The display from my radio is "SAFE." How do I find the code to remove the SAFE mode?
The radio will not operate in the SAFE mode. Please help
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1997 Audi A4 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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In 1997, the Audi A4 gets a new engine choice, a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder, turbo that hits 150-hp. This is meant to be a more affordable car than the 2.8 V6, which later in 1997 gets an upgrade from 172 to 190-horsepower. Both engine types are available as four-wheel drive or the AWD quattro, coupled with a standard 5-speed manual transmission. Other changes in the 1997 A4 include a restyled rear on the 2.8, plus new interior fabrics. In the midyear engine upgrade in the 2.8, traction control and side airbags come standard.
The 1.8, though billed as the budget model, still does not skimp on creature comforts and comes standard with most of the same features as the 2.8, including ABS brakes, cruise control, and power windows and locks. A Sports Package, offered with both the 1.8 and 2.8 adds a lower suspension, bigger performance tires, sports-tuned shocks, and more supportive seats. An All-Weather Package gives you heated seats (a highlight for owners) and heated locks and mirrors. Leather seats and sunroof are optional.
The 1997 Audi A4 is Audi's compact car, but its rounded roofline and loads of glass make it feel bigger than it really is. With lots of legroom up front (sorry, backseat riders suffer from minimal legroom) and cargo room in the trunk that can be expanded with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat, the 1997 A4 is a family sedan that is both practial and luxurious. As always, the Audi A4 hugs the road, safe and solid, yet agile to drive, with little shudder or body roll. One driver admitted they purposely drive in the snow because of the quattro's great handling. Other high points include the heated seats and Audi's sleek styling inside and out. Low points include a weak acceleration, shoddy cupholders that spill more than they hold, a cramped backseat, and, as always, costly costly costly repairs.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1997 Audi A4
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Hannah H
Apr 16, 2013
I love everything about my audi!!! I refuse to get rid of it. Im havent been able to drive my car since September. Due to them being really expensive to fix and no really wants to work on them come to find out. I was warned when i bought my a4. I thought everyone was just jealous that I was able to afford an audi. I quickly found out when my a4 broke down. That no one was jealous of my car. They really were trying to save me from dealing with the mess im in now. I think I blew my heads or transmission. I cant afford to fix my car now. I dont want to get rid of it cuz it really is a great car!! I just got screwed when i took my car in to have my oil pan relaped. The place I took it too did more damage then fixing it. I tried being reasonable with the guy who replaced my oil pan but when I questioning him about my car and since my car was never ran without oil in it after I busted my oil pan. I got denied service and my car was towed home. Its a super long story! I do know a little bit cars. I like getting greasy and when the guy realized I wasnt just a ditsy girl who knows nothing. He wanted nothing to with me or my car. After I just spent 600 dollars with his company.
Audi's are really great cars!! I love mine and over all they are really nice and reliable cars. But your going to spend alot on car repairs if it breaks down. Thats the only thing i truely dislike about owning my audi. I refuse to get rid of it. I have faith ill someday be able to fix at reasonable price. So for now im carless but it will be worth in the end i know it!!!Apr 16, 2013
by Andy C
Nov 20, 2011
My Audi A4 T Sport is a quick and fun to drive family car, that has the power to
hand when you need it but has the build quality and reliability to make it a great
Family car.
it has a lot of fun factor due to the size of the car and the family man look,you can
have a lot of fun with the chav's in their Spaxo's.
It doe cost more to run then our other car but it makes up with that by being soo
fun to drive.Nov 20, 2011
by Dino G
Aug 17, 2011
This car is really powerful! But its still classy and comfortable. If you have a heavy right foot this car is going to be a bit pricey on the petrol side but otherwise is very reliable! But wow what a joy it is to drive!Aug 17, 2011
User rating:
by Hannah H
Apr 16, 2013
I love everything about my audi!!! I refuse to get rid of it. Im havent been able to drive my car since September. Due to them being really expensive to fix and no really wants to work on them come to find out. I was warned when i bought my a4. I thought everyone was just jealous that I was able to afford an audi. I quickly found out when my a4 broke down. That no one was jealous of my car. They really were trying to save me from dealing with the mess im in now. I think I blew my heads or transmission. I cant afford to fix my car now. I dont want to get rid of it cuz it really is a great car!! I just got screwed when i took my car in to have my oil pan relaped. The place I took it too did more damage then fixing it. I tried being reasonable with the guy who replaced my oil pan but when I questioning him about my car and since my car was never ran without oil in it after I busted my oil pan. I got denied service and my car was towed home. Its a super long story! I do know a little bit cars. I like getting greasy and when the guy realized I wasnt just a ditsy girl who knows nothing. He wanted nothing to with me or my car. After I just spent 600 dollars with his company.
Audi's are really great cars!! I love mine and over all they are really nice and reliable cars. But your going to spend alot on car repairs if it breaks down. Thats the only thing i truely dislike about owning my audi. I refuse to get rid of it. I have faith ill someday be able to fix at reasonable price. So for now im carless but it will be worth in the end i know it!!!Apr 16, 2013
by Andy C
Nov 20, 2011
My Audi A4 T Sport is a quick and fun to drive family car, that has the power to
hand when you need it but has the build quality and reliability to make it a great
Family car.
it has a lot of fun factor due to the size of the car and the family man look,you can
have a lot of fun with the chav's in their Spaxo's.
It doe cost more to run then our other car but it makes up with that by being soo
fun to drive.Nov 20, 2011
by Dino G
Aug 17, 2011
This car is really powerful! But its still classy and comfortable. If you have a heavy right foot this car is going to be a bit pricey on the petrol side but otherwise is very reliable! But wow what a joy it is to drive!Aug 17, 2011
by Zachary B
Dec 31, 2010
Love this car, its light, fast, and is built to last. It's got a beautiful white leather interior and it get's up and goes. Classy and the Germans definitely know what they are doing. Overall this is a great entry level Audi.Dec 31, 2010
by Niko P
Aug 05, 2010
AEB 1.8T 20V - KKK-K03 - ahdot 0,8bar - alkuperäinen intercooler - OTR
säädettävä by-pass - TurboSmart mekaaninen ahtopaineensäädin - cold-air intake
hiilikuitusuodattimella - FK automotive cat-back putkisto - silikoni ahtoputket - 2.5
testpipe (ei katalysaattoria)......FK Hight Sport.....Alpine CDA-9886R, DLS MS5A,
Rainbow CAL25VOF Germanium - diskantit, SPL Dynamics S-2604, SPL Dynamics S-
1200D, SPL Dynamics XTR 380D2Aug 05, 2010
by Adam H
Feb 19, 2010
Good acceleration for 1.8T
Poor Breaking (car is a hog)
Great Handling (German engineering)
Great MPG 30+
Black on Black and Lowered!!
Cost to fix the problems adds up!
I love the customization of my A4.
Great stereo and speakers!Feb 19, 2010
by Lukasz L
Feb 18, 2010
i love my car the car is v6 lowered and is a dark blue color with exon light white leather seats and is a bead ass and the car is fun to drive around is natural powered with no turbo but i turbo would be nice.Feb 18, 2010
by Jason L
Dec 04, 2009
Best car ever. Really good snow vehicle. Lots of aftermarket support. Some cheap upgrades can add tons of performance. Forced induction ftw. Amazing european reliability. Great interior and options. way ahead of it's time. Well rounded and really efficient. Would recommend to anyone.Dec 04, 2009
by Leo T
Nov 06, 2009
It is the shizzle!!! not really! wasnt my 1st choice car! Actually it is for sale if anyone wants it!! <a href="http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pistonheads.com%2Fsales%2F1329617.htm" title="http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1329617.htm" target="_blank">http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1329617.htm</a> heres the beast, give me a shout if you're interested!! Thank you for the free plug facebook!!Nov 06, 2009
by Andrea H
Oct 29, 2009
This car was my favorite out of all I have owned and ever driven. It was turbo and had all wheel drive of course it handled wonderfully and the turbo gave it that extra umph, so duh there's no question lolOct 29, 2009
by Ivan H
Oct 13, 2009
Just tuned it with new HID Projector Angel Eyes Headlights and LED Chrome Taillights which are doing a perfect job for me.Have bidded new Audi 17' Wheels which make me much more stable on the road and give adittional better view of the car itself.Oct 13, 2009
by Adam L
Aug 04, 2009
Ive had this car for a couple years. Ive avoided maitnance. I enjoy working on cars only for fun not when needed haha. ive beaten this car up and shes still going strong. I recommend audi to any one from german car enthusiasts to the soccer moms. Fast enough, fun enough and definitely luxurious enough.Aug 04, 2009
by Shane C
Jul 13, 2009
mine needs work cant do anythin till after my american adventure tho needs rear bumper bootlid exhaust paintjob and new alloys or a quick refurb on the wolfrace ones 2 new tyres cambelt change and disarming of the immobiliser not muchJul 13, 2009
by Anonymous
May 01, 2009
I had a 5-spd manual. Very solid, quick car with lots of technology for its day. Acceleration was a little better than mediocre, but it braking and handling were superior to any other car in its class. As long as these cars are properly maintained and cared for, repairs are few and far between, though audi parts aren't cheap. Gas mileage was in the high 20s to low 30s for a light-footed grandma, and low 20s for enthusiastic drivers. ALWAYS a pleasure to drive! Timeless, simple styling can't go wrong either.May 01, 2009
by Ben K
Apr 04, 2009
Gotta love the Quattro! Drives great. It really needs some more pep but luckily I have friends in the business. It gets decent gas mileage, better than what I was getting in a truck. And it is fun to drive.Apr 04, 2009
by Frankie D
Feb 09, 2009
First year of the 1.8turbo, so it only has 150 horsepower. BUT there is so much aftermarket support for this car so making more is easy. It's all stock except for a lowering kit and 18x8 original Audi RS4 wheels. It looks good and is very reliable. And nothing stops Quattro AWD. NOTHING. Feb 09, 2009
by Pete D
Feb 08, 2009
Performance - Acceleration is great for a stock car, Braking and handling is great for a stock car.
Appearance - Black on Black on Black.... need I say more
Cost of ownership gas is good maintenance depends
THE CAR IS FUN TO DRIVE!Feb 08, 2009
by Jessica D
Jan 19, 2009
It's a great car and I am going to miss having it. I find it hard to imagine owning another kind of car, but I am still a fan of the Volvo! Get an Audi, you won't regret it! It handles great, it's economic, great interior.Jan 19, 2009
by Lossi T
Jan 18, 2009
Good on gas, great on turns interior could have less outside come in but I can barely hear it over the Bose speakers, lol. Its fast....but could be faster.....hated dat it only had 150hp so i added a stage 1 clutch...next move: TAKE OFF THE GOVERNOR, it stopped me at 130mph!!! I have quite some work in store for this baby....Jan 18, 2009
by Shaun C
Sep 22, 2008
Love the performance, quick off the mark, and excellent midrange power. Sport seats are very comfy. The build quality is excellent, everything feels solid and firm. It handles like a dream, you can throw it into a corner and it hold amazingly. The turbo has a bit of lag, but thats to be expected. Its such a fun car to drive.Sep 22, 2008
by Tony C
Sep 16, 2008
The Audi A4 Quattro is a great little car; it looks good and handles great. It is one of my favourites. Besides the suspension wearing out in shorter than average time span (compared to other cars), it has a low maintenance cost. After your first snow fall driving one you'll appreciate just how good a car it is!Sep 16, 2008
by Anonymous
Aug 14, 2008
love everything about this car, except its age - we need a newer one!! so much better than our 'normal everyday car' so powerfull and great fun to drive (when he lets me!) this car has always passed its mot and needed very little spent on repairs. would recommend to friends!Aug 14, 2008
by Sally B
Jul 12, 2008
LIKES
Love these cars to pieces !!!......Reliable, well built, great drive/handling and don't rust.
DISLIKES
Hmmmmmm..........now thats a hard one......need to think about that. Maybe could do with a bit more legroom in back but if its a problem then just get an A6 !!!....sorted !!! Jul 12, 2008
by Matt M
Jul 10, 2008
Car handles excellent, acceleration is soild and braking is amazing (depends if u get the right brakes tho). If u get the 4wd quattro, the handling is top notch compared to any other 4wd and Fwd car, but if you do choose to get the Fwd u are missing out on the Audi experince.
The build quality is amazing, i still have the orginal paint job and there is no fading what so every cept for the minor scratches and such. Car is soild and as long as you take it in for mantience the car will stay that way.
