2001 AUDI A4 Complaints

I WAS CHASING A BRAKE SQUEAL. WHEN I REMOVED THE FRONT PADS ON OUR AUDI A4, (2001), THREE OF THE FOUR PADS WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THEIR BACKING PLATES. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL ATE PADS; THE CAR HAS TRAVELED ABOUT 38000 MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A LOST OF ALL POWER. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE ENGINE AND WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED THE HOLE, HOWEVER A NEW ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS NECESSARY. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - *NM

I HAVE AN AUDI A4 1.8 T AND THE HYDRAULIC TIMING BELT TENSIONER LOST ITS PRESSURE WITCH MADE THE TIMING BELT SLIP, FORCING THE PISTONS INTO THE VALVES AND BENDING THEM, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BASICALLY SELF DESTRUCT AFTER ONLY 89000 MILES WHEN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ONLY RECOMMENDED CHANGING THE TIMING BELT AFTER 120000 MILES. I CALLED AUDI, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR $5,000 AND DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE THE ONE PAYING FOR THIS WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

1) NORMAL DRIVING 2) CAM SHAFT GASKET FAILURE. CAUSING OIL LEAK. 3) TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP. AUDI MAINTENANCE WARRANTY DOES NOT CHECK FOR THIS. ISSUE OCCURRED AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED AFTER 50000 MILES. *NM

AUDI HAS FAULTY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROLLER UNITS. THEIR 1998 - 2002 UNITS HAVE A VERY HIGH INCIDENCE OF FAILURE IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPONENT. THEY HAVE DONE A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PART FOR THE VW JETTA, BUT NOT FOR THE AUDI'S. THEY REQUIRE $1,700 TO REPAIR IT, SO MANY PEOPLE LEAVE IT AS IS, WHICH IS UNSAFE. *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING TIRE SPEED RATING APPROPIATE FOR 2001 AUDI A4 AVANT. *TS AUDI OF AMERICA REFUSES TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF THE TIRE SPEED RATING APPROPRIATE FOR THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *NM

WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN GOING 5 MPH OR LESS WHEN THE LEFT FRONT AXEL ON MY 2001 A4 BROKE OFF. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE DEALER TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, BUT AUDI USA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AS I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. IF I WERE, THEY WOULD ASSIST/COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. *NM

A4'S HAVE A POORLY DESIGNED CAM TENSIONER THAT EVENTUALLY LEAKS OIL. THE COST TO REPAIR THE ITEM IS APPROXIMATELY $1000. THE DEALER (CAROUSEL AUDI) EVEN ADMITS TO THE FACT THAT IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT AT THE DEALER. I'VE ALSO READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT ON AUDI FORUMS. THE LEAK TYPICALLY FOUND SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL RESPECTIVE CARS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED! *NM

FRONT BRAKE FAILURE. OUT OF FOUR PAD/SHOES, 3 PADS PHYSICALLY SEPARATED OFF OF THEIR RESPECTIVIE SHOES. ONE OF THE THREE ACTUALLY CAME OUT DURING DRIVING. WHEN THIS OCCURED, I TEMPORARILY LOST BRAKING ABILITY AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY DECELARATION. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS IT BECAME USAFE TO DRIVE. THE REMAINING PAD/SHOE THAT WAS NOT SEPARATED WAS IN REAONABLE CONDITION MEASURING 7.7MM (OUT OF 10MM). THE TWO REMAINING SEPARATED PADS ARE CHIPPED SHOWING MAJOR DELAMINATION AND MAJOR DEGREDATION. REMAINING PADS & SHOES HAVE BEEN SAVED. BRAKE PADS/SHOES & ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY IRA AUDI 97 ANDOVER STREET DANVERS, MA 978-739-8806 THIS APPEARS TO BE A CATASTROPHIC PRODUCT FAILURE ONCE THE PAD LETS LOOSE COMPLETELY. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE, I WAS HEARING A THUNK SOUND WHEN THE CAR WOULD CHANGE FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD MOTION. THIS OCCURED ONLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT.

12/2004, PURCHASED CERTIFIED 2001 AUDI A4 FROM BEECHMONT AUDI IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. CAR HAD A COMPREHENSIVE 300+ POINT INSPECTION PERFORMED BY AUDI AS PER PAPERWORK. 5/20/2001, VEHICLE TAKEN TO BLUEGRASS AUDI IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY FOR A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM. SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO BRINING THE VEHICLE IN, I WAS IN REVERSE LEAVING MY GARAGE WHEN I FOUND THAT I NEEDED TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED WHEN I DROVE FORWARD THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I TRIED BACKING UP AGAIN AND FOUND THE BRAKING TO BE NORMAL. LATER THAT AFTERNOON I WAS GOING TO LUNCH AND WHEN I BACKED UP THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKE ASSIST AGAIN AND I HAD TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE CAR NEEDED A BRAKE FLUSH. THEY PERFORMED THE BRAKE FLUSH, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO AUDI SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH A GROMMET THAT CONNECTS TWO VACUUM HOSES AT THE BULKHEAD. THEY ADDED A CLAMP TO STOP THE AIR FROM ESCAPING THE SYSTEM, BUT THE NEXT DAY IT PROVED NOT TO WORK. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE WITHIN AUDI LIMITS. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE GROMMET. AFTER THE ITEM WAS REPLACED, IT STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS OF 7/4/2005. IN SUMMARY, THE VEHICLE HAS A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM IN REVERSE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IN MY UN-SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, THE BRAKE ASSIST FAILS IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING AND NOT RUNNING FOR LESS THAN 2-3 HOURS. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKES OPERATE, BUT MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP. THIS COULD BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ALONG JUST IN CASE THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.