2009 AUDI A4 Complaints

WHEN I CALLED THE NEAREST DEALER FOR A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FOR 55000 MILES, I WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL INVOLVING THE CAMSHAFT. BY PHONE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR THIS WORK AND IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO HOURS. I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE AT 8 AM AND AT 11 AM I RECEIVED A CALL. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BEGIN THE RECALL WORK, BUT IT WAS A RECALL THAT INVOLVED THE 50000 MILE WARRANTY. I WAS NEARING 55000 MILES, BUT THEY WOULD DUE THE WORK UNDER WARRANTY. AT 2 PM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND THEY WOULD NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY PROVIDED A RENTAL CAR UNTIL THEY COMPLETED THE WORK. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE??? THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE ISSUE WITH THE CAMSHAFT PROBLEM WENT OUT IN JUNE 2011. THAT WAS ONE MONTH AFTER THE MAINE DEALER PERFORMED MY 35000 MILE MAINTENANCE!!! THE POINT IS THAT THE LONGER I DROVE THE VEHICLE, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM PROGRESSED. THEY SAID THAT EVENTUALLY, I WOULD LOOSE THE ENGINE. *TR

THIS AUDI WAS A LEMON FROM THE START AND BOTCHED REPAIRS AT THE DEALER HAVE ONLY MADE IT WORSE. ONE THE 2ND DAY WE OWNED THE CAR THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND WE HAD TO RETURN IT TO THE DEALER FOR MORE OIL. OVER THE NEXT 2 YEARS THE CAR BURNED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL STARTING AT 1 QRT EVERY 2500 MILES AND DETERIORATING TO 1 QRT EVERY 800 MILES. ALL ALONG THE DEALER TOLD US THIS WAS "NORMAL". IN MAY 2011, DEALER TOLD US THAT AUDI HAD INITIATED A TESTING PROGRAM AND IF THE CAR FAILED THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING. IN JUNE 2011, THE CAR FAILED TEST AND THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR 3+ WEEKS CONDUCTING MAJOR ENGINE SURGERY. 6000 MILES LATER WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO DO ROUTINE WARRANTY WORK. IN THE COURSE OF THIS WORK, THEY DESTROYED THE TIMING CHAIN AND PISTONS OF THE CAR. 1 WEEK LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IN TALKING TO AUDI TECHNICIANS AT OTHER DEALERS (OFF THE RECORD) THEY SAY THAT THE OIL PROBLEM IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT THE FIXES ARE SIMPLY BANDAIDS. APPEARS THAT THE 2012 MODEL HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO FIX THE ENGINE FLAW. THE NET EFFECT IS THAT THE CAR HAS VISITED THE AUDI DEALER ON AT LEAST A MONTHLY BASIS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT AND HAS SPEND MORE THAN 8 WEEKS IN MAJOR "WARRANTY RELATED" ENGINE REPAIRS. TO TOP IT OFF, AUDI HAS COMPLIMENTED THIS "WORST IN CLASS" PRODUCT EXPERIENCE WITH A "WORST IN CLASS" CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE AS AUDI AMERICA 1-800 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY EITHER ROBOTIC OR RUDE IN TALKING WITH US ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MOST RECENTLY, THEY MADE A LAME OFFER TO REIMBURSE US FOR TOWING EXPENSES AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THIS DUBIOUS CAR FOR ANOTHER 12 MONTHS. AMAZINGLY, THEY REFUSE TO PU T THE OFFER IN WRITING UNTIL AFTER ACCEPTANCE. PRESUMABLY SO THAT THEY CAN AVOID LEGAL ISSUES. PLEASE HELP. I AM SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING THIS. *TR

THERE IS A GRUMBLING/MOANING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. VERY NOTICEABLE AROUND 20-30 MPH AND WHEN MAKING SLIGHT LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

"AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN." THE OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRRORS BLOCK THE DRIVER VIEW TO THE EXTENT THAT AN ENTIRE CAR IS MANY TIMES COMPLETELY HIDDEN FROM THE DRIVERS' VIEW. THEY ARE PLACED POORLY AND MAYBE ARE TOO LARGE. MAYBE IF THEY WERE LOWER, OR SMALLER OR THE DRIVERS SEAT HIGHER. I AM A FEMALE OF AVERAGE HEIGHT AND HAVE HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS. I NOW MUST RISE MYSELF UP TO SEE OVER OR AROUND THE MIRROR WHICH IS DIFFICULT WHEN DRIVING. *TR