Its a fantastic looking car for being 11 years old, people can't believe its a 97 when i tell them. the interior leather is amazing! no joke yall, it still looks new, its the only interior leather i've seen to last so long and look so good.
Gas mileage isn't the greatest, 17-18 city, 25-27 highway not bad for a V6.
Car is fun to take on the back roads and go for a drive, hugs the road on the turns and accelerates beautifuly out of them, ive done nothing upgrade wise to this car and suits me fine.
Now for the bad...
I've had some problems tho, the powersterring is kinda lecky, idk if it was my fault of my own for bottoming the car out on the road, but ive had problems with it before my little run in, parts are expensive as hell tho...also the back is really cramped and the middle seat is hard as a rock, great trunk space tho, if u floor it sometimes it lags for a half a second before it goes into full gear (auto transmission) other than that i can't think of any problems, nothing major with the powertrain, the car is a work of ark, Audi is a fine company and i plan on buying on for now on, thats if i have the money of course!Jul 10, 2008
by Mike O
Jun 18, 2008
Great car, awesome for following the rally in. Amazing road handling and family safetyJun 18, 2008
by Josh B
Jun 15, 2008
Performance and handling are excellent and makes it a fun car to drive. Quattro is great in snow and rain. Reliability is questionable and maintenance is very expensive. It needs better drink holders. Back seat leg room is limited, but the trunk space makes up for it.Jun 15, 2008
by Justin V
Apr 15, 2008
This sporty car was my ride through highschool. Stock handling for corners was great with its AWD capability, however engine needed a little more power. I went to Evolution Motorsports and GIAC chipped it for an extra fifty hp. I also added an evoms intake and snub mount and this car was so nice. However, I had many major problems with the car including suspension tie rods and arms, steering pump leaks and ac problems. If you want a nice looking ride and have the time and patience and money for its upkeepApr 15, 2008
by Matt S
Mar 21, 2008
I believe this car is amazing! Although it lacks some power, the newer models of the A4, which I am investing to buy a 2003 A4, are much much faster. You have to remember these B5's are old. So look back to when they were new. They were fast!Mar 21, 2008
by Jamal K
Mar 15, 2008
I love this car very much. It doesn't feel like an old car. In fact, it's much nicer looking and
more luxurious than a lot of cars made today. It's not really fast but then again, how fast do
you want your 4 door, 5 seater to be? Smooth ride and every imaginable function. Even the
seat warmers have 6 levels!!!Mar 15, 2008
by Kevin M
Feb 24, 2008
fast, stick shift, good handling car, all wheel drive. pretty good gas mileage, looks ok.Feb 24, 2008
by Ryan F
Jan 20, 2008
another unreliable expensive german car that will break for no reason. i eventually got fed up sold it and it was crushed to pieces. if you ever try to drive the car hard it will break even faster. great car for the snow though, gotta love the quattro. v6 was very boring to drive.Jan 20, 2008
by Michael C
Jan 17, 2008
i love my Audi, nothing has gone wrong with the car mechanically, however i get the usual german electrical glitches such as burnt taillights, flashers work inconsistantly. the car is a bulldozer in winter thanks to the 4 wheel drive, i never get stuck! the handling is fantastic, the accelerationJan 17, 2008
What users have asked
Just got an 1997 audi a4 b5 quattro v6 . Relay problem
Just got an 1997 audi a4 b5 quattro v6 , the engine is cranking but not starting . Come to find out I'm missing relays n have a weird prong in the middle relay ?? Without it the car doesn't crank .. bit confused so was wondering if theirs any pictures someone could send for me to get an idea n what ones I'm missing n if mine are in the correct order ??
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why is my turbo getting super red and hot?
i fix all the vacuum to the turbo and all valves seem to be working when i took them all out to clean them. the air filter is brand new. and the spoll in the turbo is spinning freely when i stuck my hand in to spin it.
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Top Comparisons
Have you driven a 1997 Audi A4?Compare this car
1997 Audi A4 Pricing
Original MSRP
$23,490 to $29,530Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic
Exterior Features
Paint: special factory paint
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic
Drivetrain
Locking differential: center
Exterior Features
Paint: special factory paint
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic
Exterior Features
Paint: special factory paint
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: vinyl
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic
Drivetrain
Locking differential: center
Exterior Features
Paint: special factory paint
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: vinyl
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent