2006 AUDI A3 Complaints

VEHICLE GOES OUT OF GEARS WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 20MINS IN HOT WEATHER, THIS WAS GOING ABOUT 70 MPH. THE "PRNDS" LIGHT FLASH FOR A QUICK SECOND AND BACK INTO GEAR AGAIN. I HAVE VARIOUS ISSUES WITH HARSH SHIFTS UP AND DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP THE VEHICLE HAS A HOT TIME GOING IN TO SECOND GEAR AND SOMETIME FIRST. IT MAKES A VERY NOTICEABLE CLUNK SOUND WHEN IT DOES. FROM A STOP, GIVING JUST A BIT OF GAS AND THE CAR DON'T SEEM TO MOVE THEN IT WILL SURGE UNTIL THE SPEED COMES UP. WHILE GETTING UP TO SPEED IT WILL TRY TO GET INTO THE HIGHEST GEAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I WOULD BE IN 6TH GEAR WHILE ONLY GOING 35MPH. THERE ARE SOME SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED AND THAT IS WHY I'M TAKING THE TIME TO FILE. *TR

THE CAR SWIVELS SIDEWAYS EVEN ON GOOD, FLAT ROADS AND AT LOW SPEEDS. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING QUITE FREQUENTLY AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT, KNOWING THAT IT CAN SHIFT TO THE SIDES AND CAN HIT THE CAR NEXT TO ME. I'VE HEARD THIS IS A CUPPING OR FEATHERING EFFECT AND I'VE READ THAT THIS PARTICULAR BRAND AND MODEL IS PRONE TO DEVELOPING SUCH ISSUES. *TR

WHEN COMING SLOWLY TO A STOP THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD. TRAVELING SLOWLY FORWARD OR REVERSE WILL ALSO CAUSE UNEXPECTED SURGES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JUMP ABNORMALLY BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THE MECHATRONIC UNIT FOR THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. THE MECHATRONIC UNIT WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 91,000. UPDATED 10/22/13 *CN

I HAVE AN AUDI A3 2006. SEVERAL YEARS AGO (END OF 2009/BEGINNING OF 2010), I STARTED FEELING AND HEARING A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE CAR WOULD LUNGE FORWARD A FEW INCHES WHEN APPROACHING STOP SIGNS OR RED LIGHTS AND DOWNSHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR. THIS WOULD HAPPEN PERIODICALLY AND HAS BEEN INCREASING IN STRENGTH. I WAS TOLD BY AUDI THAT IT WAS A DUE TO A FAULTY MECHATRONIC SYSTEM, WHICH IS LIKE THE BRAINS OF THE CAR. AUDI SERVICE QUOTED ME A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2500 TO REPLACE THE MECHATRONIC SYSTEM. I HAVE READ ON MANY FORUMS THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MANY AUDI A3 OWNERS AND THAT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. GIVEN THE FREQUENCY OF THE ISSUE, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI AND RECALLED. *TR

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY BACK TO THE HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS FROM THE WEST RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON, 100+ DEG OUTSIDE TEMP. SUDDEN FUEL CUT OFF/LOSS POWER FOR ABOUT 1 SEC. TOOK IT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE IN TANK FUEL PUMP/CONTROL MODULE FAILED THUS CUT OFF SENDING FUEL TO THE ENGINE. UPON PICKING MY VEHICLE THE SERVICE ADVISOR COMMENTED THAT SEVERAL CARS FROM CALIFORNIA WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES HAVE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. THIS PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COMPROMISED OUR SAFETY. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT PROBLEM OCCURRED ON SAME YEAR HAS MY VEHICLE. *TR

THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH AN INTERMITTENT RIGHT HEADLIGHT TILT MESSAGE. THE RIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED PER TSB 2013829/6 ON 4/15/09 BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM ON THE LEFT SIDE FOR THE PAST YEAR OR MORE. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT NOW TURNS OFF INTERMITTENTLY AFTER THE DIP WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE LIGHT TURNS ON. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LEFT HEADLIGHT SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY. WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY NOW AND FEEL BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE ORIGINAL TSB WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE BULBS ARE XENON AND VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S BASED ON THE SERVICE ORDER AND INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS. *TR

THIS IS VERY KNOW PROBLEM WITH VW/AUDI 2.0T ENGINES THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF BEFORE IT HAPPENED TO ME. BASICALLY CAMSHAFT FOLLOWER BROKE CAUSING DAMAGE TO HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND CAMSHAFT. THE CAM SHAFT FOLLOWER IS TOO WEAK AND IT BRAKES TOO OFTEN FOR SOME OTHER PEOPLE. THERE IS TON OF COMPLAINS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT TJIS SPEVIFIC PROBLEM. NOW THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP IS ON BACK ORDER SINCE JULY AND NO ONE KNOWS WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. I'M STOCK WITHOUT A CAR AND NO ONE CAN HELP OR EVEN TELL ME WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. AUDI IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN DO. PLEASE HELP! *TT

HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO COME ON. "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" OR "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" WARNING MESSAGE APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. AUDI REPLACED THE "RIGHT CONTROL IGNITER" ON 9/30/09, BUT PROBLEM CONTINUED. AUDI REPLACED THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT BULB ON 10/2/09, AND THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH REDUCED BUT NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATED. BOTH THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE UNDER WARRANTY WITH NO CHARGE. ON 5/16/11, AFTER CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I STATED THAT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, BUT AUDI COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO NO REPAIRS WERE DONE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, BUT THE REPAIRS THAT AUDI PERFORMED SO FAR HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY VEHICLE FAILED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS - FAILED TO MOVE ON A STOP SIGN - MOVED VERY WEAKLY WHEN TAKING A LEFT TURN WHILE IN THE CENTER TURN LANE. CARS WERE COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND I BARELY MISSED HAVING AN ACCIDENT. - VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND COMPLETELY FAILED TO MOVE WHILE STILL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS HAPPENED "PRNDS" FLASHED ON THE DASH. - I HAVE THE VIDEO OF THE PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENED. THIS PROBLEM IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND AUDI HAS RECALLED MANY CARS (2007 ONWARDS), BUT MY CAR WASN'T RECALLED. THE RECALL NOTICE FROM AUDI IS IN 2009 AND MY CAR WAS NOT IN IT. WHY IS THAT? HOW DOES AUDI DECIDE WHICH CARS TO INCLUDE IN THE RECALL? I THINK THAT PROCESS IS COMPLETELY FLAWED. I BELIEVE AUDI CUT CORNERS AND DID NOT RECALL ALL THE CARS THEY SHOULD HAVE. JUST ENOUGH TO CALM PEOPLE DOWN AS THIS PROBLEM WAS ALSO SHOWN ON TV NEWS. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY THE DEALER BY CHANGING THE "MECHATRONICS UNIT" OF MY CAR. THIS FIX IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY DID FOR 2007 YEAR MODELS, SO WHY WAS 2006 NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL NOTICE OF AUG 2009. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE STILL MANY CARS ON THE STREET THAT STILL HAS THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM, JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. NHTSA SHOULD USE ALL ITS POWER TO RESTART THIS INVESTIGATION AND MAKE AUDI WORK RESPONSIBLY TOWARDS FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR