2004 AUDI S4 Complaints

IN JANUARY 2009 I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON MY 2004 AUDI S4. I USED THE CAR JACK THAT COMES WITH THE CAR. AFTER LIFTING THE CAR UP ON THE PROPER POSITION (AS EXPLAINED IN THE AUDI USERS MANUAL) THE CAR JACK BROKE APART UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR. THE GROUND IN MY GARAGE IS EVEN AND MADE OUT OF CONCRETE AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN P AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS FULLY APPLIED SO THAT MOVEMENT OF THE CAR WHILE LIFTED WAS IMPOSSIBLE. THE AUDI DEALER I COMPLAINED TO REPLACED THE CAR JACK AND FIXED THE DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT LOWER SIDE OF MY CAR WITHOUT ANY CHARGES. TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD A FLAT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY CAR AGAIN COMING UP INTERSTATE I 55 FROM CAPE GIRARDEAU MO. WHEN USING THE NEW CAR JACK (SAME MODEL) THAT THE AUDI DEALER HAD GIVEN ME AFTER THE PRIOR INCIDENT. AND AS YOU PROBABLY GUESSED THE SAME HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT. AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR, I SELECTED PARK ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSACTION AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY CAR BRAKE. AFTER LOOSENING UP THE BOLTS I PLACED THE CAR JACK AS EXPLAINED IN AUDIS USER MANUAL UNDER THE CAR ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE AND LIFTED THE CAR UP. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OF THE TIRE WHEN THE JACK SUDDENLY GAVE IN AS DONE IN THE FIRST SITUATION EXPLAINED ABOVE. FORTUNATELY THE CAR DROPPED WITH THE ROTOR ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE RIM OF THE TIRE I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OF. I HAD TO CALL A FRIEND WHO WAS BRINGING ME A DIFFERENT CAR JACK SO I COULD PUT ON THE SPARE TIRE. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THE RIGHT ROTOR WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED AFTER DROPPING ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE RIM. NOBODY WAS HURT BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR JACK IS DANGEROUS AS IT DOESNT SEEM TO BE MADE TO CARRY THE WEIGHT OF MY CAR. I WORKED FOR BMW AS A LICENSED CAR MECHANIC IN THE PAST AS WELL WAS A MAINTENANCE CREW CHIEF WORKING ON FIGHTER JETS WELL CAPABLE OF CHANGING A TIRE; IF THIS HAPPENS TO ME THEN I BELIEVE IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME TO ANYBODY USING THIS CAR JACK

ENGINE FAILURE GOING 45MPH DUE TO BROKEN VALVE SPRING. FAULTY PART DOCUMENTED IN 5/2005 USA TODAY BUT AUDI WILL NOT REPAIR. *TR

CAR ENGINE WAS MISFIRING - WAS INFORMED A FAULTY COIL PACK WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. ONE WEEK LATER THE MISFIRES STARTED AGAIN. TWO MORE COIL PACKS WERE REPLACED. 2 WEEKS LATER ANOTHER MISFIRING EPISODE. CAR DIED AT INTERSECTION SO WAS TOWED IN FOR INSPECTION. CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER/CAM GUIDES HAD FAILED. PARTS WERE REPLACED FOR 5K AND THEN 2 WEEKS LATER CYLINDER 3 FAILED WHEN VALVE AND PISTON INTERACTED - CAR DIED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR ENGINE IS GOING TO NEED TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, 10261281, AND 10294798. MY SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN NOV OF 2009 ON THE BANK 1 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 1 - LESS THAN ONE YEAR FROM THE SAME FAILURE ON BANK 2 (SEE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #10294798). THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION THE ENGINE APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ANOTHER ~$4,500. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, AND 10261281 MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN DEC OF 2008 ON THE BANK 2 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 2 - ALL BUT RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY I CONTACTED AUDI TO NO AVAIL. I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED IN AUDI FOR ENGINEERING SUCH SHODDY DESIGN, AND NOT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT. IN FACT CRISWELL AUDI CHARGED $300 FOR AN ECU UPDATE THAT DID NOTHING. ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION IT APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ~$4,500. *TR

WHILE IN RAIN ALL WINDOWS FOGGING UP FROM INSIDE, UNABLE TO DEFOG, THE A/C WILL NOT TURN ON, CHECKED FOR LEAKS - NO LEAKS OBSERVED, SPORADICALLY THE A/C TURNS ON AND OFF, VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN CARS FROM THIS YEAR, MAY CAUSE DAMAGE AND INJURY. *TR

2004 S4 WIPERS STOP WORKING (STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD) IN RAIN, MOTOR WORKS SEEMS AS SOMETHING SIZED, IN SOME SITUATIONS MAY CAUSE BIG DAMAGE AND INJURY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 S4 WHICH CRUNCHES WHEN SHIFTING INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. AUDI REPLACED THE SYNCHROS BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME ITS NORMAL. THE CRUNCHES OCCURS EVERYTIME I DRIVE IT AND ALSO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GET INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLES RPMS WILL SOMETIMES STICK, KEEPING THE VEHICLE MOVING WHEN NOT UNDER ACCELERATION.

AT 44,000 MILES MY CAR HAS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I STATED ABOVE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE ENGINE REVVING UP. THE TRANSMISSION CAN ALSO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS UNDER HARD BRAKING WHICH ALL OF YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE IN GEAR YOU SLOW DOWN BETTER IF ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU POP OUT OF GEAR YOU CAR DOES NOT HAVE AS MUCH HOLDING YOU BACK. *TR

REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE HAS INTERIOR DEFECTS AFTER 33,000 MILES. CAR IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY DUE TO YEAR OF VEHICLE. THE FEMALE RECEPTOR OF THE BUCKLE HAS SOME OF THE INNER MECHANISM HANGING OUTSIDE OF THE LIP OF THE BUCKLE, MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER BUCKLE NEXT TO IT WHICH IS IN NORMAL WORKING ORDER. *TR