2001 Audi A4 Complaint Log

POSSIBLE MANF. DEFEC DRAIN HOSES FOR SUNROOF BREAK/LEAK WATER STAINS HEADLINER AT REAR QUARTERPANEL ON BOTH SIDES OF INTERIOR. (VACINITY OF AIRBAG) POSSIBLE CORROSION DAMAGE TO AIRBAG OVER TIME? DT

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO IDLE IRREGULARLY. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS TOWED TO AN AUDI DEALERSHIP. THREE DAYS LATER MY CAR WAS REPAIRED. ALL THAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT MY #2 COIL PACK FAILED. I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY INFORMATION THAT THE OTHER 3 WOULD MOST LIKELT FAIL ALSO. UPON DOING RESEARCH ON MESSAGE BOARDS I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM. I CALLED AUDI CLIENT RELATIONS AND TOLD THEM THAT I FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING A TICKING TIME BOMB AS I COULD NEVER BE SURE WHEN THE OTHER COIL PACKS WERE GOING TO FAIL. THE WOMAN THAT I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE AUDI DEALERSHIP AND "DEMAND THAT THE OTHER 3 BE REPLACED." WHEN I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE TERRIBLE SERVICE I RECEIVED AT THE 1ST DEALER, THEY LAUGHED IN MY FACE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE AT A "CRISIS STATE" WITH THE COIL PACKS, THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY TO SWITCH OUT FOR ME, AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY CAR TO DIE WHILE IN OPERATION. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THAT THEY COULD ONLY REPLACE THE COIL PACK THAT FAILED! IF THIS ISN'T GROSS NEGLIGENCE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS! ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE HAD A CAM TENSIONER REPLACED, THE ELECTRONIC SENSOR REPLACED, AND NOW IT APPEARS THAT MY STEERING RACK IS GOING BAD. I HAVE 38K MILES WITH ONLY 12K LEFT ON MY WARRANTY. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE TERRIBLE RELIABILITY OF THIS CAR ON TOP OF AUDI'S RELUCTANCE TO ISSUE A RECALL CAMPAIGN ON THE COIL PACKS. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE A PERSON DYING BEFORE ANYONE ADDRESSES THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.

AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES, " THAT THE DEALER HAD RESET THE AIR BAG MODULE TEN TIMES'. AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS RECURRING. *NM

IN SEARCHING FOR COMPLAINTS FILED FOR 2001 AUDI A4'S I NOTICED A NUMBER RELATED TO VERY POOR BRAKING IN WET WEATHER. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 A4. AUDI DOES HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE ROTOR BACKING PLATES MUST BE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN. WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND MENTIONED THE PROBLEM NO ONE IN THE DEALERSHIP WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. A FACTORY REP. WAS VISITING THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. HE ORDERED NEW BACKING PLATES WHICH, I AM TOLD, CAN ONLY BE ORDERED BY A FACTORY REP. IT TOOK 3 MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO REACH THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVEN'T HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE THE NEW BACKING PLATES WERE INSTALLED.*AK

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ON MY 2001 AUDI A4 QUATTRO CAME ON AND WAS RUNNING SOMEWHAT ROUGHLY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN. ON THE 8-MILE FREEWAY DRIVE THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. *TR

THE SEAT RAIL LOOSENING HAS OCCURRED ON BOTH DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATS. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT RAILS WERE REPLACED AT 42,759 MILES. AFTER LESS THAN 7,000 MILES OF ADDITIONAL DRIVING, THE DRIVER SIDE RAILS ARE BEGINNING TO LOOSEN AGAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE RAILS ARE GRADUALLY LOOSENING, BUT MORE SLOWLY, AS THERE ISN'T ALWAYS A PASSENGER IN THAT SEAT. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP DEVELOPED A CRACK IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE 40,000 MILE SERVICE, WHICH WAS AT 42,759 MILES.

I AM PRESENTLY LEASING THE AUDI A4 1.8T. THE CAR HAS DIED ON THREE OCCASSIONS AND AUDI TELLS ME THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE COIL SPRING PROBLEMS THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING. ON THE FIRST TWO OCCASSIONS THERE WAS NO "WARNING INDICATOR" OR "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT." THEY SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF WARNING BEFORE THIS PROBLEMS HAPPENS, BUT IN MY CASE THERE WAS NOT. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THIS HAPPENED TO ME THE CAR JUST DIED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OR LIGHT TO TELL ME SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED I DID HAVE THE LIGHT FLASH AND THE CAR RIDE ROUGH. THIS CAR IS ABSOLUTLY DEADLY. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH THE FIRST TWO TIMES TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. DO NOT LET AUDI AND VW FOOL YOU INTO THINKING THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A WARNING BEFORE THIS HAPPENS. THE CAR IS DEADLY AND SOMETIMES THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN IT IS GOING TO DIE. FOR INCIDENT DATE I PUT THE FIRST INCIDENT ONLY.

FAILURE OF IGNITION COIL. CAR SPUTTERS. AUDI ONLY REPLACING THE COIL THAT MALFUNCTIONED LEAVING THE REST OF THE CYLINDERS SUBJECT TO THE SAME DANGEROUS FAILURE, AS ALL COILS OBVIOUSLY WERE THE SAME WHEN INSTALLED AT FACTORY AND THEREFORE ALL ARE POTENTIALLY FAULTY. *NLM

SCREEN ON THE RADIO FLASHES INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING YOU TO LOOK AWAY FROM THE ROAD EXPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IT COULD BE SOME SORT OF SHORT WHICH I BELIVE COULD LEAD TO FIRE.*AK

BRAKES FAILED WHILE GOING DOWNHILL ON A WET BUT CLEAN ROAD. 58 DEGREES OUTSIDE. PEDAL FELT FIRM AND NORMAL BUT BRAKES DIDN'T SLOW CAR. 2 SECONDS OF DIRECT PRESSURE YIELDED NOTHING. I THEN LIFTED MY FOOT AND REPPLIED THE BRAKE WITH INCREDIBLE FORCE. 1 SECOND PASSED WITH NO RESPONSE AND SUDDENLY THE BRAKES GRABBED AND STOPPED THE CAR. SCARY. *AK

MY COIL PACK HAS FAILED 5 TIMES, 1ST AT 12,000 MILES 2ND AT 2X,XXX 3RD AT 2X,XXX 4TH AT 38,XXX ABD 5TH AT 40,000. DT

THE BOLTS HOLDING THE HOOD LATCH TO THE HOOD CAME UNDONE CAUSING THE HOOD TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE LATCH, THE HOOD THEN BENT BACKWARDS SMASHING THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF OF THE VEHICLE, THE HOOD LATCH REMAINED IN LOCK POSITION AT ALL TIMES, HOOD DETACHED ITSELF FROM LATCH, DRIVERS COULD NOT SEE OUT OF FRONT WINDSHIELD, WINDSHIELD, ROOF, FENDERS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL. *TT

AFTER SITTING FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THE BRAKES DO NOT KICK IN RIGHT AWAY IF YOU IMMEDIATELY START THE CAR AND BACK UP. YOU NEED TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD AND TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE CAR WILL STOP. LIKE THERE IS AN AIR BUBBLE IN THE HYDRAULICS. MANY WHO HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR HAVE NEARLY BACKED INTO OTHER CARS IN PARKING LOTS. FORTUNATELY THERE HAVENT BEEN PEDESTRIANS BEHIND THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. 2 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR I CONTACTED PRESTIGE ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SOL THE CAR STILL HAS THIS PROBLEM EVERY DAY. YOU CANT TELL IF THE CAR IS GOING TO STOP OR WHETHER IT IS GOING TO ROLL INTO SOMETHING. ONCE THE CAR RUNS FOR A BIT THE PROBLEM IS GONE. ON 3/15/01 I BROUGHT THE CAR IN & EXPLAINED THE BRAKE PROBLEM. THE SVC AGENT SAID THIS WAS NOT NORMAL & THEY WOULD FIX IT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. ON 8/2/01 I BROUGHT THE CAR TO PRESTIGE AGAIN. THIS TIME I INSISTED THEY FIX THE PROBLEM AS THERE HAD BEEN TOO MANY CLOSE CALLS. ON 8/3/01 PRESTIGE SAID AGAIN IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM & THERE WAS NO FIX. I INSISTED THEY KEEP THE CAR LONGER TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM.. ON 8/2/01 I CALLED AUDI CLIENT RELATIONS & REPORTED THE PROBLEM. AUDI SAID THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. SHE ASSIGNED CASE #10530656. ON 8/7/01 THE SVC MANAGER FROM PRESTIGE CALLED & SAID THEY HAD RECREATED THE PROBLEM & NEEDED TO GET AUDI INVOLVED TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. ON FRIDAY, 8/10/01, PRESTIGE SAID THEY WERE STILL WORKING WITH AUDI TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. ON TUESDAY 8/14/01, PRESTIGE LEFT ME THE FOLLOWING VOICE MAIL "I JUST HAD A SHORT DISCUSSION WITH MY SUPERVISOR (DENNIS). HE IS IN CONTACT WITH AUDI & WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DOWHAT WERE TRYING TO DO IS SEE IF AUDI WILL MAKE ANY ADAPTATIONS TO THAT OR IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLEHOPEFULLY WE SHOULD HAVE IT RESOLVED IT BY FRIDAY." ON 8/17/01 PRESTIGE CALLED & SAID THERE IS NO FIX. I NEED TO LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR 20 SECONDS BEFORE I DRIVE IT IN ORDER FOR THE BRAKES TO WORK PROPERLY.

