
99V222000 Aug 1999 Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A SMALL SECTION OF THE VEHICLE FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING PRODUCTION. IF DAMAGED, FUEL COULD LEAK TO THE OUTSIDE.
Fix. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check the exact car's VIN for open recalls.
Quick answers
What are the most common Audi TT problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the top areas are electrical, transmission & drivetrain, engine.
How many recalls does the Audi TT have?
16 safety recalls on record for the 2000 to 2018 models.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, YouTube videos (titles and channels link to them). We don't give this model a Lemon Index: too few were sold in the U.S. for a fair per-car score (20 of the 20 years we have sales for were under 20,000, sales source). Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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