2006 Audi S4 tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2006 Audi S4, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/40R18 OEM | R18 | 5x112 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2006 Audi S4 wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x112 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M14x1.5 |
| Center bore | 57.1 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Potenza sport
summer touring, UTQG 300
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 S4, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Audi S4 →
Compatible alternative sizes for 235/40R18
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
265/45R16 |
-0.05% | alternative | Safe |
205/40R19 |
0.22% | plus 1 | Safe |
265/40R17 |
-0.22% | alternative | Safe |
215/50R17 |
0.25% | winter narrower | Safe |
235/35R19 |
0.29% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 235/40R18 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 235/40R18 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 205/40R19; one rim size up, 0.22% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 225/30R20; two rim sizes up, -0.34% 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 2006 audi S4 sedan
The 2006 Audi S4 Sedan ships from the factory on 235/40R18 tires mounted on R18 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Audi S4 comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), 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 2006 Audi S4 Sedan 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 2006 Audi S4 Sedan, 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 2006 audi S4
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (29) · Sidewall (20) · Tread / Belt (2)
Reported across: 2000 – 2004 (3 years)
What owners described
Sidewall failure appears in 61% of these reports; about 4.1× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 28 reports covering every model year of the Audi S4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidewall failure | 61% | 15% | 4.1× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 46% | 6% | 7.9× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 14% | 20% | 0.7× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 11% | 9% | 1.2× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 11% | 8% | 1.3× |
| Tread or belt separation | 7% | 13% | 0.5× |
Mileage at failure
16 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 10,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 2,000 and 23,200 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Audi S4. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
HANKOOK TIRES, VENTUS S1 NOBLE 2 SPLITTING OUTSIDE SIDEWALL, CAUSED TO DEPRESSURE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED TO CRACK TIRE ON THE INNER SIDEWALL SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO MANUFACTURER CLAIM BLAME ON MY VEHICLE. THE TIRE MODEL IS UNDER A RECALL, BUT IN DIFFERENT SIZE, BUT IDENTICAL WALLS, MANUFACTURING PROCESS. MY VEHICLE'S TIRE SIZE 235/40/R18. RECALLED: VENTUS S1 NOBLE2 '245/45R18 96W', '245/40R19 94W', '275/35R19 96W PROPER TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED AND CHECKED WEEKLY FOR 3YEARS, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.
2 INCH BUBBLE IN EXTERIOR SIDEWALL OF FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE NOTICED WHILE CLEANING WHEELS. BRIDGESTONE DEALER SAID BUBBLE WAS DUE TO "ROAD HAZZARD DAMAGE" BUT NONE HAD OCCURRED. RESEARCHED PROBLEM ON "AUDI WORLD" WEBSITE AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR LOW*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45R17 )
I DON'T KNOW THE DOT #'S ON THE TIRES. FIRST TIRE I PAID FOR MYSELF. DUE TO MANY COMPLAINTS ON AUDIWORLD.COM FORUMS, I PURCHASED ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY FOR ALL TIRES. SECOND TIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, BUT THERE WAS A NATIONAL SHARTAGE OF RE040'S AT THIS TIME. I THEN OBTAINED A USED REPLACEMENT FROM ANOTHER S4 OWNER THAT ALREADY SWITCHED TO ANOTHER TIRE. I'M MOVING SOON, SO PHONE# AND ADDRESS WILL CHANGE. THE PHONE# AND ADDRESS ARE MY PARENTS. MY PARENTS SHOULD GIVE YOU MY NEW PHONE# IF NEEDED. MAIL SENT TO MY PARENTS SHOULD ALSO GET TO ME WITHOUT PROBLEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245/45 R17 )
SIDEWALL BLISTER, 2IN.X1IN., DISCOVERED WHILE ROUTINE MAINTAINANCE PERFORMED. NO HISTORY OF ACCIDENT OR IMPACT INJURY TO TIRE OR WHEEL ASSEMBLY. AUTOMOBILE SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPORTS TIRE DEFECTIVE, CONFIRMS NO IMPACT INJURY TO VEHICLE SUSTAINED.( DOT NUMBER: EJH8CFE429 TIRE SIZE: 225/45/R17 )
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 2006 Audi S4?
What is the bolt pattern of a 2006 Audi S4?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2006 Audi S4?
Where can I buy tires for my 2006 Audi S4?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2006 Audi S4?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2006 Audi S4?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2006 Audi S4?
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 S4 is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2006 Audi S4.
- 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 2026-09-02.