2006 AUDI A4 Complaints

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 12-15 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, HOWEVER IT HAS CHECKED OUT FINE EACH TIME, AND AS MENTIONED, HAS FUNCTIONED FLAWLESSLY AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE WITH MERELY A RESTART OF THE VEHICLE. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON AT LEAST ONE VISIT. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE (HEADLIGHT DIPPED): REGARDING MY 2006 AUDI A4 QUATTRO, THE LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS WILL OFTEN GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS MORE FREQUENT ON THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. THE ERROR DISPLAYED IS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED" OR "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE PROBLEM IS TEMPORARILY CORRECTED BY MANUALLY SWITCHING OFF THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THEN TURNING THEM BACK ON. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO CONVINCE MY AUTHORIZED AUDI SERVICE CENTER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT ON SITE. CALLS TO AUDI OF AMERICA ALSO DID NOT RESULT IN ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, STARTING IN AUGUST 2009. *TR

DIPPED HEADLIGHT SIGN COMES ON AND HEADLIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. HAPPENS OFF AND ON NO RIME OR REASON. NO SUCCESS WITH DEALER THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY AUDI A4 OWNERS. *TR

ACCELERATOR STUCK WHEN I WAS STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT AFTER DRIVING IN NORMAL RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY SLAMMING ON BRAKES (BUT I DID NOT THINK TO SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE), AND THE ENGINE SLOWED AFTER A MOMENT OR TWO. THEN THE ENGINE RACED AGAIN EVERY TIME I TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE PEDAL. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO GET OFF ROAD AND PARK. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, THEN TURNED IT ON AGAIN, AND AGAIN THE ENGINE RACED. I CALLED MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO CHECK THE FLOOR MAT - I DID, AND IT WAS NOT UNDER ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AFTER COOLING DOWN, THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY, BUT I HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER, AND THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR

THE LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT OF MY 2006 AUDI A4 FIRST FLICKERS AND THEN SHUTS OFF. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN THE TEMP OUTSIDE IS BELOW 55 DEGREES. IF YOU SHUT THE LIGHTS OFF (WHICH IS NOT A GOOD IDEA WHILE DRIVING) WAIT ABOUT A MINUTE OR SO THE LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON AND WILL STAY ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, THEY HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHT. THEY CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, LIGHT OR MAIN COMPUTER. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 AUDI A4, AUTOMATIC-TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, 2.0 TURBO AND I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE PREVIOUS OWNER PURCHASED THE CAR IN OCT 2005 AND IN LATE 2006, THE TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN AND AUDI HAD REPAIRED IT AT NO CHARGE AT AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON OCT 2007 AND BY MID-2008, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND JOLTED IN A VERY BUSY PARKING LOT WITH MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE BACK. MY HUSBAND DECIDED TO DROP US OFF AND TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME BECAUSE HE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE CAR AS IT JOLTED AND LOUD POPPING MECHANICAL SOUNDS BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE FRONT. HE WAS NEAR OUR HOUSE WHEN THE CAR GAVE UP AND WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. IMAGINE IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY! ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS THAT AUDI WOULD ONLY RECALL THE NEWER CARS WHEN OBVIOUSLY PREVIOUS MODELS HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF GEARBOX IN QUESTION. I WILL BE GETTING THE CAR FIXED AND DEFINITELY WILL BE TRADING THE CAR IN TO GET A NON VW/AUDI CAR. I HONESTLY WISH I COULD JUST TELL THEM TO TRASH IT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE DRIVING THIS CAR, EVEN AFTER I'VE FIXED IT. IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY CONSOLE SAYING, "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED." IT HAPPENED DURING DAY AND THE DEALERSHIPS BUSINESS OURS, SO WE IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, LEAVING THE ERROR MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN. ON SEPTEMBER 22, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS BURNED OUT AND THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE IT. WE KNEW THAT THE LIGHT WAS NOT BURNED OUT SO WE REJECTED THEIR REPAIR RESOLUTION. SURE ENOUGH, WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR, WE TURNED ON THE LIGHTS AND THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WORKED FINE. ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 22, THE ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED AGAIN, THIS TIME ON THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE. THERE ARE OVER 3900 WEB PAGES ON THE INTERNET OF OTHER AUDI OWNERS WHO HAVE DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM FROM MODEL YEARS AS FAR BACK AS 2003, MOST WITH NO RESOLUTION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD SON, AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO "DIP", EVERY FEW MINUTES, ALL THE WAY HOME. AN ERROR MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR ON THE DISPLAY CONSOLE SAYING EITHER, "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED" OR "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED." WHAT WAS MOST FRIGHTENING WAS WHEN THEY BOTH WENT OUT, SECONDS FROM ONE ANOTHER, ON THE PART OF THE DRIVE WHERE THERE WERE NO STREET LIGHTS AND PLENTY OF DASHING DEER. ON SEPTEMBER 17, WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND HEARD THE SAME STORY, I.E. THAT UNTIL THEY COULD REPRODUCE THE FAULT, THEY COULD NOT FIX THE CAR. FURTHERMORE, AS THE CAR IS NEARING THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, SHOULD WE BRING IT IN LATER, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO RECREATE THE FAULT, WE WOULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR IT, DESPITE PRIOR REPORTS OF THE ISSUE. *TR

WE BOUGHT A NEW 2006 AUDI A4 QUATTRO 2.0T IN THE SPRING OF 2006. ABOUT A YEAR LATER, WHILE DRIVING ON A ROUGH PATCH OF ROAD AT NIGHT, THE ERROR MESSAGE 'LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED' APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY CONSOLE AND THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THERE WAS NOT MUCH WE COULD DO AT THAT TIME, SO WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR. WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION, CONDUCTED OUR BUSINESS, GOT BACK IN THE CAR, THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED FINE, AND THE ERROR MESSAGE DISAPPEARED. WE DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN UNTIL A FEW MONTHS LATER. SPECIFICALLY, ON ROUGH SURFACES THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WOULD "DIP," TURN OFF, AND AN ERROR MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR ON THE DISPLAY SAYING, "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED." AS A TEMPORARY FIX, WE WOULD TURN THE LIGHTS OFF, THEN ON - THE ERROR MESSAGE WOULD CLEAR AND THE LIGHTS WOULD RE-IGNITE. THIS IS NOT A SAFE FIX WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THEREFORE, IN APRIL 2009, WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FROM WHICH WE BOUGHT IT. AT THE TIME, THEY TOLD US THAT ALTHOUGH THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE FAULT AND WERE NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE IT REPLACED. GIVEN THE DEALER'S LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN ITS OWN REPAIR SUGGESTION AND THE COST (~$500), WE CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THE BULB REPLACED. THE DEALER SAID THAT UNTIL THEY COULD REPRODUCE THE FAULT, THEY WOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A4. THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN AND DID NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REPAIR NEEDED. THE VIN IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2000.