1997 Audi A4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WHEN ENGAGED. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC STOP BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

IN A SNOW STORM, DRIVER BRAKED AT AN INTERSECTION, AUTOMATIC BRAKES KICKED IN BUT DID NOT STOP THE 10 MILE PER HOUR SLIDE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. CAR STOPPED PARALLEL TO THE CURB AND WAS IMMEDIATELY T-BONED BY AN SUV. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS WEARING ASEAT BELT AND SUFFERED A BROKEV ARM . . .LUCKY. BASED UPON THE CONDYTION OF THE CAR, DRIVER SHOULD BE DEAD. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN A CAR CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF MY 1997 AUDI A4. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO CRASH INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND THAT CAR TO CRASH IN TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. MY DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP. THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DID DEPLOY. BECAUSE THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK, I HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. *TR

THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS IN MY '97 AUDI A4 1.8T QUATTRO WERE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER AS PART OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2004 BY AUDI TO REPLACE A NOTED DEFECTIVE PART. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST AUDI BY SEVERAL OWNERS SPURRED THE VOLUNTARY RECALL. MY LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEED REPLACING AGAIN, BASED ON AN INSPECTION BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. WHEN I CONTACTED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE 2004 CONTROL ARM RECALL HAD A ONE-YEAR WARRANTY AND AFTER THAT TIME I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT COST, WHICH EXCEEDS $2,000 FOR THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS DEFECTIVE PART NEEDS REPLACING AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. NUMEROUS AUDI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED REPEATED LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURE AND NHTSA IS URGED TO CALL A MANDATORY RECALL FOR AUDI TO REPAIR THIS DEFECTIVE PART SO IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED BY OWNERS EVERY FEW YEARS. *TR

I RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL JS FOR THE AUDI A4 IGNITION SWITCH IN NOVEMBER 2006 AND COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS BY BRINGING THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT SWITCH IN JANUARY 2007. THE DEALER DID NOT DO THE REPAIR BECAUSE THEY SAID MY CAR ALREADY HAD THE CORRECT SWITCH. IN JUNE 2008, THIS IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED IN THE EXACT MANNER DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, I HEARD A CRACK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THEN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HORN, TURN SIGNAL, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND AIR CONDITIONING, IMMEDIATELY BECAME INOPERATIVE. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, THE KEY WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE OFF POSITION AND HAD TO BE PULLED OUT BY FORCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY FORCED BACK IN TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL FOR THE TOW TRUCK. I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALER AND AUDI CUSTOMER RELATIONS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT SINCE THE RECALL HAD BEEN CLOSED BY THIS TIME, NO ONE WAS WILLING TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE REPAIR HAD NOT BEEN DONE PROPERLY OR THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH IN MY CAR, WHICH THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY CLAIMED WAS THE CORRECT ONE, WAS JUST AS DEFECTIVE AS THE RECALLED SWITCH. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM AUDI, BUT THEY REFUSED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 AUDI A4. IN JANUARY OF 2004, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE RECALL REPAIR FOR FREE; HOWEVER, THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED IN 2007. THE DEALER CONDUCTED A VISUAL INSPECTION. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT HAD BEEN DONE IN 2004, A NEW IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. ON JUNE 9, 2008, THE IGNITION SWITCHED FAILED AGAIN. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE BATTERY DRAINED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY STATED ONCE MORE THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER RECALL, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,487 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,500.

1) FAILURE OF FRONT LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSE AT CALIPER END AT INBOARD SIDE OF HOSE STRAIN RELIEF. THE DAMAGE LOCATION APPEARS TO BE WHERE HOSE IS SUBJECT TO MAXIMUM STRESS AND FLEXING WHEN FRONT WHEELS TURN. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED CONCEALED DAMAGE TO RIGHT (PASSENGER) FRONT BRAKE HOSE AT THE SAME LOCATION. 2) CONSEQUENCE WAS LOSS OF ALL HYDRAULIC BRAKING WHEN HOSE BURST, RESULTING IN MINOR ACCIDENT. DAMAGE TO VEHICLES WAS MINOR BECAUSE OF GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE FAILURE AT LOW SPEED--NO INJURIES RESULTED. 3) FRONT HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSES WERE REPLACED WITH NEW OEM HOSES SUPPLIED BY AUDI DEALER. BECAUSE BOTH HOSES EXHIBITED SIMILAR WEAR, OTHER AUDI A4 VEHICLES 10 YEARS OLD AND/OR WITH 100,000+ MILES MAY BE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR FRONT BRAKE HOSE FAILURES. *TR

BRAKING PERFORMANCE SEEMS TO BE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED IN WET, AND ESPECIALLY WET AND COLD, CONDITIONS. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, BUT DOES NOT HAPPEN REGULARLY, AND ALWAYS AFTER PROLONGED HIGH-SPEED DRIVING WITHOUT BRAKE APPLICATION. THE REDUCTION IN PERFORMANCE SEEMS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM TYPICAL REDUCTION IN BRAKE PERFORMANCE IN THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 AUDI A4. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 06V403000 (IGNITION SWITCH). WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, IT FAILED TO START. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD ONLY RELEASE THE KEYS AND VEHICLE TO A TOW SERVICE. THE INVOICE STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS THE ONLY AUDI DEALER IN HIS AREA. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 165,522. THE CONSUMER STATED TO THE AUDI BACK TO FIX AND THE VIN SHOULD SHOW CAR COULD DRIVE NORMALLY TO DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER STATED DEALERSHIP SABOTAGED CAR AND DRAFTED FALSE DOCUMENTS. UPDATED 08/24/07 *TR