1997 Audi A4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 AUDI A4. WHEN TURNING THE KEY TO THE RIGHT TO START THE VEHICLE, THE KEY REMAINS IN THE START POSITION INSTEAD OF TURNING BACK. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL # 06V403000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 111,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

1997 AUDI A4 QUATTRO LEASE WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS CUSTOMER STATES THAT AUDI CORPORATION IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH SLOG AND DID NOT SEND HIM A LETTER**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE OIL PUMP FAILED WHICH CAUSED OIL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE, WHICH NOW SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE. THE CONSUMER MECHANICS INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS FULLY AWARE OF AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM FROM THE USE OF INFERIOR ENGINE OIL OR FROM INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES, CAN CLOG THE OIL PUMP. THE CONSUMER STATED HE NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER REGARDING AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. *JB

AUDI SAFETY RECALL JS - IGNITION SWITCH REPAIRED CUSTOMER WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS MADE FROM AN OUTSIDE DEALER**NAR**CC 06/06/07 ADD TO LETTER SEND FROM OFFICE OF ATT GENERAL**CC THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THE REPAIR WAS NOT MADE AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AND BECAUSE THE CONSUMER WAITED SEVERAL MONTHS TO EXECUTE THE REPAIR. *JB *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 AUDI A4. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR RECALL # 06V403000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP FROM THE DEALER, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER BEING DRIVEN 25 MILES AND THEN PARKED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILURE WAS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS THE STARTER AND THE WIRE WAS BURNED TO THE STARTER. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,000.

I COMPLIED WITH AUDI SAFETY RECALL JS FOR MY 1997 AUDI A-4Q WHEN NOTIFIED BY AUDI TO DO SO BY A RECALL NOTICE. THE PART THAT WAS SUPPLIED BY AUDI(AN IGNITION SWITCH) FOR THE RECALL SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER AND WITH THE SAME EFFECTS AS THOSE THAT LED TO THE RECALL. I REPLACED THE MALFUNCTIONING SWITCH AT MY EXPENSE AND SOUGHT A REFUND FOR MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FROM AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY REFUSED MY REQUEST AND SAID THEY HAD SATISFIED THEIR OBLIGATION TO ME BY REMOVING MY IGNITION SWITCH (THAT WAS WORKING FINE) AND REPLACING IT WITH A MALFUNCTIONING SWITCH AS PART OF AUDI SAFETY RECALL JS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO OPERATE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #00V317000 ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. HOWEVER, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON THE IGNITION, THE KEY TURNED FORWARD BUT WOULD NOT SPRING BACK INTO PLACE. THE IGNITION HOUSING RETURN SPRING ANCHOR POINT FRACTURED CAUSING THE RETURN SPRING FORCES TO BE FAULTY FOR RETURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE PROPER POSITION AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ORIGINAL PARTS WERE REPLACED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN ID#00V317000. THE CONTACT INSISTED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL PARTS WERE REPLACED, THE REPLACED PARTS MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. THE SERVICE DEALER REFUSED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT AN OPEN CAMPAIGN.*AK

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)