1997 AUDI A4 Complaints

I HAVE A 1997 AUDI A4 Q THAT HAS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ALREADY DONE FOR THIS CAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V317000) AS OF OCT 06,2000. I CALLED THE A LOCAL DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND GAVE THEM MY VIN # AND THEY CLAIM MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. HOWEVER, I WENT TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND LOOKED AT THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF MY CAR AND IT DOES SHOW THAT THE YEAR OF MY CAR WAS INCLUDED. IN FACT, I WAS EVEN ABLE TO PRINT OFF SEVERAL DOCUMENTS REFERRING TO THE RECALL AND IT DOES SHOW THAT MY VIN IS ACTUALLY INCLUDED (VIN RANGES WAU---8D-VA000181 TO WAU---8D-VA294397). QUOTING THE RECALL LETTER; "THE PLASTIC IGNITION SWITCH HOUSING CAN FRACTURE AT THE RETURN SPRING ANCHOR POINT. FRACTURE OF THE HOUSING COULD CAUSE THE RETURN SPRING FORCE TO BE INSUFFICIENT FOR RETURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE RUNNING POSITION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. " THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR () MAKING IT UNSAFE TO OPERATE. *JB

MY AUDI A-4 WAS PARKED ALL DAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE ONLY IN THE DASH. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO AUDI THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME A REPORT AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID THEY COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS TAMPERED WITH. THE FIRE DEPT THAT PUT OUT THE FIRE, SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THIS CAR IS STOCK, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND MODULE. THIS CAR HAS HAD RECALLS AND MAY COMPLAINTS. THIS COULD CAUSED INJURY AND DEATH IF MY CHILD AND I WERE IN THE CAR. I FEEL AS IF I AM BEING BLOWN OFF, I HAVE CALLED AND SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE AND THERE IS NO STRAIGHT ANSWER. NOW MY CAR IS SITTING AT SCOTTADALE PAINT AND AUTO BODY WHERE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE IT BY AUDI. I HAVE CALLED THERE TODAY TO CHECK ON MY CAR AND NO ONE CAN FIND IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN SENDING E-MAIL AND SO ON. *JB

THE FAILURE I AM HAVING IS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN TURNING ON THE CAR, THE IGNITION KEY DOES NOT RETURN TO THE PROPER POSITION AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN STARTED. THIS CAUSES ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, POWER WINDOWS, AND HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING TO BE INOPERATIVE AFTER STARTING THE CAR. ALSO, WHEN TURNING OFF THE CAR THE KEY DOES NOT TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE OFF POSITION. THIS RESULTS IN DIFFICULTY IN REMOVING AND REINSERTING THE KEY, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT CUT OFF ALL POWER RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE ANTI THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN 2001, AND THE DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE CHANGED THE DEFECTIVE PART HOWEVER THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED. PAUL MILLER AUDI WAS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST. *NM

DT: THE KEY WOULDN'T GO INTO THE IGNITION, AND THEN THE RADIO WOULDN'T GO OFF. THEN, THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULDN'T WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH CONTACTED THE DEALER AND AUDI, AND THEY BOTH SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT, RECALL 00V317000, HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED, BUT THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION. WAS CONCERNED THAT IF IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED THEN IT SHOULD NOT MALFUNCTION WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.*AK *NM

IGNITION SWITCH APPEARED TO BREAK WHEN STARTING CAR. THE KEY WOULD NOT RETURN ALL THE WAY TO STARTING POSITION AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO START IN THE RAIN. PULLED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUT OFF IGNITION. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND IGNITION KEY REMAINS IN FORWARD POSITION. CALLED AUDI. AUDI STATES THAT THE RECALLED IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF IT NOT BEING REPLACED. SERVICE FOR THE CAR HAS BEEN AT AUDI SERVICE SINCE PURCHASE IN 1997. I DO NOT RECALL EVER RECEIVING THE RECALL LETTER OR HAVING THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. IF IT WAS REPLACED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, IT APPARENTLY REMAINED DEFECTIVE. *NM

DT: PERIODICALLY CLUTCH WILL NOT REALEASE AND THIS DISABLES CONSUMER FROM DRIVING. SOMETIMES WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND OTHER TIMES WHEN I SHIFT ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK

AUDI (97 A4 QUATTRO) HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL RELATED TO CONTROL ARMS - OFFERING FREE REPLACEMENT. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT IF THE CONTROL ARMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED, THEY WILL REIMBURSE ALL COSTS. I HAVE MY CAR MAINTAINED FAITHFULLY, USUALLY BY A DEALER, BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE FORMAL 90K MILE CHECK DONE. SINCE I DID NOT FOLLOW THEIR FORMAL PROCESS, THEY ARE REFUSING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. (THIS IS NOT A "MAINTAINABLE PART", SO THE ONLY FIX, IF INDICATED AT 90K MILES, WOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACEMENT). AUDI'S POSITION SEEMS UNREASONABLE, GIVEN THE "UNREPAIRABILITY FACTOR".

BOTH OF THE VEHICLE'S FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED. *NM THE CONSUMER PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1882 AUDI 4000 AND A 1985 AUDI 4000S QUATTRO. *SC *JB

I HAVE A 97 AUDI A4 2.8 . QUATTRO. I HAVE AHAD NUMEROUS REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE. THE MOST RECENT PROBLEM IS THAT A CONTROL ARM ON THE SUNROOF (APPEARS TO BE A POWDER METAL PART ABOUT 1 INCH IN SIZE) HAS BROKEN. THIS BREAK REQUIRES THAT THE THE COMPLETE SUNROOF BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1300. I WAS INTERESTED TO KNOWN IF OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT SIMILAR FAILURES ON AUDIS OR VWS. THANKS!

EVERY 30,000 MILES TO 40,000 MILES THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE FRONT END MADE A CLANKING NOISE, AND THE FRONT WHEELS LOOSENED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS OFFERED 50% OF TOTAL REPAIR COST BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK