Audi A4 Oil Consumption Lawsuit: Rieger and Asghari Settlements

The Audi oil consumption lawsuits produced two federal class action settlements covering 2009–2011 and 2012–2017 models with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, both of which extended warranties and reimbursed out-of-pocket repair costs. Both claim deadlines have now passed. Owners of 2018 and newer Audi and Volkswagen vehicles with the same engine family are the subject of newer, unresolved lawsuits still moving through the courts.

Which Audis Are Covered

Two settlements have been finalized, and each covers a different set of model years equipped with the 2.0-liter TFSI engine.

The earlier settlement, Asghari v. Volkswagen Group of America, covered roughly 126,000 vehicles: the 2009–2011 Audi A4, A5, and Q5 with the CAEB variant of the 2.0-liter engine.

The later settlement, Rieger v. Volkswagen Group of America, covered current and former owners and lessees of these U.S. and Puerto Rico vehicles:

2012–2014 Audi A4
2012–2014 Audi A5
2012–2014 Audi A6
2012–2014 Audi Q5
2012–2014 and 2016–2017 Audi TT
2015–2017 Audi A3

For the A4, A5, A6, Q5, and 2012–2014 TT, the settlement addressed diagnosed excessive oil consumption and engine damage caused by it. For the A3 and 2016–2017 TT, the covered problem was fractured pistons and engine damage caused by piston fractures.¹

The Alleged Defect

Both lawsuits centered on Audi’s EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Plaintiffs alleged that the piston rings did not seat properly in the piston grooves, letting engine oil slip past the rings and burn in the combustion chamber. Oil levels could drop dangerously between service intervals with no visible external leak, and owners commonly reported oil warning lights appearing after just a few thousand miles. Dealers frequently told them the consumption was normal.²

The Rieger complaint alleged a more severe failure mode: cracked or fractured pistons could send metal fragments through the engine, and a sudden piston failure could cause immediate loss of engine power.²

Audi acknowledged the issue through technical service bulletins to dealers. A 2013 TSB directed dealers to replace the crankcase pressure regulating valve and front crankshaft seal on 2009–2011 models.³ Audi UK confirmed that production tolerances for pistons and rings in the 2.0 TFSI were changed from mid-2011 onward.⁴ Volkswagen denied all claims in both cases and did not admit wrongdoing in either settlement.⁵

What the Rieger Settlement Provided (2012–2017)

U.S. District Judge Kiel granted final approval on May 16, 2024, in the District of New Jersey.⁶ The settlement extended warranty coverage to nine years or 90,000 miles from the vehicle’s original in-service date. Audi would cover 75% of parts and labor for qualifying repairs. For engine damage directly caused by excessive oil consumption or fractured pistons, coverage could reach 100% on a sliding scale tied to the vehicle’s age and mileage.⁷

Former owners and lessees who had already paid for covered repairs within that window were eligible for reimbursement:

Repairs at an authorized Audi dealer: up to 75% for excessive oil consumption or fractured piston repairs, and up to 100% for engine damage (sliding scale applies).
Non-dealer excessive oil consumption repairs: capped at $3,700, with the 75% factor producing a maximum payment of $2,775.
Non-dealer fractured piston repairs: capped at $9,000, with a maximum of $6,750 after the 75% factor.
Non-dealer engine damage repairs: capped at $12,000, subject to the sliding scale.

Compensation was limited to one repair per vehicle, and claimants had to show they had followed Audi’s maintenance requirements.¹

Claims were administered by JND Legal Administration through PistonSettlement.com. The claim deadline was April 15, 2024, and the settlement is closed.¹

Objections at the final approval hearing reflected the frustrations of many owners: some argued the nine-year/90,000-mile limits excluded vehicles that had already aged out, others wanted benefits regardless of mileage, and several said the settlement failed to account for lost resale value. The court overruled the objections.⁶

What the Asghari Settlement Provided (2009–2011)

Judge Margaret M. Morrow granted final approval on May 29, 2015, in the Central District of California. Eligible current owners could receive a free service adjustment: replacement of the crankcase pressure regulating valve, front crankshaft seal, and front crankshaft bolt, plus an engine software update. Owners who had already paid for those specific repairs were entitled to full reimbursement. The settlement extended the factory warranty from four years or 50,000 miles to eight years or 80,000 miles for engine repairs related to excessive oil consumption.⁸⁹ That claim window has also closed.

Does the Repair Actually Work

The core fix, replacing pistons and rings, is extensive and often requires removing the engine. Owner reports are mixed. Some describe thousands of trouble-free miles after a “Stage 2” repair with new pistons and rings; one owner on the Audizine forum reported 7,000 miles without oil warnings after previously getting one every 1,000 miles.¹⁰

Owners with mechanical knowledge have cautioned that replacing rings without also replacing the pistons themselves may lead to a recurrence within 30,000 to 40,000 kilometers, since updated pistons include better oil drainage provisions. If prolonged oil consumption has already scored the cylinder bores, new rings alone will not seal, and the only reliable fix becomes a full engine replacement.⁴¹⁰

If You Own a 2018 or Newer Audi or Volkswagen

The Rieger settlement stopped at the 2017 model year, but the EA888 engine kept going into newer vehicles, and so did the complaints. A separate class action, Reece, et al. v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, et al. (Case No. 2:26-cv-00745), was filed in the District of New Jersey for owners of 2018 and newer vehicles. Named plaintiffs include Lauren Reece, Margaret Ponder, Diana Ferrara, and Loretta Moutra, represented by Carella Byrne Cecchi Brody & Agnello P.C. and Beasley Allen.¹¹

The Reece case covers a broader range of vehicles, including 2018-and-newer Audi Q3, Q5, and Q7 models along with several Volkswagens: Atlas, Jetta GLI, Passat, and Tiguan. It alleges the same piston ring defect, that dealerships frequently refuse to honor warranty claims, and that Volkswagen has no effective repair because replacement parts are essentially the same defective components.¹²

A parallel wave of litigation targets the Volkswagen Tiguan specifically. In February 2025, a federal judge in New Jersey consolidated multiple Tiguan oil consumption cases into Zeiders et al. v. Volkswagen Group of North America Inc. (No. 2:2024-cv-11197), with a consolidated amended complaint due in March 2025. No settlement has been reached in these newer cases.¹³

Canadian Owners

On February 24, 2025, the Quebec firm Lambert Avocats filed a class action against Audi Canada Inc. in the Superior Court of Quebec for residents who purchased or leased 2010–2017 Audi A3, A4, A5, A6, Q3, Q5, Q7, and TT vehicles. The action seeks repair costs, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. As of filing, the case was awaiting authorization from a judge to proceed.¹⁴

NHTSA and Recall Status

There is no official safety recall for the piston ring defect in Audi’s 2.0-liter turbo engines. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not opened a formal investigation, despite significant complaint volume. The 2011 A4 alone generated 39 NHTSA complaints, many citing oil consumption and engine seizure.¹⁵

A separate defect in Audi’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, where blocked oil strainers starved turbochargers of lubrication, did result in a formal recall (NHTSA Campaign 22V178) covering about 26,053 units of the 2013–2017 A8, S6, S7, S8, and RS7. That is a different engine and a different problem from the 2.0T piston issue at the center of the class actions.¹⁶

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2
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3
CarComplaints.com. Audi Oil Consumption Lawsuit Pistons
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Atlantic Motorcar. Audi Engine Oil Consumption Correction
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16
NHTSA. Recall 22V178 – Oil Strainer