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXMIMATELY 20 MPH ATTEMPTED TO STOP VEHICLE AND BRAKES FAILED TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING NO INJURIES. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE. *AK *JB

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF WHILE CONSUMER IS DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK

REAR BRAKES MAKE WHINING/GRINDING SOUND ONLY WHEN IN REVERSE. DEALER HAS TRIED DEGLAZING AND POWER WASHING BRAKE DISCS AND ROUTERS TO NO AVAIL. *AK

CUSTOMER STATES THAT IN WET WEATHER CONDITIONS WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A BRAKE LOSS. MECHANIC MODIFIED THE BRAKES AND FOUND THE ROTORS TO BE GLAZED, DEALER ALSO INSTALLED WATER SHIELDS AS PER RECALL, HOWEVER BRAKE LOSS STILL OCCURS, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE ABS DOES NOT WORK WELL. *JG

VEHICLE HAS TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON MANY INSTANCES IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE , DEALER /MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY. *AK

CAR FIRE THAT TOTALLY DESTROYED THE VEHICLE, WITH ONLY 4000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS A 2001 AUDI A4 1.8T. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH PIRELLI TIRE EQUIPMENT.*MR (NAR) 3 OUT 4 OF THE CONSUMER TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HE IS REQUESTING THAT PIRELLI AND AUDI CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY PROVIDING HIM WITH 4 REPLACEMENT TIRES THAT ARE EQUALLY RATED WITH THE ONES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PUT ON THE VEHICLE. *CB

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING TIRE SPEED RATING APPROPIATE FOR 2001 AUDI A4 AVANT. *TS AUDI OF AMERICA REFUSES TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF THE TIRE SPEED RATING APPROPRIATE FOR THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *NM

2001 AUDI A4 WITH GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEMS**NAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE CIRCUIT BOARD HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR YEARS WITH AUDI'S. *JB

BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT INITIALLY APPLY ANY MEANINGFUL STOPPING POWER WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. THIS RESULTS IN A 1-2 SECOND DELAY IN ACTUAL SLOWING WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN THE WET. THIS SITUATION HAS OCCURRED WITH BOTH STOCK AND AFTERMARKET WHEELS AND BRAKE PADS AND LIGHT AS WELL AS HEAVY WET CONDITIONS, AND AT ALL SPEEDS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED AND JERKED FORWARD. DEALER IS INSPECTING VEHICLE.*AK

THE NEW BLUE-WHITE LIGHT HEADLIGHTS ON THE AUDI AND OTHER LUXURY AND IMPORTED CARS IS BLINDING WHEN APPROACHING FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE ABILITY TO SEE AND POSING A SAFETY HAZARD. THE EFFECT SEEMS EVEN WORSE THAN A CAR APPROACHING WITH ITS HIGH BEAMS ON. THE EFFECT IS SO BAD THAT IT PREVENTS YOU FROM SEEING THE ROAD AND OTHER THINGS AROUND. THEY SHOULD BE BANNED.

IN WET CONDITIONS, THE BRAKING ABILITY OF THIS CAR IS REDUCED. WHEN FIRST APPLYING THE BRAKES, THERE IS A DELAY BEFORE FULL BRAKING POWER IS AVAILABLE. THE THEORY IS THAT WATER IS BEING SPLASHED ONTO THE ROTORS AND MUST BE CLEARED BEFORE THE PADS CAN ACHIEVE FULL CONTACT. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVER NIGHT A FIRE IGNITED IN STEERING COLUMN UNDER THE DASH AREA, AND SPREAD TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT . PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

THE CONSUMER WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY WHEN THE IGNITION COIL FAILED. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER. SCC *JB

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES TO FIX THE GAS GAUGE. GAUGE WILL READ 1/2 FULL, AND THE TANK IS EMPTY, WHICH WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO CUT OFF. *AK

VEHICLE WAS SITTING FOR TWO HOURS WITH ENGINE OFF. CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM OUT OF THE DASH, AND FLAMES CAME THROUGH THE PASSENGER SEAT. VEHICLE'S BATTERY WAS UNHOOKED AND FIRE WENT OUT. RADIO AND WINDOW WERE FUNCTIONING ON THEIR OWN. *AK