2012 AUDI A3 Complaints

TAKATA RECALL. I GOT A LETTER FROM AUDI ON 4/27/2106. THE LETTER IS ATTACHED. PLEASE IGNORE MY NOTES. IT STATED MY CAR WAS BEING RECALLED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FRONT AIRBAG MADE BY TAKATA. PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE AND NO KNOWS WHEN THEY WILL BE. I CALLED AUDI AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE PROVIDING RENTAL CARS TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. I CALLED 2 DEALERS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE RENTAL CARS AS THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. MEANWHILE I AM SCREWED. I AND ALL THE OTHER IMPACTED AUDI OWNERS HAVE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR. THIS IS TERRIBLE. I COULD USE YOUR HELP TO GET AUDI TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING ABOUT 50 FEET, THE VEHICLE DRIVER DISPLAY SCREEN SIGNALED THAT MULTIPLE EXTERIOR LIGHTS HAD FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. SENSING THAT MULTIPLE LIGHT BULBS WOULD NOT FAIL AT ONCE UNLESS THERE WAS A LARGER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, I PROMPTLY MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE LOCAL AUDI SERVICE CENTER THE NEXT DAY. AFTER DIAGNOSIS BY AUDI TECHNICIANS, I LEARNED THAT THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD HAD MELTED DUE TO OVERLOAD OF CIRCUITS OR WIRING IN THE BOX. HAD I NOT TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR, THE OVERLOAD COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE BAY. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND OTHER OCCURRENCES EXPERIENCED BY VOLKSWAGEN/AUDI VEHICLE DRIVERS WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS. PLEASE ADD THIS INCIDENT TO YOUR RECORD OF CASES. THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY LIGHTS WOULD RANDOMLY GO OUT BOTH DURING DAY AND NIGHT. DASH WARNING WOULD BE BULB OUT NEEDING REPLACING BUT NOTHING WAS EVER WRONG WITH THE BULBS OR TURN SIGNALS. ISSUE WAS INTERMITTENT AND WARNING WOULD GO AWAY ON IT'S OWN OR AFTER CAR RESTARTED. LATER WHEN DASH WARNING CAME ON AND STAYED ON I TOOK IT INTO SERVICE WHICH LATER WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE A MELTED FUSE BOX PANEL ON F16 & F17. BOTH FUSE SLOTS WERE MELTED ALONG WITH F16 FUSE (15AMP) AND BURN MARKS ALONG THE HOUSING. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED IT BUT WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE KNOWN ISSUE WHICH WAS RECALLED ON VW SIDE BUT NOT BY AUDI. THE FUSEBOX IS 1K0937125D. AUDI OF AMERICA SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FROM WHEN THE SYMPTOMS STARTED, OR RECALLED THE PART AS WAS DONE ON VW SIDE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, AND POTENTIAL FIRE ISSUE WITH THE MELTING OF PANEL AND FUSE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH, AN MIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. A CONSISTENT CHANGE IN POWER OR DRIVABILITY WAS NOT EXPERIENCED IMMEDIATELY, BUT INTERMITTENT MOMENTS OF SLIGHT POWER LOSS WERE NOTICED (1 SECOND DROP IN POWER) DURING BOTH CRUISE OR ACCELERATION DURING THE REMAINING DRIVE HOME AFTER THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I INSPECTED THE ENGINE FOR ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS SUCH AS DISCONNECTED OR LOOSE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS, OIL LEVEL, ETC. I DID FIND A POOL OF OIL ON TOP OF THE CYLINDER HEAD POOLING AROUND THE INJECTOR PORTS. THIS CAUSED ME GREAT CONCERN, SO ON JULY 3, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALERSHIP. AFTER TWO DAYS, AN ASST. SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME TO PRESENT A DIAGNOSIS THAT THE EXHAUST FLAP, ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM, REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AND THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED BY AUDI FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THE OIL POOLING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO REMNANTS FROM A PREVIOUS SERVICE VISIT TO THIS SAME DEALERSHIP. THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE OIL WAS CLEANED FROM TOP OF ENGINE AND THEN THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN WITH NO PERCEIVABLE OIL DISCHARGE OCCURRING AFTERWARD. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE EXHAUST FLAP IS AN ISSUE FOR ALL VEHICLES WITH THE CBEA ENGINE TYPE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY AUDI DUE TO FAULTY QUALITY. BEING AN EMISSIONS COMPONENT, THE QUALITY OF THE EMISSIONS CONTROL MUST BE IMPACTED OR AT LEAST DETRIMENTAL TO OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE SYSTEM WHICH REGULATE THE EMISSION OF NOXIOUS GREENHOUSE GASES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DRIVABILITY COULD SUFFER TO A GREATER EXTENT OVERTIME IF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM BECOMES COMPROMISED BY THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT. MY HOPE IS THAT AUDI WILL OPEN A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THIS COMPONENT FOR LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE TDI CLEAN DIESEL AND ITS REMARKABLE REDUCED EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGY.

