1999 AUDI A4 Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL MADE A CLUNKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE ALSO WANDERED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, REQUIRING THE CONTACT TO MAINTAIN SOME EXERTION ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIE ROD HAD FAILED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #99V248000, WHICH PERTAINED TO THE STEERING LINKAGES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I OWN A 1999 AUDI A4 2.8 30V QUATTRO AND MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON AND THE AUDI DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY ABS CONTROL MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BY READING FORUMS ONLINE AND CONSUMER SITES, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM TO AUDI'S AND VW'S. MY QUESTION IS: SHOULDN'T AUDI OF AMERICA FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON A CLEAR DRY HIGHWAY WITH SMOOTH PAVEMENT, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND A LARGE SECTION OF TREAD WAS SEEN TRAILING BEHIND. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ON INSPECTION OF THE TIRES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD FAILED. THE CENTER TREAD/BELT SECTION OF THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.

NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WHEN MY AUDI ONLY HAD 88000 MILES. *JB

AT 51,000 MILES I HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ON MY AUDI UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO A BROKEN PIPE FLANGE. I NOW HAVE 102,000 ON THE AUDI AND THE SAME PART IS BROKEN. AUDI USA WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPAIR THIS PART. I FEEL IT MUST BE A DEFECT IN THE WORKMANSHIP OR MATERIALS SINCE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER SHOULD NOT BE REPLACED UNTIL IT IS WORN OUT AND NOT BEFORE THEN. THIS IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND THE EPA SHOULD ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS. *JB

TIMING BELT FAILED AT 64000 MILES AND CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE (REPLACEMENT OF HEADS). TOTAL REPAIR COST CAME TO $4000. TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT I HAD A FULL INSPECTION BY AUDI AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED AUDI SERVICE REP IF I NEEDED TO CHANGE THE BELT. I WAS TOLD NOT WORRY SINCE AUDI RECOMMENDS 90K CHANGE INTERVAL (AND EVEN 105K ON THE NEWER MODELS). CAR WAS A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. AUDI USA AND THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER WHO RECOMMENDED NOT TO CHANGE THE BELT REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *NM

AUDI REFUSES TO PAY FOR FIXING A SERIOUS SAFETY RELATED SERVICE ACTION (SERVICE ACTION JE - FAILURE OF CONTROL ARMS), UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PROVIDES DETAILED MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSED REPAIR FACILITY. THIS WILL RESULT IN PEOPLE NOT FIXING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE, ENDANGERING NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO OTHER INDIVIDUALS. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CHECKED, AND MY CAR HAS THE PROBLEM - BUT THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE FIX, SINCE I PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR MYSELF. NOTE: CRACKING OF CONTROL ARMS IS NOT RELATED TO LACK OF GENERAL MAINTENANCE. *NM

THIS IS NOT ABOUT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT BUT RATHER SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS HAVE BEEN LOSING THEIR REFLECTIVITY. I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE THAT IT'S THE SILVER ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE MIRROR THAT IS FLAKING OFF AND THAT IT HAPPENS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES FAIRLY QUICKLY. I ASKED MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID IT WAS VERY UNCOMMON AND WOULD BE ABOUT $75 TO REPLACE THE MIRROR. AS I DRIVE AROUND AND AS I WALK PAST OTHER AUDIS AND VOLKSWAGENS I NOTICE THAT THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING ON THEIR MIRRORS AS HAPPENED TO BOTH OF MINE. I ASKED A MECHANIC AT ANOTHER SHOP IN RUTLAND ABOUT IT AND HE SAID HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME. IF IT'S THE NATURE OF THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL AND IT'S REASONABLE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN THEN FINE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH, HOWEVER, THAT IT'S A PROBLEM PLAGUING MANY OF THESE TYPES OF CARS AND A PROBLEM THAT AUDI, OR AT LEAST MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WILL NOT ADMIT IS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE MIRRORS. *NM

THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RECALL (NHTSA: 04V495000 ) ATTACHED BELOW FOR THE 1999 AUDI A6 HAPPENED ON MY CAR THE AUDI A4. IT IS THE SAME TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 1999 A4 AS WELL. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN VERMONT WHEN THE ROADS WERE WET/SNOWY AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY (5 DEGREES/HOUR). THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. IT WAS FREAKY. WHEN I SPOKE WITH AUDI USA, THEY EXPLAINED I NEEDED TO GO TO A DEALER. TWO AUDI DEALERS IN THE BOSTON AREA WERE DISMISSIVE OF THE SITUATION. "THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN YOUR CAR". WELL IT DID AND AUDI SHOULD TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. 1999 AUDI A6 BASE RECALL ID FROM NHTSA: 04V495000 RECALL DATE: 10/12/2004 COMPONENT: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 28300 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.8L, V6 5-VALVE ENGINES, AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, WHILE DRIVING DURING EXTREMELY LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES THE THROTTLE MAY FREEZE IN AN OPEN POSITION DUE TO ICE ACCUMULATING IN THE THROTTLE BODY. DEFECT CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO REDUCE SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER LIFTS HIS/HER FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THIS LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. REMEDY: AUDI WILL INSTALL A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE BODY KIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 29, 2004. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834. OWNERS OF VEHICLES WHICH ARE NOT REGISTERED IN THE COLD-WEATHER STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING, WILL BE NOTIFIED OF A SERVICE ACTION, UNDER WHICH THEY WILL BE PROVIDED THE FREE REMEDY UPON REQUEST. NOTES: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC, JB/JG. *JB

ABS BRAKE LIGHT ON 1999) AUDI A4 1.8T. UPON RESEARCHING ON MANY FORUMS (I.E. AUDIWORLD.COM) I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL OTHER AUDI OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY ABS BRAKE COMPUTER?*AK