1994 Audi a4 tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1994 Audi A4, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195/65R15 OEM | 6x15 | N/A | 45mm | 91 | T |
| 205/60R15 OEM | 7x15 | N/A | 45mm | 94 | T |
| 195/60R16 | 7x16 | N/A | 45mm | 91 | H |
| 205/55R16 | 7x16 | N/A | 45mm | 94 | H |
| 205/50R17 | 7x17 | N/A | 42mm | 91 | V |
| 205/45R18 | 7x18 | N/A | 42mm | 89 | V |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Audi A4, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Audi A4 →
Plus-size and winter-downsize options for every Audi A4 factory size →
Compatible alternative sizes for 195/65R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
225/45R17 |
-0.03% | plus 2 | Safe |
215/65R14 |
0.09% | alternative | Safe |
175/65R16 |
-0.09% | plus 1 | Safe |
185/55R17 |
0.13% | plus 2 | Safe |
175/80R14 |
0.17% | winter narrower | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 195/65R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 195/65R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 175/65R16; one rim size up, -0.09% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 225/45R17; two rim sizes up, -0.03% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1994 audi a4
The 1994 Audi A4 ships from the factory on 195/65R15 tires mounted on 6x15 wheels, with a load index of 91 and a speed rating of T. 6 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Audi A4 comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number, in this case 91), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard, here T), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1994 Audi A4 owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1994 Audi A4, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1994 audi a4
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (46) · Sidewall (11) · Tread / Belt (9) · TPMS (1)
Reported across: 1996 – 2024 (17 years)
What owners described
Bubble or bulge in the tire appears in 30% of these reports; about 5.1× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 57 reports covering every model year of the Audi A4 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 30% | 6% | 5.1× |
| Sidewall failure | 23% | 15% | 1.5× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 1.0× |
| Tread or belt separation | 11% | 13% | 0.8× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 7% | 9% | 0.8× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 7% | 8% | 0.8× |
Mileage at failure
39 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 18,300 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 3,000 and 41,239 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Audi A4. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
ALL FOUR TPMS SENSORS NEED REPLACING ALONG WITH NEW TIRES. RIGHT SIDE MOTOR MOUNT IS LEAKING FLUID, AND WIPERS STREAK. 80,616 MILEAGE. IN 2012 I BOUGHT NEW TIRES, WIPERS AND REGULAR OIL CHANGES. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT NOW I'M FACED WITH A LEAKING MOTOR MOUNT. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR, I SHOULDN'T HAVE THESE MAJOR REPAIR ISSUES. [XXX] 'S.C. 552(B)(6).
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 AUDI A4 EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES, SIZE: 225/45R17. WHILE PARKED, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
AT 31700 MILES I NOTICED A BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. I REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES WITH THE IDENTICAL BRAND. AT 41239 MILES, I AGAIN NOTICED A LARGE BULGE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE IN THE SIDEWALL. I AGAIN WILL HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED BEFORE I HAVE A BLOW-OUT. I HAVE READ OTHER REVIEWS ON THIS TIRE AND IT SEEMS MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT COULD BE QUITE HAZARDOUS IF I DIDN'T CATCH THE PROBLEM BEFORE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205 55 16)
CONCERN WITH PIRELLI TIRE MODEL P235/45R17-PIRELLI P6.- I HAVE A TOTAL OF 28,000 MILES ON AN AUDI A4. I HAVE HAD TWO BLOWOUTS AND THREE TIRES THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SPECIFICALLY, THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES BUBBLE OUT IN WEAK SPOTS. LAST WEEK MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND GOT A FLAT ON THE SIDEWALL, AND I NOTICED WHEN FIXING HER TIRE THAT NOW ANOTHER ONE OF THE TIRES HAS A BUBBLE. I WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO REPLACE TWO TIRES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF A VEHICLE.*AK I AM NOT A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER. I DRIVE FOR WORK AND FAMILY RELATED MATTERS ONLY SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RELATED TO EXCESSIVE DRIVING SPEEDS OR HARSH HANDLING. I AM FOLLOWING THIS COMPLAINT WITH A COMPLAINT DIRECTLY TO PIRELLI AND TO AUDI OF AMERICA. IF DESIRED I CAN FORWARD A DIGITAL PHOTO OF THE TYPICAL BUBBLE. BRUCE HENDEE
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1994 Audi A4?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1994 Audi A4?
Where can I buy tires for my 1994 Audi A4?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1994 Audi A4?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1994 Audi A4?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1994 Audi A4?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Audi A4 is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1994 Audi A4.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-10-07.