Audi Q4 e-tron - Reliability and safety

Audi has a reputation for producing stylish, premium cars with a high level of fit and finish. However, owners are less than pleased with their cars, as Audi finished 30th out of 32 brands in our best car manufacturer rankings for 2023, based on customer feedback from the latest Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Not only did the brand fall from 22nd place in 2022, but it was several spots behind key rivals BMW and Mercedes. 

Two Audis did manage to make their way onto our list of the best cars to own – also based on our 2023 Driver Power survey results – with the Audi Q3 SUV finishing in 27th place, and the Audi A5 coupe sitting at 71st.

With the Q4 e-tron’s MEB architecture now widely used across the VW Group, reliability should be good. As a marker of the platform’s impressive flexibility, Ford has also used the tech as the underpinnings for its new Explorer SUV.

When tested in 2021, the Q4 e-tron achieved the maximum five-star rating from industry body Euro NCAP. It scored an impressive 93 per cent for adult occupant protection and 89 per cent for child passenger protection. The standard safety kit is good, with all models featuring cruise control with a speed limiter and a lane departure warning. 

Audi also offers packs including extra safety kit, such as the Safety Package Plus with Audi Pre Sense that incorporates motorway traffic assistance functions, and side assist and cross traffic assist to warn you of cars and pedestrians when pulling out of junctions and parking spaces.

Warranty

Audi provides a fairly standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, but buyers can increase this to four years/75,000 miles and five years/90,000 miles of cover. A separate eight-year/100,000-mile guarantee covers the Q4 e-tron’s battery.

Servicing

A further benefit to buying an all-electric car, aside from not producing any tailpipe emissions and potentially lower running costs, is that it needs much less maintenance than a combustion-engined model. This is borne out by Audi’s recommended two-year/19,000-mile service intervals for the Q4 e-tron.

Like many other manufacturers, Audi offers service plans to help spread scheduled maintenance costs. In the case of the Q4 e-tron, there are 3 individual plans on offer: Level 1 is designed for those covering lower mileages, with Level 2 increasing the cover to 36 months. Finally, Level 3 adds MOT tests for years 3 and 4 of ownership, and will set you back about £1,000 if you pay upfront or close to £45 per month if you choose to spread the cost.