1998 AUDI A6 Complaints

98 A6 QUATTRO, LEAKS OIL, THE CAR'S BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE(IN 2 YEARS TIME FRAME), THE LOWER PAN GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AS WELL AS THE OIL CAP. LAST TIME I HAD THE AUDI SERVICE CHECK IT OUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY NEED TO TAKE THE WHOLE ENGINE APART= HUGE BILL. I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THE "HARD TO FIX" OIL LEAK. *NM

TIE RODS IN THE STEERING SYSTEMS ARE DAMAGED. AUDI CLAIMS THEY HAD A RECALL ON THESE RODS AND THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE CAR HAD THE SERVICE COMPLETED BACK IN 2000. YET, I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS NOW IN 2006. I WONDER IF THE FIX AUDI IMPLEMENTED IS REALLY EFFECTIVE OR NOT. *JB

LOWER AND UPPER GASKETS ARE LEAKING. THESE LEAKS DROP ON HOT PARTS OF THE ENGINE AND CREATE SMOKE FUME. I HAD THE LOWER GASKET REPLACED FOR ABOUT $500. I KNOW THAT SIMILAR SERVICES ARE DONE 2 MORE TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CAR FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM. I DOUBT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE ON THIS AREA. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE STUCK IN AN OPEN POSITION. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED; THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND ON IN AN ATTEMPT TO RELEASE THE THROTTLE, BUT THIS ATTEMPT FAILED AND THE ENGINE RACED WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

ON FEBRUARY 4, 2006 I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95, BETWEEN EXITS 15 AND 16 IN NORWALK, CONNECTICUT. I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE CAR, AND I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM. SMOKE AND FLAMES SUDDENLY STARTED POURING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, SO THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW DOWN OR PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR QUICKLY FILLED WITH BLACK SMOKE AND THE DASHBOARD WAS COVERED WITH FIRE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND IT WOULDN'T TURN AT ALL. ALTHOUGH I COULD NOT STEER, THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT LANE. WHILE SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE POURING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD, AND THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING, I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. MY BACK HIT THE GUARDRAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I FELL TO THE GROUND. WITHIN A MINUTE THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES. THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR AND ALL OF ITS CONTENTS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE. I SUFFERED NUMEROUS INJURIES INCLUDING SMOKE INHALATION, A CONCUSSION, INJURIES TO MY NECK, BACK, RIBS, LEGS AND PELVIS, POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, AND OTHER INJURIES. *JB

1998 AUDI A6 WITH 130,000 MILES; ABS/BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATE WITH PIERCING TONES, FIRST INTERMITTENTLY, NOW UPON STARTUP AND DRIVE OFF. MANUAL STATES THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, AND DRIVER COULD POSSIBLY LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER STATES REPAIRS $1500.00+ FOR COMPLETE ABS REPLACEMENT...AUDI OWNER FORUMS INCLUDE MANY OTHERS WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS...NO OTHER REPAIR OPTIONS WERE OFFERED BY THE DEALER. *JB

(1) PURCHASED AUTO 10/7/05. PICK-UP IN MIAMI. AUTO HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPERATED IN FLORIDA CLIMATE. DROVE CAR TO PENNSYLVANIA ARRIVING ON 10/9/05. ON 10/13/05 DETECTED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER REFUELING AND PARKING IN GARAGE. (THIS WAS FIRST TIME CAR WAS REFUELED IN PENNSYLVANIA AND PARKED IN GARAGE). (2) PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS A LEAK IN A SEAM OF THE PLASTIC GAS TANK OF THE AUDI A6. HAS CAUSED NO INJURIES AS YET. OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCE IS FOUL ODOR AND , MORE IMPORTANTLY, A HAZARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. CARFAX VEHICLE HISTORY SHOWS NO RECORD OF THE CAR BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, NOT HAVE I EXPERIENCED ONE SINCE PURCHASING. (3) LICENSED REPAIR SHOP IS CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR REPLACEMENT GAS TANK AND DETERMINING THE APPROXIMATE LABOR COST TO REPLACE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI. THE CONTACT NOTICED NOISE IN FRONT SUSPENSION, PLAY STEERING, LOOSENESS IN STEERING, TIRE WEAR, AND RECALL ON LOWER CONTROL ARM. DURING THAT RECALL REALIZED ALSO NEEDED TO REPLACE THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC, WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT THE TIE ROD ENDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS ALL RELATED .HE TOLD CONSUMER THAT A RECALL WAS ON THE TIE ROD END. AUDI CLAIMED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS THEY REFERRED HIM TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AUDI WOULD NOT DO THE REPAIRS. NO CRASHES. NO POLICE REPORT. NO CRASHES. NO INJURIES. *AK

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED - DIAGNOSTICS CONDUCTED AT A AUDI DEALERSHIP. CUSTOMER INFORMED BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE AIRBAG UNIT IS FAULTY AND WHOLE UNIT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED (COST QUOSTED $800) - ALSO INFORMED "NEED" LEFT TIE ROD END (PREVIOUS SIMILAR COMPLAINT REGARDING TIE ROD ON NHTSA WEB SITE)

DT: ON MAY 31 2005 WHILE DRIVING SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. THEN, SMOKE CAME FROM AIR VENTS, AND SMOKE GOT WORSE. WHILE SPEAKING W/ 911 FLAMES BEGAN TO COME FROM THE AIR VENTS. FIRE APPEARED TO COME FROM THE AIR VENTS. VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR CODES TO OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE. IT WAS UNKNOWN WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. OWNER BELIEVED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD A HARD TIME EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE, AND WERE UNSURE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT FILED. CAR WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AND RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. THE CAR WAS MOVED TO A STORAGE FACILITY BEHIND A GAS STATION. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, AND CONSIDERED IT A TOTAL LOSS. AUDI CONTACTED THE OWNER ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION. THERE WERE OTHER RECALLS BUT NOTHING ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. *AK