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON EVENING ON APRIL 16, 2015, THE ENGINE NOISE WAS NOTICEABLY MORE PRONOUNCED. ONE MILE FURTHER, A FLASHING GLOW PLUG LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY A DRAMATIC LOSS OF POWER (LIMITED TO 25 MPH). DROVE REMAINING SHORT DISTANCE HOME AT A LOW SPEED DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER TOWING VEHICLE TO AUDI DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING, TECHNICIAN REPORTED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD DISINTEGRATED AND SENT METAL SHAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF ALL FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS. *TR

LOSS OF POWER AT SPEED IN TRAFFIC DUE TO A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, JUST AVOIDING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY EITHER INCORRECT/CONTAMINATED FUEL OR INCORRECT OIL BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I HAVE USED ONLY DIESEL FUEL FROM NATIONAL STATIONS, HAVE NEVER USED BIO DIESEL AND HAVE USED THE CORRECT AUDI APPROVED OIL. THIS IS APPARENTLY A WIDE SPREAD ENGINEERING ISSUE THAT HAS NOW DICTATED THE COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT ON THIS VEHICLE (AND NUMEROUS OTHERS) AT A SIZABLE COST WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE IF OCCURRING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AUDI IS NOT OFFERING ANY SOLUTIONS NOR DO THEY STATE ON THEIR SERVICE SCHEDULES THAT THE PUMP SHOULD BE CHECKED, REPLACED OR ADDITIVES USED (ALTHOUGH IF YOU CALL THEY STRONGLY SUGGEST). THE TDI MODELS NEED TO BE RECALLED AND THE EFFECTED PARTS REPLACED. THIS WAS A 2012 A3 TDI MODEL WITH 71,000 MILES. *TR

THE F16 FUSE WHICH IS RECALLED ON THE VW SIDE MELTED, CAUSING THE SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. THE DEALER ON TOP IF THIS REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE, AND WILL NOT PROPERLY FIX THE CAR. I REPLACED THE FUSE WITH ANOTHER, THE RECALL ON THE VW SIDE IS 13V569000, AOA CLAIMS THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, VW REDESIGNED THE FUSE PANELS IN ITS 2012 GOLF/TIGUAN/JETTA, BUT THE AUDI A3 STILL USES THE EXACT SAME FUSE AND FUSE PANEL AS THE MODELS ON THE RECALL LIST AND TSB LIST. *TR

TRAVELING AT SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT WARNING INDICATOR STARTED FLASHING ON THE DASH. CAR INSTANTLY BECAME INOPERABLE. LUCKILY WAS APPROACHING AN EXIT AND ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE. THE CAR DIED ON THE RAMP AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO HAUL THE CAR TO AUDI OF LEXINGTON. SERVICE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT MORNING. TO MY WITNESS, THE FUEL FILTER CANISTER AND THE TOP SIDE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP APPEARED TO BE FULL OF METAL. THE SERVICE REQUIRED IS A COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT FROM THE INJECTORS ALL THE WAY TO THE TANK. *JS