1997 Audi A4

THERE HAVE BEEN CRACKING NOISES IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING WOULD BE BREAKING, I TOOK THE CAR TO A SERVICE SHOP THAT DOES WORK FOR THE AUDI DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THE CRACKING WAS A PROBLEM ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY AUDI AND A KIT HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED TO FIX IT. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE AUDI, WE WERE ASSURED THAT WE HAD THE SPECIAL AUDI ASSURED FOR PREOWNED VEHICLES. WELL WHEN WE CALLED THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY DENIED EVERYTHING AND PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR AND THEREFORE I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. SINCE WHEN DO AUTO MAKERS ISSUE AN ALERT WITH A FIX IT KIT FOR ALL A4 S FROM 1996 TO 1998 AND CLAIM IT IS THE OWNERS FAULT. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE RUDE TO THE POINT OF SAYING THAT IT ISN'T THEIR PROBLEM. IT IS MINE. I SENT A COMPLAINT TO THE NYS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WITH ASSORTED ATTACHMENTS AND THEY REPLIED ON SEPT 6, 2002 SAID THAT THEY HAD FORWARDED THE INFORMATION ON TO YOU AND TO CONTACT NHTSA IF I HAD NOT HEARD SOMETHING IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. IT HAS BEEN 2 MONTHS AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU. WOULD YOU PLEASE CHECK YOUR RECORDS AND LOCATE THE FORM FROM THE NYS ATTY GENS OFFICE AND GET BACK TO ME WITH SOME INFO. I REALLY THINK AUDI SHOULD PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS SINCE IT IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NOT FROM USE BY THE OWNERS (THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND ME). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED HELP AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. DT

CONSUMER HAS BEEN NOTICING CREAKING NOISES IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THERE WAS A REPAIR KIT PUT TOGETHER FOR VEHICLE OF THE SAME MODEL FOR REPAIR OF THIS CREAKING NOISE. BUT CONSUMER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL COSTS. CONSUMER FEELS THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL OR THE PRE OWNED VEHICLE WARRANTY. *AK

THE CONTROL ARMS ARE PART OF THE SUSPENSION. THE FRONT AXLE HAS 8 CONTROL ARMS IN TOTAL. WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT 6 OF THE CONTROL ARMS WILL COST ME $2000. THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS MALFUNCTION. APPARENTLY THE PART MALFUNCTIONS IS A MYRIAD OF CASES WITH A4 AND THE PART WAS NEVER RECALLED. NOW I HAVE TO REPAIR A PART THAT COSTS 1/7 THE COST OF THE CAR BECAUSE AUDI IS TOO CHEAP TO STAND BY ITS PRODUCT. I DID NOTHING WRONG--WAS NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. SIMPLY PUT BY THE DEALER, "IT JUST HAPPENS." IF YOU INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM YOU WILL NOTICE THERE IS A TREND WITH THIS CONSTANT PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP.*AK

CONTROL ARM BUSHING STARTED SQUEAKING INDICATING FAILURE - DID NOT KNOW THAT THE VEHICLE'S INSTABILITY AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND INABILITY TO TRACK IN A STRAIGHT LINE WERE ALSO DUE TO WORN CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. SEARCHED WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM SITE OF AUDI OWNERS, FOUND THAT NUMEROUS OWNERS REPORT DRIVEABLILTY ISSUES WITH WORN CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. AUDI OF AMERICA AND AUDI DEALER STATES THAT BUSHING PROBLEM IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, HOWEVER BASED ON THE NUMEROUS REPORTS ON AUDIWORLD.COM, THIS IS NOT TRUE. OWNERS REPORT HAVING TO CHANGE CONTROL ARMS EVERY 35K MILES OR SO AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1,500 FOR EACH SIDE SINCE THER ARE 4 CONTROL ARMS ON EACH SIDE THAT COST APPROXIMATELY $300 EACH PLUS LABOR. BASED ON NTSA SEARCH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM; WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET A RECALL OF THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM? BRAKE PROBLEM IS ONLY WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND NORMALLY - APPARENTLY WATER COMES IN CONTACT WITH ROTORS EASILY. THIS PROBLEM COULD EASILY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS IN THE NTSA DATABASE AS WELL. THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE PROBLEM IS A REOCCURRING ONE WHERE THE ENGINE WILL STALL AT IDLE, OR WILL NOT IDLE AT ALL. WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AS THE ENGINE SOMETIMES DIES WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED AS YOU PREPARE TO STOP. OBVIOUSLY THIS RESULTS IN A LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AND STEERING WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME REGARDING ANY OR ALL OF THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AFFECTING MY CAR. OBVIOUSLY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RECALLS ON ALL THREE ISSUES AND WILL PROVIDE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE I CAN TO ENSURE THAT THIS HAPPENS. THANKS.*AK

LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARMS (2 ON EACH SIDE FOR A TOTAL OF 4) WERE SEVERLY WORN, AND HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME PRIOR TO MY HAVING THE DEFECT INSPECTED. WITH THE CAR ON LIFT, THE BALL JOINT COULD BE PULLED OUT OF IT'S SOCKET WITH LITTLE EFFORT. HAD I HIT A BUMP AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL. I AM CONTACTING AUDI AS WELL, BUT HAVEN'T AS OF THIS WRITING. *AK

I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE CONTROL ARMS ARE FAILING BECAUSE AUDI DIDN'T PROVIDE FOR LUBRICATION POINTS.. THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THE LOSS OF THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS, AND COULD NOT RESPOND WHEN I SAID I HAD NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT HAD LOST IT'S ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS.. OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS ALSO GOT TO BE A PROBLEM CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN AND ENGINE VIBRATION.. THESE BOLTS SHOULD BE SAFETY WIRED TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. I THINK AUDI SHOULD COVER THE COSTS OF REPLACEMENT OF THE CONTROL ARM AND ENGINE MOUNT, BUT THE DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM COULD BE DUE TO WEAR, ALTHOUGH AGAIN I DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON MY JEEP OR OTHER VEHICLES. *AK