1998 AUDI A6 Complaints

WHEN VEHICLE REACHED 30,000 MILES CONTROL ARMS DRIED OUT AND CREATED AN ANNOYING SOUND. A BLACK RUBBER COMPOUND WAS ADDED TO ELEVIATE THE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GAS - GAUGE SHOWED 3/4 TANK. VEHICLE HAS HAD THE GAS GAUGE RECALL PERFORMED ON IT.*AK

THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR OF OUR AUDI A6 KEPT FILLING UP WITH WATER WHILE DRIVING -- EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT RAINING. THERE WAS NO DRAIN IN THE FLOOR TO ALLOW THE WATER TO EXIT, SO WE BAILED IT LIKE A BOAT AND FINALLY PUNCHED A HOLE THROUGH THE FLOOR WITH A SCREWDRIVER. HOWEVER, SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CAR STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD: THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE REGARDLESS OF WHAT GEAR IT WAS PLACED IN. BY REPEATEDLY TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BRIEFLY AND MOVE THE CAR THREE OR FOUR FEET AT A TIME UNTIL IT WAS OFF THE HIGHWAY. MY PASSENGERS AND I WERE UNDERSTANDABLY FRIGHTENED AS THERE WAS TRAFFIC COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS AND WE WERE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO THE NEAREST DEALER WHERE ULTIMATELY IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A CLOGGED AIR CONDITIONING COWL DRAIN WHICH CAUSED CONDENSED WATER TO ACCUMULATE IN THE PASSENGER FLOOR AND WHICH ULTIMATELY SHORTED OUT THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE CONTROL COMPUTERS WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE CENTER TUNNEL. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS ROUTINE FOR AUDI DEALERS TO INSPECT THIS DRAIN FOR CLOGGING, YET THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE NEED OR IMPORTANCE TO DO THIS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, HOW TO DO IT, OR THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FAILING TO DO SO. OUR CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR SOME TIME AND THEREFORE THIS SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM AND REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPUTERS WILL TOTAL APPROXIMATELY $4,000.00 NONE OF WHICH AUDI USA FEELS IS ITS RESPONSIBILITY. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE SHORTING OF THE COMPUTERS WE WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-95 AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (WITH TWO INCHES OF WATER ON THE FLOOR.) HAD THE COMPUTERS CHOSEN THIS TIME AND PLACE TO MALFUNCTION MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND I WOULD LIKELY BE DEAD OR SEVERELY INJURED. I BELIEVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO REMEDY THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT. THANK YOU. *LA

COMPLAINT 1) HEATED STEERING WHEEL WOULD BURN HANDS IN SELECTED LOCATIOS BEFORE TURNING OFF. DEALER INDICATED TO ME THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS AND IF I WANTED IT FIXED WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW STEERING WHEEL AS MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY AUDI WITH REPLACEMENT. COMPLAINT 2) REAR BRAKE PADS REPLACED THREE TIMES ON CAR WITH 50,000 MILES. THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE AS FRONT BRAKES TAKE MOST OF WEAR. AT MY LAST REPAIR ON 9/22/03, IT COST ME $418 DOLLARS TO REPLACE REAR PADS AND ROTORS. IT APPEARS SOMETHING MAY BE OF BAD DESIGN WITH REPLACEMENT 3 TIMES IN 50,000 MILES FOR REAR BRAKES. FRONT REPLACED ONLY ONCE AND NOT DUE TO WEAR, BUT HEAT SPOTTING CREATING NOISE.

1998 AUDI A6 FUEL TANK STARTED LEAKING AT THE SEAMS. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOUND NO DAMAGE TO THE TANK. GARAGE FULL OF GAS FUMES AND FUEL WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE CAR. *PH

THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HEAT UP. THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD GET TOO HOT ON HIS HANDS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE STEERING WHEEL HAD GOTTEN EXTREMELY HOT EVERY TIME THE IGNITION WAS TURNED. *SCC *JB

1998 AUDI A6 QUATTRO.BOTH FRONT TRACK ARMS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 67000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE. DEALER SAID CAUSE WAS WEAR AND TEAR. I DON'T THINK THAT A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE SUSPENSION SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT THIS MILEAGE. DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THEY HAD MORE THAN A FEW CASES ON THE SAME VEHICLE WITH SIMILAR MILEAGE.

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES OF THE TWO FRONT DOORS OCCASIONALLY FAIL TO UNLATCH THE DOOR AROUND 10% OF THE TIME. PULLING ON THE DOOR HANDLE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING - THE DOOR LATCH DOES NOT DISENGAGE. LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR DOESN'T HELP. AFTER SEVERAL REPEATED ATTEMPTS ON THE HANDLE IT MAY FINALLY SUCCESSFULLY UNLATCH THE DOOR. SOMETIMES IT MAY ALSO OPEN FROM THE OPPOSITE DOOR HANDLE (E.G. IF THE INTERIOR HANDLE IS NOT WORKING, THE EXTERIOR HANDLE MAY WORK). *NLM

THE HEATED STEERING WHEEL HAD MELTED, AND THE CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS BURNED. *JB THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART. *SCC

I WAS REAR-ENDED AT A STOP LIGHT ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY BY A 1998 AUDI A6. THE PERSON DRIVING THE CAR STATED THAT HER CAR WAS ACCELERATING EVEN WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE GAS AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. SHE HAD MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR ABOUT 15 FEET BEHIND ME, BUT, WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, SHE HIT ME AT ABOUT 10 MPH