1997 AUDI A4 Complaints

UPON STARTING THE CAR, IT MADE A NOISE AS THOUGH THE KEY WAS STILL IN STARTING POSITION. THE CAR DROVE OKAY, BUT THE WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, DIGITAL ODOMETER, EVERYTHING ELECTRIC WOULD NOT WORK. I WENT TO WORK, PLANNING TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER LATER THAT DAY. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR AT LUNCH TIME, THE KEY WOULD NOT EVEN GO INTO THE IGNITION. AFTER CALLING AAA, AND HAVING 3 DIFFERENT TOW TRUCKS, NO ONE WAS ABLE TO TOW THE CAR BAUSE IT HAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR ON TO PUT IT IN NUETRAL. I THEN CALLED EVERY LOCKSMITH IN THE PHONEBOOK UNTIL ONE FINALLY STOPPED BY. HE WAS ABLE TO LUBRICATE THE KEY AND GET IT IN THE IGNITION. UPON DOING SO HE TOLD ME THAT THE HOUSING WAS PROBABLY FRACTURE AND OUT OF PLACE. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER, WHERE I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE IGNITION RECALL, AND CHARGED $542 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND HOUSING OF THE IGNITION. I LATER DISCOVERED ON MY OWN THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CONTACT AUDI HEADQUARTERS. I SPOKE TO TWO DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVE WHO WERE BOTH VERY RUDE. I THEN SENT AUDI A COPY OF MY BILL AND REQUESTED THAT THEY REIMBURSE MY COSTS FOR THE DEFECTED PARTS. THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL DEPT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT BY LAW, AUDI SHOULD REIMBURSE ME AND IF NOT THAT I SHOULD PURSUE LEGAL ACTION. I HAVE RE-SENT MY BILL TO AUDI, AND IF WITHIN 30 DAYS, I HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED, THEY WILL BE SEEING ME IN COURT. *AK

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED AN OIL SLUDGE RELATED FAILURE ON OUR 1997 AUDI A4. INGRID EVERT, FROM THE OFFICE OF AUDI OF AMERICA'S MARK TRAHAN, HAS TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WILL NOT BE COVERED BY THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS WITHIN THE VIN RANGE AFFECTED BY WHAT IS, IN HER WORDS, A "MANUFACTURING DEFECT". HER REASON FOR REFUSAL IS THE FACT THAT I CHANGE MY OWN OIL AND THUS LACK RECEIPTS. SO, ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS WITHIN THE AFFECTED VIN RANGE, AND I HAVE PERFORMED ALL OIL CHANGES IN EXCESS OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS, AND MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS FAILURE REGARDLESS OF THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE CAR, MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. *NM

RE: 1997 AUDI A4; RECALL CAMPAIGN LE, ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH. *BF THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED IN 2001 PRIOR TO ANY FAILURE. A FEW YEARS LATER THE SWITCH FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER THAT PROMPTED THE INITIAL RECALL. THE IGNITION SWITCH BLEW UP THE STARTER CAUSING $1100 IN DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED ONCE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *NM

IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO COOPERATE.*AK

CONTROL ARM FAILURE, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND VEERING INTO A CURB, DAMAGING THE VEHICLE ($2000+), INSURANCE WOULD NOT COVER THE FAILED PART (ESURANCE). IT WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS GOING ONLY 35 MPH, THAT NO ONE WAS STANDING OR DRIVING WHERE I HIT THAT CURB.*AK

CONSUMER STATED A SPRING BROKE INSIDE THE IGNITION SWITCH. AS A RESULT, STARTER STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING AND CURRENTLY FAILED. *AK

APPARENTLY RELATED TO CASE: EA04017 I WAS DRIVING A 1997 AUDI A4 2.8L V6 QUATTRO AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT: I WAS DRIVING 55-MPH ON THE TACONIC STATE PARKWAY IN NEW YORK, AROUND NOON (AMBIENT TEMPERATURE ~30F ABOVE ZERO). I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER AN HOUR WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING TO NEARLY 70-MPH DOWN HILLS BUT MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. MY CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AT THE TIME AND SET TO 55-MPH, SO I TURNED IT OFF BUT THE PROBLEM KEPT OCCURRING. I TRIED BRAKING AS I WENT DOWN HILLS AND THAT SLOWED ME DOWN ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER 55-MPH. I FOUND A REST AREA, SLOWED THE CAR DOWN WITH MY BRAKES AND CAME TO A SAFE STOP (FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE REST AREA). WHEN I CAME TO A STOP, THE ENGINE RPMS WERE AT ABOUT 3500 BUT IT USUALLY IDLES AT 1000. I SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE RPMS SHOT UP TO 7000 BEFORE I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I TRIED PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TURNING THE CAR BACK ON, BUT THE RPMS SHOT UP AGAIN QUICKLY SO, AGAIN, I TURNED OF THE IGNITION (I TRIED THIS 3 TIMES BEFORE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR). THEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, WAITED ABOUT 15 MINUTES, GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN. IT STARTED UP FINE AND IDLED AT THE NORMAL 1000 LEVEL. I DROVE ANOTHER 30 MINUTES TO MY DESTINATION WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN, AND HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE (I HAVE NOT USED THE CRUISE CONTROL SINCE, EITHER). I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK FOR FAILURE CODES WITH AN OBDII SCAN TOOL, BUT NO ERROR CODES CAME UP. HE ALSO COULD NOT SEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE, SO I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT CAUTIOUSLY EVER SINCE. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! LET'S GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

RECALL 00V317000: IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT.I HAVE A 1997 AUDI A4 VIN [XXX] THAT WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL IN JAN 2004. THE SYMPTOMS PROMPTING THE RECALL HAVE REOCCURRED (WIPERS AND LIGHT NOT WORKING DUE TO SWITCH DEFECT). TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER WHO STATUS RECALL WORK WAS WARRANTED FOR 1 YEAR OR 12000 MILES SO THEY WILL NOT FIX AT THEIR EXPENSE. THE VECHILE IS 8 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THE THE RECALL REMENDY WORK? IT APPEARS THEY PUT IN A PART THAT HAS THE SAME DEFECT THAT LEAD TO THE RECALL.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON PAVED HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AT 11:30 PM. FAILURE CAUSED ALL HEADLIGHTS TO STOP FUNCTIONING, THEREBY LEAVING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN TOTAL DARKNESS AT CRUISING SPEED. EXTREME POTENTIAL FOR FATAL ACCIDENT. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THIS SWITCH HAS FAILED.*AK