2006 Audi A3

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING DSG SHIFTING ISSUES. ON SLIGHT INCLINES SUCH AS DRIVEWAY ENTRANCES, WHEN IN REVERSE, I'LL ACCELERATE AND THERE IS NO RESPONSE. MANY TIMES, NEIGHBORS THINK I AM REVVING MY CAR. ALSO, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM START OR A SLOW SPEED ON D OR S MODE, THE ENGINE WILL REV VERY HIGH CLOSE TO 4000-5000RPM. A DSG SERVICE HAD BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER A FEW YEARS AGO AND I HAD ANOTHER ONE DONE LAST MONTH SUSPECTING THAT IT COULD BE THE FLUID BUT TO NO AVAIL, I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 AUDI A3 3.2 W/ DSG. THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE UNTIL ONE DAY, COMPLETE DISASTER. WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS WHEN YOU START UP THE CAR, DRIVE ANY DISTANCE AND COME TO A STOP, THE CAR WILL GO NEUTRAL, THE PRNDS WILL START TO FLASH, AND COME TO A JOLTING STOP. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT GOING AGAIN, IS TO POWER OFF THEN START UP AGAIN. THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN THE CAR HAS GONE NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AND I'LL HAVE TO COME TO A STOP. THIS OCCURS 99% OF THE TIME. BEING IN THE D.C. AREA, THERE'S LOTS OF TRAFFIC SO POWERING DOWN AND UP AGAIN AT EACH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ISN'T SAFE FOR ME AND OTHERS AROUND. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 5 WEEKS NOW B/C THE REPLACEMENT PART (TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT / MECHATRONIC UNIT / DSG) IS FROM GERMANY AND HAS TO BE "CODED TO YOUR VIN". IT ALSO HAS TO GO THROUGH US CUSTOMS BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE DEALER. BEING OUT OF WARRANTY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A COSTLY REPAIR FOR WHAT SEEMS TO BE A FAULT THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING. *TR

WAS A NORMAL DAY OF DRIVING, CAR WAS WARMING UP. I LIVE IN FLORIDA SO IT WARMS UP PRETTY QUICKLY. I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO 4TH STREET WHEN I GAVE THE CAR A LOT OF GAS, BUT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOTHING. IT JUST REVVED UP AND THEN AFTER ABOUT 1 OR 2 SECONDS, THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOWLY ACCELERATE. AFTER THIS 1-3 SECOND DELAY, THE CAR WAS DRIVING LIKE NORMAL. BUT THE INITIAL HESITATION ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE REAR ENDED BECAUSE I WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. MY DSG HAS NO FAULT CODES, YET IT HESITATES AT TIMES AND SOMETIMES SCARES ME. MY OTHER COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH IT HESITATING AND JERKING IN REVERSE. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BACK INTO STUFF. REVERSE IS VERY INCONSISTENT. MY FINAL COMPLAINT IS IN REGARD TO THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. THE FUEL PUMP USES A CAM FOLLOWER. THESE CAM FOLLOWERS WEAR OUT, AND CAN CAUSE FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. MY FUEL PUMP FAILED UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS REPLACED. LESS THAN 10,000 MILES LATER I INSPECTED MY NEW PUMP AND FOLLOWER AND FOUND EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE FACE OF THE CAM FOLLOWER. THIS IS UNHEARD OF WITH A CAR LIKE THIS. WHEN THE CAM FOLLOWER FAILS, THE FUEL SYSTEM FAILS - HOW CAN VW/AUDI MANUFACTURE SOMETHING THIS UNRELIABLE. *TR

CHRONIC TIRE CUPPING DUE TO A MISMATCH BETWEEN VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS, SUCH AS WEIGHT, AND SUSPENSION TYPE. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM MYSELF AND THEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE ON MULTIPLE DISCUSSION BOARDS THE SAME PROBLEM IS MENTIONED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ASSESSMENT BY EXPERIENCED MECHANIC IS THAT CAUSE MUST BE INAPPROPRIATE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. *TR

I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE AUDI A3'S OPEN SKY (SUNROOF) SUN SHADE LATCHING MECHANISM. THE SUNSHADE HAS A PLASTIC CLIP ASSEMBLY WHICH ALLOWS THE SHADE TO COVER THE SUNROOF AREA. THIS DESIGN IS WEAK AND PRONE TO BREAK. THIS HAS BEEN NOTED BY NUMEROUS OTHER A3 OWNERS. IN APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS, WE BROKEN THE CLIPS 3 TIMES AND THIS IS WITH VERY INFREQUENT USAGE AND EXTREME CARE. AUDI SERVICE STAFF OPENLY ADMIT THIS IS AN ISSUE, HOWEVER AUDI ONLY SELLS THE ENTIRE SUNSHADE ASSEMBLY AS A FIX - NOT JUST THE CLIP. THIS IS A $200+ PART, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I BELIEVE AUDI SHOULD REDESIGN/RECALL THIS ASSEMBLY OR AT LEAST OFFER A STANDALONE LOCKING REPLACEMENT PART. *TR

DROVE OVER A RAISED MANHOLE COVER. (1.5-2 INCHES ABOVE GROUND) BOTTOM OF CAR HITS COVER & DEPLOYS AIRBAGS. WAS GOING LESS THAN 15 MPH. IMPACT WAS SO MINOR THAT NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY FRIEND'S FACES TOUCHED EITHER AIRBAG. CAR WAS NOT STOPPED BY MANHOLE COVER. WE ROLLED ANOTHER 50 FEET BEFORE I STOPPED THE CAR WITH THE BRAKE. AIRBAG SENSOR MISREAD SITUATION WHICH PUT US AND OTHERS IN DANGER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHADE COVERING THE SUNROOF FAILED IN HER VEHICLE. ALSO, THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE HORN WOULD NOT FUNCTION ALONG WITH THE TURN SIGNALS. MOREOVER, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALSO HAD TO BE RE-WIRED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER EACH TIME A FAILURE OCCURRED AND THEY WERE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. MOST RECENTLY, THE BATTERY FAILED AND THE CONTACT HAD TO PAY $257 FOR THE REPAIR. IN JULY OF 2007, SHE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. SHE HAS SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER MANY TIMES REGARDING THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED HER FOR THE BATTERY REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,837 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 300.

WHEN WEATHER HEAT CONDITIONS ARE ABOVE 90F THE CAR'S FUEL PUMP WILL SPORADICALLY GLITCH/SHUT -OFF AND PREVENT FUEL TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE TANK TO THE ENGINE FOR COMBUSTION. THIS MAKES THE CAR STALL MOMENTARILY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A START POINT AND WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUDI SERVICE CENTER, AND THEY VERIFIED AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACE WITH A SUPERCEEDING PUMP. AUDI SERVICE CENTER STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN THE 2006-2008 A3, AND A4 VEHICLES. MY CAR HAS 66,000 MILES AND HAS GONE PAST THE WARRANTY LIMITS FOR A NO-CHARGE REPLACEMENT. THIS FAULT CONDITION IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR DRIVERS. *TR