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AUDI DEALER ATTRIBUTED TO CUPPED TIRES. BOUGHT NEW SET OF TIRES ($864) AND SAME PROBLEM. LEARNED THROUGH INTERNET SEARCH THAT AUDI'S HAVE PROBLEM WITH LOWER CONTROL ARMS. RETURNED TO DEALER WITH TSB 2018121/3. DEALER ROAD FORCE BALANCED WHEELS AT MY EXPENSE ($70), DEALER SAID AUDI WOULDN'T PAY FOR CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT. I CALLED AUDI TO COMPLAIN (OBTAINED CASE NO.) BECAUSE THEY VOLUNTARILY REPLACED CONTROL ARMS IN TWO LONG TERM TEST VEHICLES IN EDMONDS INSIDE LINE FLEET AFTER EDMONDS PUBLISHED ARTICLES NOTING THE STEERING PROBLEM (HTTP://BLOGS.INSIDELINE.COM/ROADTESTS/2009/07/2009-AUDI-A4-AND-S5-STEERING-VIBRATION-WRAP-UP.HTML). AUDI WOULDN'T AGREE TO REPLACE CONTROL ARMS. VIBRATION WENT AWAY FOR A TIME BUT THEN CAME BACK. CONDITION IS FATIGUING WHEN DRIVING ANY LENGTH AT HIGHWAY SPEED.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES ON MY CAR ARE HORRIBLE. THEY'RE VERY FLIMSY AND THIN. THEY DON'T DO A GOOD JOB OF CLEANING UP THE WINDSHIELD IN RAIN, AND IF THERE IS ANY SNOW OR ICE.. THEY GET STUCK ON THE BUMPS AND MISS THE GLASS. THE WIPER BLADES ARE "STORED" IN A PIT UNDER THE WINDSHIELD TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE SNOW AND ICE... EXCEPT THE PIT JUST FILLS WITH THE ICE AND SNOW AND COVERS THEM.. SO THEY ARE BEYOND USELESS NOW. THE DEFOGGER ON HIGH BLAST MAKES THE WINDSHIELD A LITTLE BETTER.. BUT IT CANT WARM THE BLADES.. SO THEY WILL STILL KEEP GETTING ICED UP AND JUST SCRAPING ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD NOT DOING ANYTHING. *TR

OEM WIPERS PROVIDED BY AUDI ON 2008.5 A4 MODEL YEAR ONWARDS FILL WITH WATER/SLUSH AND FREEZE SOLID IN THE WINTER RENDERING THEM USELESS AND CREATING SIGNIFICANT DRIVING HAZARD. AUDI HAS NO REPLACEMENT AND IS NON-RESPONSIVE. FURTHER, THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY REPLACEMENT WINTER-STYLE BLADES BECAUSE IT IS A PROPRIETARY BLADE-ARM CONNECTOR. *TR

PARKED IN AN INCLINE, I ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF A DRIVE WAY. I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PLACED THE CAR IN REVERSE AND REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WENT FORWARD AS IF IN NEUTRAL WITH NO RESISTANCE AT ALL. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE QUICKLY TO PREVENT FROM GOING THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR. ALTHOUGH I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING IN REVERSE. I HAD TO GET THE ENGINE RPM UP FAIRLY HIGH TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE AT ALL. IT WAS LIKE I HAD THE PARKING BRAKE ON BUT IF I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WOULD AGAIN ROLL FORWARD. WHEN THE CAR REACHED THE TOP OF THE DRIVE, IT QUICKLY GRABBED AND ACCELERATED. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE QUICKLY BUT NOT BEFORE I HIT A RETAINING WALL BEHIND ME. THIS TYPE OF HESITATION HAS ALSO BEEN EXPERIENCED WHEN IN DRIVE. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR DOES NOT PRODUCE IMMEDIATE RESULTS. THEN STARTS TO INCREASE RPM'S AN THEN THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. I HAVE RETURNED IT TO THE AUDI DEALER A FEW MONTHS AGO FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. WHEN THE SERVICE MAN MOVED MY CAR HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE CONDITION BUT IT WAS RETURNED TO ME "WORKING AS DESIGNED". FOR THE NEXT 2-3 MONTHS, THE TRANSMISSION WAS AS RESPONSIVE AS ANY OTHER AUTO BUT THIS HAS CHANGED BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS. UPDATED IVOQ 10/26/10 *TR

I HAVE TWO 2009 A4 HAVE A SHUDDER SOUND AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE TURNING WHEEL 5 OR 10 MPH ALSO WHEN PARKING A KNOCKING SOUND WHEN TURNING WHEEL. PLEASE HELP! DEALER SAID THATS NORMAL. *TR

I HAD JUST GONE TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WAS UNLOADING THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES WERE NOT VISIBLE THROUGH THE SLOTS OF THE SEATS ANYMORE. I TRIED TO FEEL FOR THEM AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT WAS TOO FAR FORWARD AND THE CURVED PART AT THE BACK OF THE SEAT WAS NO LONGER TUCKED TO THE SEAT BACK. AS I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF I COULD PUT IT BACK INTO POSITION THE SEAT COMPLETELY DISLODGED FROM THE CAR AND THE GLUE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHING THE SEAT TO THE CAR, THE WIRING AND EVEN PART OF THE CAR ITSELF WAS VISIBLE. *TR