1997 Audi A4

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING THE KEY TO THE START POSITION WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE KEY WILL NOT BACK INTO THE ON POSITION AND AS A RESULT, THE STARTER GRINDED. THE KEY MUST BE MANUALLY MOVED BACK TO THE START POSITION. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 00V317000, CONCERNING THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 03/20/06. *JB

(1)I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (LE RECALL) FROM AUDI OF AMERICA ON THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 1997 A4 SEDAN. THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED ON 1/29/03. AT THAT POINT IN TIME THE ORIGINAL IGNITION SWITCH HAD BEEN PERFORMING CORRECTLY FOR 59 MONTHS BUT I HAD IT REPLACED BECAUSE OF AUDI'S RECOMMENDATION; NOT BECAUSE IT HAD A MALFUNCTION. (2)IN JULY OF 2004 THE REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS OF SERVICE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS VISITING ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. I NOTICED THAT THE A/C WAS NOT BLOWING COLD AIR. AS I WAS DRIVING BACK IN TO THE TOWN OF ST. AUGUSTINE I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING DRAGGING UNDER THE CAR. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND THEN FOUND THE CAR WOULD NOT RE-START. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA AND THEN RENTED A CAR TO GET BACK HOME TO TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE BILL FROM THE JACKSONVILLE DEALERSHIP WAS $1758 TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STARTER MOTOR. I ALSO INCURRED A $150 TOWING FEE AND APPROX $70 RENTAL CAR FEE. (3)AFTER THE REPAIRS I CONTACTED AUDI OF AMERICA BUT THEY SAID THEY ONLY WARRANTY REPLACED PARTS FOR 12 MONTHS. SINCE THIS SWITCH LASTED 18 MONTHS IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I CONTEND THAT AUDI OF AMERICA DID NOT CORRECT THE DEFECT, IN FACT, THEY MADE IT CONSIDERABLY WORSE. VIN OF 1997 A4 IS [XXX](4) PLEASE NOTE: I AM ALSO THE OWNER OF A 1996 A4 SEDAN. I WILL OPEN ANOTHER INCIDENT REPORT FOR THAT AUTOMOBILE. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I HAVE A 1997 AUDI A4 Q THAT HAS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ALREADY DONE FOR THIS CAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V317000) AS OF OCT 06,2000. I CALLED THE A LOCAL DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND GAVE THEM MY VIN # AND THEY CLAIM MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. HOWEVER, I WENT TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND LOOKED AT THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF MY CAR AND IT DOES SHOW THAT THE YEAR OF MY CAR WAS INCLUDED. IN FACT, I WAS EVEN ABLE TO PRINT OFF SEVERAL DOCUMENTS REFERRING TO THE RECALL AND IT DOES SHOW THAT MY VIN IS ACTUALLY INCLUDED (VIN RANGES WAU---8D-VA000181 TO WAU---8D-VA294397). QUOTING THE RECALL LETTER; "THE PLASTIC IGNITION SWITCH HOUSING CAN FRACTURE AT THE RETURN SPRING ANCHOR POINT. FRACTURE OF THE HOUSING COULD CAUSE THE RETURN SPRING FORCE TO BE INSUFFICIENT FOR RETURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE RUNNING POSITION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. " THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR () MAKING IT UNSAFE TO OPERATE. *JB

MY AUDI A-4 WAS PARKED ALL DAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE ONLY IN THE DASH. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO AUDI THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME A REPORT AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID THEY COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS TAMPERED WITH. THE FIRE DEPT THAT PUT OUT THE FIRE, SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THIS CAR IS STOCK, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND MODULE. THIS CAR HAS HAD RECALLS AND MAY COMPLAINTS. THIS COULD CAUSED INJURY AND DEATH IF MY CHILD AND I WERE IN THE CAR. I FEEL AS IF I AM BEING BLOWN OFF, I HAVE CALLED AND SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE AND THERE IS NO STRAIGHT ANSWER. NOW MY CAR IS SITTING AT SCOTTADALE PAINT AND AUTO BODY WHERE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE IT BY AUDI. I HAVE CALLED THERE TODAY TO CHECK ON MY CAR AND NO ONE CAN FIND IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN SENDING E-MAIL AND SO ON. *JB

THE FAILURE I AM HAVING IS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN TURNING ON THE CAR, THE IGNITION KEY DOES NOT RETURN TO THE PROPER POSITION AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN STARTED. THIS CAUSES ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, POWER WINDOWS, AND HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING TO BE INOPERATIVE AFTER STARTING THE CAR. ALSO, WHEN TURNING OFF THE CAR THE KEY DOES NOT TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE OFF POSITION. THIS RESULTS IN DIFFICULTY IN REMOVING AND REINSERTING THE KEY, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT CUT OFF ALL POWER RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE ANTI THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN 2001, AND THE DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE CHANGED THE DEFECTIVE PART HOWEVER THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED. PAUL MILLER AUDI WAS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST. *NM

DT: THE KEY WOULDN'T GO INTO THE IGNITION, AND THEN THE RADIO WOULDN'T GO OFF. THEN, THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULDN'T WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH CONTACTED THE DEALER AND AUDI, AND THEY BOTH SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT, RECALL 00V317000, HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED, BUT THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION. WAS CONCERNED THAT IF IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED THEN IT SHOULD NOT MALFUNCTION WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.*AK *NM

IGNITION SWITCH APPEARED TO BREAK WHEN STARTING CAR. THE KEY WOULD NOT RETURN ALL THE WAY TO STARTING POSITION AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO START IN THE RAIN. PULLED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUT OFF IGNITION. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND IGNITION KEY REMAINS IN FORWARD POSITION. CALLED AUDI. AUDI STATES THAT THE RECALLED IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF IT NOT BEING REPLACED. SERVICE FOR THE CAR HAS BEEN AT AUDI SERVICE SINCE PURCHASE IN 1997. I DO NOT RECALL EVER RECEIVING THE RECALL LETTER OR HAVING THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. IF IT WAS REPLACED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, IT APPARENTLY REMAINED DEFECTIVE. *NM

UPON STARTING THE CAR, IT MADE A NOISE AS THOUGH THE KEY WAS STILL IN STARTING POSITION. THE CAR DROVE OKAY, BUT THE WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, DIGITAL ODOMETER, EVERYTHING ELECTRIC WOULD NOT WORK. I WENT TO WORK, PLANNING TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER LATER THAT DAY. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR AT LUNCH TIME, THE KEY WOULD NOT EVEN GO INTO THE IGNITION. AFTER CALLING AAA, AND HAVING 3 DIFFERENT TOW TRUCKS, NO ONE WAS ABLE TO TOW THE CAR BAUSE IT HAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR ON TO PUT IT IN NUETRAL. I THEN CALLED EVERY LOCKSMITH IN THE PHONEBOOK UNTIL ONE FINALLY STOPPED BY. HE WAS ABLE TO LUBRICATE THE KEY AND GET IT IN THE IGNITION. UPON DOING SO HE TOLD ME THAT THE HOUSING WAS PROBABLY FRACTURE AND OUT OF PLACE. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER, WHERE I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE IGNITION RECALL, AND CHARGED $542 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND HOUSING OF THE IGNITION. I LATER DISCOVERED ON MY OWN THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CONTACT AUDI HEADQUARTERS. I SPOKE TO TWO DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVE WHO WERE BOTH VERY RUDE. I THEN SENT AUDI A COPY OF MY BILL AND REQUESTED THAT THEY REIMBURSE MY COSTS FOR THE DEFECTED PARTS. THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL DEPT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT BY LAW, AUDI SHOULD REIMBURSE ME AND IF NOT THAT I SHOULD PURSUE LEGAL ACTION. I HAVE RE-SENT MY BILL TO AUDI, AND IF WITHIN 30 DAYS, I HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED, THEY WILL BE SEEING ME IN COURT. *AK

RE: 1997 AUDI A4; RECALL CAMPAIGN LE, ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH. *BF THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED IN 2001 PRIOR TO ANY FAILURE. A FEW YEARS LATER THE SWITCH FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER THAT PROMPTED THE INITIAL RECALL. THE IGNITION SWITCH BLEW UP THE STARTER CAUSING $1100 IN DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED ONCE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *NM