Audi›A4 / S4›2010›Overview/audi/a4-s4/2010/base/

2010 Audi A4 / S4

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2010 A4 / S4.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2010 Audi A4/S4 is a passenger‑car built on Audi’s modular platform, powered by a 4.9‑quart engine‑oil capacity and a 5W‑30/5W‑40 API‑rated lubricant, and featuring an automatic transmission with variable gear ratios that delivers an EPA rating of 23 city/30 highway/26 combined miles per gallon. This model year stands out for its relatively smooth powertrain, yet it also sits at the lower end of the brand’s reliability spectrum, with 64 total owner complaints—primarily focused on engine issues—and no recalls to date. For researchers examining durability trends, the 2010 A4/S4 illustrates a vehicle that combines advanced engineering with a modest reliability record, underscoring the importance of long‑term engine maintenance.

Model year2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 / 5W-40 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque89 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy23/30/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 49 · 850 CCA battery, OE oil filter 06J115403Q. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 49 · 850 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizePREMIUM PLUS SUMMER PERFORMANCE: P245-40R18; PRESTIGE SUMMER PERFORMANCE: P255-35R19OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	06J115403Q
Engine air filter	8R0133843K
Fuel filter	8K0201511A
Spark plug	06H905601A
Battery	000915089J alt 000915089BD
Front wiper blades	8K1955426A alt 8K1955425A
Serpentine belt	06H903137C
Thermostat	06H121113B alt 06J121113C
Cabin air filter	8K0819439C

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	185 in
Overall width	72 in
Overall height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	110.6 in
Curb weight	3263 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	55/45

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	23 / 30 / 26 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	91 cu ft
Cargo volume	12 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 5W-30 / 5W-40 API engine oil, SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 · GL-4 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 89 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.4 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-3-6-2-5. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	Audi part number G060162A2
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	8.3-11.0
Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 · GL-4 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	1.9 Pints
Differential Gear Oil	SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 · GL-4 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2 Pints
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2 Pints

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	6.6 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	27.1 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.4 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	17 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.2

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	89 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	OB6: 25.0, OBK, OB2: 9.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	OB6: 25.0, OBK, OB2: 9.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	30.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	30.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-4-3-6-2-5
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Audi/VW
Spark Plug Torque	22 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Torque	22.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Standard BCI Group Number	49
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	850 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	14.5 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-23 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188 °F
Pressure Test	14.5 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-23 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188 °F
Engine Compression	159-203 PSI @ RPM. 44 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Compression	159-203 PSI @ RPM. 44 maximum variation PSI.

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	26 USE NEW BOLTS ONLY ft-lbs / 22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	144
Torque Caliper to Bracket	26 USE NEW BOLTS ONLY ft-lbs / 22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	144
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.394; Rear: 0.276 front
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.866 in / 0.472 in / 1.181 in / 0.984 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.866 in / 0.472 in / 1.181 in / 0.984 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.787 in / 0.394 in / 1.102 in / 0.906 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

6 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

6 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

33 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

33 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

150 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

150 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

20 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

20 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Use new bolts coated with clean engine oil.

1	30.0 ft. lbs.	30 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees	90 degrees
3	90 degrees	90 degrees
4	front bolts only 6.0 ft. lbs.	6 ft. lbs
5	90 degrees	90 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Use new bolts coated with clean engine oil. Tighten all bolts to finger tight then continue on with the following procedure.

1	30.0 ft. lbs.	30 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees	90 degrees
3	90 degrees	90 degrees

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

44 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

44 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

4 ft. lbs., step 2: 9 ft. lbs., step 3: 12 ft. lbs., step 4: step 18

4 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

install by hand, step 2

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 5,000 mi; spark plugs at 55,000 mi.

At 5,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Headlamp Washer Nozzle (inspect) · Headlamp Washer System (inspect fluid level) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Headlamp Washer Nozzle (inspect) · Headlamp Washer System (inspect fluid level) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (inspect)
At 15,000 mi	Air Conditioning Evaporator Case Drain (inspect) · Air Intake Hose Debris Screen (clean) · Battery (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Assembly (leak inspection)
Every 20,000 mi	Air Conditioning Evaporator Case Drain (inspect) · Air Intake Hose Debris Screen (clean) · Battery (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Assembly (leak inspection)
At 35,000 mi	Brake Rotor (inspect) · Door Stop (lubricate) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exterior Lighting (inspect) · Hood Latch (lubricate) · Power Steering System (inspect fluid level)
Every 40,000 mi	Brake Rotor (inspect) · Door Stop (lubricate) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exterior Lighting (inspect) · Hood Latch (lubricate) · Power Steering System (inspect fluid level)
At 55,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Air Filter Housing (clean) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Air Filter Housing (clean) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 75,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Drive Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2010 Audi A4 / S4 dominate in one area — the engine, 32 of 64 reports (50%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

910

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 64 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine32

Power Train6

Engine & Engine Cooling6

Steering2

Power Train,Engine2

Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System2

Electrical System,Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance1

Suspension1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 910 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
TSB_2070568_6	2026-04-22	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015…
TSB_2024323_13	2026-03-17	Electrical System	This bulletin provides information when the parking assistance gives false warnings.
TSB_2024323_12	2026-03-02	Electrical System	This bulletin provides information when the parking assistance gives false warnings.
TSB_2080329_1	2026-01-22	Electrical System	This bulletin provides informaiotn when there are noises from the headliner.
TSB_2060750_5	2026-01-14	Engine	This bulletin provides information regarding UV leak additive for finding oil leaks.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific A4 / S4. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 49 battery Vehicles taking 4.9 qt Engine oil filter 06J115403Q Engine air filter 8R0133843K Fuel filter 8K0201511A Spark plug 06H905601A

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2010 A4 / S4 take?

4.9 qt of 5W-30 OR 5W-40 API MEETING VW SPECIFICATION VW50200, per the factory manual.

Does the 2010 A4 / S4 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the A4 / S4 get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 30 highway / 26 combined mpg.