1999 AUDI A6 Complaints

1999 AUDI A-6 QUATTRO, TIE ROD END REPLACED. *BF TIE ROD RECALL WAS DONE WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 13187 MILES ON IT. AT 60806 THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED. *NM

TWO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF MY CAR ON HIGHWAY CAME TO A STOP; I APPLIED BRAKES, PRESSING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED - THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE, DESPITE THERE BEING LOOSE SAND AND SALT ON THE ROAD SURFACE. I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLES RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO MY CAR (OVER $10,000 TO REPAIR) AND THE CAR I HIT (UNKNOWN COST COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY). MY CAR SPENT 2 MONTHS IN THE SHOP HAVING THE ACCIDENT DAMAGE REPAIRED. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, I TESTED THE BRAKES AND THEY WERE VERY "SOFT" - I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR TO STOP, EVEN THOUGH I WAS GOING NO MORE THAN 10 MPH. THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE THAT TIME EITHER. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO FIX THE BRAKES. THEY KEPT IT ALL DAY AND TOLD ME THAT NOTHING NEEDED TO BE DONE. HOWEVER, WHEN I TESTED THE BRAKES AGAIN, IN THE SAME SPOT I HAD TESTED THEM BEFORE, THE BRAKES WORKED WELL AND THE ABS ENGAGED. ON OCTOBER 31, 2003, THE DEALERSHIP (BERNARDI AUDI, 521 WORCESTER ROAD, NATICK MA; 508-651-9980) SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED THE FONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS.*AK

I WAS TRAVELING ON PA ROUTE 476 SOUTHBOUND APPROXIMATELY 8:30 PM, MAINTAINING A CONSTANT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE THERMOMETER IN MY CAR REPORTED AN AMBIENT EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 4 AND 8 F. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS IN THE STANDBY POSITION BUT CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ACTIVATED. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE CAR WAS MAINTAINING SPEED WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IN FACT, WHEN TRAVELING ON LEVEL GROUND, THE CAR ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH UNTIL I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE TACHOMETER REPORTED A CONSTANT ENGINE SPEED OF 2400 RPM WITH NO PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE ENGINE SPEED BY ACTIVATING AND DEACTIVATING CRUISE CONTROL, WHICH DID NOT RESPOND AT ALL. I NEXT TAPPED THE BRAKES TO SEE IF THIS WOULD DISENGAGE A POTENTIAL CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION, AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS FREE OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS AND MOVED FREELY UNDER MY FOOT. AS I APPROACHED THE TOLL PLAZA, I REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT BRAKE PRESSURE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. WITH FULL BRAKE FORCE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW TO APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH BUT WOULD NOT STOP. I THEN PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND THE CAR STOPPED BUT THE ENGINE REVVED IN EXCESS OF 6,000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, THE IDLE SPEED WAS NORMAL. THINKING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ICING AND NOW RESOLVED, I CONTINUED INTO PHILADELPHIA WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON MY RETURN TO ALLENTOWN THE SAME NIGHT (APPROXIMATELY 10:30 PM), ALSO ON ROUTE 476, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER EPISODE OF A STUCK ACCELERATOR. I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT 65 MPH FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS 3 F AND THE ENGINE SPEED MAINTAINED 1800 ? 2000 RPM WITHOUT ANY ACCELERATOR PEDAL PRESSURE. AGAIN, IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR, I HAD TO PLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND QUICKLY TURN OFF THE IGNITION KEY TO AVOID FURTHER ENGINE DAMAGE. *NM

00 V 414 000/VW TIE RODS: CONSUMER STATES, "THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MARCH 10, 2001". THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACES AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS THIS CONSIDERED NORMAL? THAT THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED WITH LESS THEN 48,015 MILES OF WEAR SINCE THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NM

AUDI A6 (2.8L) THROTTLE WAS FROZEN OPEN AT 70 MILES PER HOUR, ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS TO "STAND ON" THE BRAKES. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IT WAS OK. CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE THROTTLE STICKING AT COLD TEMP (TEMP THIS DAY WAS 3F). TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIX IT RIGHT AWAY, BUT TO BRING IT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. I HAVE NO RECORD OF RECEIVING THIS RECALL. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND DID FIND IT. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECORD THIS OCCURRENCE FOR YOUR RECORDS. *NM

CONSUMER RECEIVED ONE OF SEVERAL RECALL NOTIFICATIONS FROM THE MANUFACTURER, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO WANTED FOR CONSUMER TO LEAVE A CREDIT CARD AND THEN THEY WILL REPAIR ALL DEFECTS, EVEN THOSE NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL, AND CHARGE CONSUMER ADDITIONAL EXPENSES NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RECALL. *AK RECALL CAMPAIGN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01V157000 CONSEQUENCE: RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATES THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE TANK LEAD TO SAFETY PROBLEMS. VEHICLE ABS LIGHT WAS ON. *TC

