2004 AUDI A6 Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE HAD A DESIGN FLAW ON THE SERVICE BRAKES. HE SUSPECTED THAT HEAT AND WEIGHT BALANCE ON THE BRAKES WAS CALCULATED INCORRECTLY. THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS BECAME DISCOLORED AND OVERHEATED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR BRAKES DUE TO DISCOLORATION. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A HEAVY NOISE. UPDATED 12/27/05. *JB

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED 4 TIRE BLOW OUTS WITHT EH CONTINENTAL TIRE EQUIPMENT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE TIRE DEALER REPLACED THE CONSUMER'S FOUR CONTINENTAL TIRES WITH WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE MODEL TIRE WHICH HAD BLOWNOUT. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE FOURTH BLOWOUT OF ON OF THE CONTINENTAL TIRES IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR. *NM

I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH MY 2004 AUDI A6 2.7T S LINE. THE ISSUE IS THE 18 INCH RIMS AND TIRES DELIVERED WITH THE CAR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES, I NOTICED WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR SHAKES, VIBRATES AND DRIVES ROUGH. IN ADDITION, I EXPERIENCED 3 TIRE FAILURES INCLUDING 1 BLOW-OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY (LUCKILY, I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE). I HAVE NOW BEEN IN CONTACT WITH 4 NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA AUDI DEALERS AND THE HEAD ENGINEER OF THE TIRE MANUFACTURER IN THE UNITED STATES, CONTINENTAL TIRE COMPANY, SUPPLYING ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES FOR THE A6 2.7T S LINE. ALL THE DEALERS AND THE TIRE MANUFACTURER HAVE INDICATED THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE 18 INCH RIMS IN THE NORTHEAST AREA. SPECIFICALLY, 60-70% OF THE TIRES FITTED ON THESE 18 INCH RIMS ARE TYPICALLY DAMAGED AND RETURNED TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER AND THE MAJORITY OF THESE 18 INCH RIMS (EQUIPPED ON THE A6 2.7T) TYPICALLY BECOME BENT BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT WITHSTAND WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS (I.E., POTHOLES CAUSED FROM THE COLD WEATHER AND SNOW) IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES. THEY ALL INDICATED THESE 18 INCH RIMS SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN DELIVERED WITH THE A6 2.7T IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES MARKET. INSTEAD, THEY SUGGESTED I CHANGE TO 16 INCH RIMS AS WAS THE CASE IN EARLIER YEAR A6 2.7T MODELS (2000-2002), WHEN THE A6 2.7T CAME WITH 16 INCH RIMS AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AUDI IN GERMANY AND THE U.S. THEY REFUSE TO HELP IN ANY WAY. THIS ISSUE POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE PUBLIC AS TIRES ON THESE RIMS IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BLOW OUTS, WHICH COULD CAUSE MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND ASSOCIATED FATALITIES AND/OR INJURIES. TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC'S WELFARE AND SAFETY, I BELIEVE THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE AUDI TO RECALL THE VEHICLES WITH THESE 18 INCH RIMS AND REPLACE THEM WITH SAFE EQUIPMENT (I.E., 16" RIMS AND TIRES).

OUR NEW AUDI A6 HAD THE P6 P235/R17 INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. WITHIN THE FIRST 4,000 MILES, ALL UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, A LARGE BULGE DEVELOPED ON THE SIDEWALL OF ONE OF THE REAR TIRES. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION. WHEN WE HAD REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO OUR DEALER, THEY VERY RUDELY DISCLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY AND HAD GIVEN US THE NUMBER FOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. WHEN WE HAD REPORTED THIS TO PIRELLI CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION, THEY QUICKLY ASCERTAINED (WITHOUT INSPECTION) THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD, AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THIS STAGE WE ARE LOOKING TOWARD OUR LEGAL OPTIONS, SINCE BOTH AUDI AND PIRELLI ARE NOT INTERESTED IN COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION SHORT OF US BUYING BRAND NEW TIRES.