(1) ABS/BRAKE LIGHT INDICATORS APPEARED ON THE DASH. THE AMBER (ABS LIGHT) STAYS ON WHILE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDS FOR 3 SECONDS, BUT THE LIGHTS STAY ON. THIS INDICATES THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS MALFUNCTIONING, THUS LOOSING ABS ABILITIES. (2) AFTER RESEARCHING THROUGH AUDI FORUMS (AUDIWORLD.COM OR AUDIFORUMS.COM), I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN AUDI'S (1997-2001), INCLUDING A4'S, A6'S AND VW PASSATS. IT IS SPECULATED THAT WATER OR MOISTURE SEEKS INTO THE MODULE COMPUTER BOARD, THUS SHORTS IT OUT. IT WAS CONFIRMED BY MY AUDI DEALER THAT MY ABS UNIT IS DEFECTIVE. I RECEIVED A $2,400 ESTIMATE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. (3) NOTHING, TOO EXPENSIVE- MY BIGGER ISSUE HERE IS SAFETY- MOST AUDI/VW OWNERS AREN'T AWARE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING/FREQUENT PROBLEM IN THEIR CARS, BECAUSE IT'S USUALLY CAUGHT UNDER WARRANTY. IF YOU?RE LIKE ME AND HAVE AN EXPIRED WARRANTY YOU ARE PAYING THROUGH THE NOSE. I CALLED AUDI OF AMERICA TO ALERT THEM ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND ASKED THEM TO RECALL IT NATIONALLY- THEY SAID NO BECAUSE MY CAR IS OLDER. TO THAT POINT, WHY DID THEY RECALL THE THROTTLE BODY, LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND A PLASTIC WIRE PROTECTOR ON 12/15/04 IF MY CAR IS SO-CALLED "OLDER?" AGAIN THEY CAN'T JUSTIFY IT. THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD COST THEM TOO MUCH MONEY! I AM HOPING THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T GET INJURED BECAUSE OF MONEY OR IT TAKES AN ACCIDENT TO GET THIS (ABS MODULE) DEFECT RECALLED, THEN I AM SURE AUDI WILL END UP PAYING 10X MORE. PLEASE MAKE THIS RECALL HAPPEN AS WELL AS ASK AUDI TO INFORM THEIR OWNERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *JB

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WINTERS, MY 1999 AUDI A6 2.8 QUATTRO HAS HAD A FAILURE IN ITS CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM. WHEN EVER IT GETS COLD THE CRUISE CONTROL OFTEN DOES NOT ENGAGE, AND IF IT IS REALLY COLD IT MAY DISENGAGE AFTER RUNNING FOR AWHILE EVEN ON LEVEL PAVEMENT (I.E. NOT UNDO ENGINE STRAIN-NORMAL FOR DISENGAGEMENT). THE MAJOR PROBLEM LIES IN THAT, AT LEAST TWICE, EVEN THOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN MADE TO ENGAGE ON PRIOR ATTEMPTS, IT HAS ENGAGED LATTER ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT PROMPTING, BRINGING THE CAR UP TO SPEED. CASE IN POINT: ONE TIME WHEN COMING INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA, IT SUDDENLY ENGAGED, AND STARTED TO TRY AND COME UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RECTIFY THIS FAULT, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION. I HAVE EVEN OFFERED TO DRIVE MY CAR UP TO THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THEIR ENGINEERS TO LOOK AT. NOW AUDI USA, WILL DO NO MORE TOWARD THIS EFFORT, IN WHAT I CONSIDER A SERIOUS AND POSSIBLE DANGEROUS MATTER. *JB

I RECENTLY BROUGHT OUR 1999 AUDI A-6 IN FOR A RECALL RELATED TO INSPECTION OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS TO SEE IF THE BOOTS WERE DEGRADED. ONE WAS AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE SURPRISE CAME WHEN I WAS TOLD THEY FOUND ANOTHER PROBLEM NOT COVERED BY A RECALL OR WARRANTY - THAT IS THE LEFT TIE ROD REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THAT RECALLS 99V248000 AND 00V414000 REQUIRED INSPECTION OF THE TIE ROD SEALS. FOR SOME REASON, MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL - THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. FURTHER, I HAVE SEEN IN THIS WEB SITE COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF 99 A-6S RE THE SAME PROBLEM. AND I HEARD ONE PERSON IN MY DEALERS SERVICE DEPT. WAITING ROOM GRIPING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TOO. I BELIEVE THAT ALL 1999 AUDI A-6S SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR INSPECTION OF THIS PROBLEM. AT THE VERY LEAST, YOU SHOULD BE OPENING AN INVESTIGATION - THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM - JUST LIKE YOUR RECENT RECALL OF DODGE SUVS AND TRUCKS. FURTHERMORE, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE PAID SEVERELY HUNDRED DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM FIXED SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. *JB

THE CONSUMERS AUDI A6 QUATTRO HAS PROBLEMS WITH BOTH UPPER CONTROL ARMS BEING LOOSE. BOTH FRONT OUTER CV SPLIT OPEN AND LEAKED AND FRONT PROP SHAFT LEAKED.*BF THE LEFT FRONT TIE ROD WAS LOOSE. *JB