1998 Audi A4

IN VERY COLD WEATHER, THE ENGINE STICKS AND HOLDS A SPEED OF 6,000 RPM. THIS CONDITION LASTS FOR AT LEAST 40 MINUTES DURING WHICH TIME THE CAR IS NOT CONTROLLABLE. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN FOUR TIMES. I HAVE INVOLVED THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER AS WELL AS AUDI OF AMERICA. THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOUR TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. AUDI OF AMERICA IS REFUSING TO EITHER ACKNOWLEDGE OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ON JAN 16, 2003. THE LAST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED WAS JAN 16, 2004. *JB

SUDDEN & CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF BEARING/PULLEY OF MAIN TIMING BELT, WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE HAD FEWER THAN 55K MILES ON ODOMETER AND WAS WELL MAITAINED.*AK SUCH FAILURE CAN CAUSE INSTANTANEOUS DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE, WITH RESULTANT LOSS OF CONTROL AND/OR SUDDEN AND RAPID DECCELERATION, POSSIBLY CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION. THE LOSS OF THE BEARING CAUSES THE MAIN TIMING BELT TO SHIFT POSITION AND/OR TO SNAP, CAUSING THE ENGINE VALVES TO MOVE OUT-OF-SYNC WITH THE ENGINE PISTONS OR TO STOP MOVING ALTOGETHER. THE PISTONS THEN COLLIDE WITH THE VALVES, CAUSING ENGINE DESTRUCTION. FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND INSTANTANEOUSLY. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF IMPENDING FAILURE THAT ONE CAN OBSERVE DURING A VEHICLE INSPECTION. IN MY CASE, ENGINE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR, BUT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE DIRECTLY TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN WHO DID THE REPAIR SAID THAT, IN MY CASE, I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY AND THAT ONLY SLIPPAGE HAD OCCURED, AND THAT THE SLIPPAGE WAS JUST BELOW THE POINT AT WHICH ENGINE DESTRUCTION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THIS TECHNICIAN WAS FROM GERMANY (AS WAS THE VEHICLE), AND HE SAID THAT PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS BEARING (AND/OR ASSOCIATED WATER PUMP) IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HE ALSO SAID THAT IN GERMANY A RECALL WAS ORDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS THEY CONSIDERED THE FAILURE PREMATURE, FREQUENT, AND THAT IT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, AS THE ENGINE COULD EASILY DESTRUCT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSIG A COLLISION. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS DOZENS OF REPORTS OF PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS BELT/PULLEY/WATER-PUMP SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. (1998 AUDI A4 2.8L QUATTRO AUTOMATIC)

1998 AUDI A4 1.8T FULLY MAINTAINED TIMING BELT FAILURE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. SERVICE MANUAL CALLS FOR TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT AT 90,000 MILES. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 76,000 MILES. AUDI USA REFUSAL TO GATHER SERVICE INFO OR COMPENSATE FOR LOSS AND PROVIDED NO AVENUE FOR APPEAL OR ESCALATION OF THE CASE. AUDI USA HAD MADE NO EFFORT TO INFORM DRIVERS OF THIS PROBLEM. *LA

IN MARCH 2003, THE OIL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DIAGNOSED A FAULTY SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED FOR $300. IN JUNE 2003, THE OIL WARNING LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON. THIS TIME IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY OIL PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED AT $900. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. DIAGNOSIS: FAULTY THERMOSTAT AND SENSOR. REPLACEMENT COST $750. ALSO, WASHER FLUID CONTAINER CRACKED AND HAND BRAKE LEVER HANDLE CRACKED (AT DIFFERENT TIMES) -- BOTH MADE OF CHEAP QUALTIY PLASTIC.*AK

MULTITUDE OF PROBS. W/ ALMOST EVERY ASPECT (BRAKES, ENGINE VALVES, OIL LIGHT STAYS ON, RAIN LEAKS, BAD WHEEL BEARINGS, ETC.) OF THIS CAR. MOST FRUSTRATING HAS BEEN RUDE AND INCOMPETENT SERVICE BY AUDI DEALER. AFTER AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS THE DEALER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH NOT ALL THE NOISE WAS GONE, THE CAR WAS SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE TO CALIF.,(WE LIVE IN NJ). WE DID NOT BELIEVE THE DEALER BECAUSE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE REMAINED AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP WHERE BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE FOUND TO BE DAMAGED. WE WERE ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DO SO . *AK

AUDI A4 1.8T Q TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED AT 75,000 CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. SERVICE INTERVAL PUBLISHED BY AUDI IS NO EARLIER THAN 90,000MI. TENSIONER FAILURE IS KNOWN DEFECT AND HAS BEEN REDESIGNED BY AUDI, YET AUDI WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. AUDI CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY NOR HAVE THEY PUBLISHED ANY TSB ALERTING PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED EARLY. *AK

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1998 AUDI A4 1.8T CAR. MY COMPLAINT IS MY TIMING BELT GAVE OUT ON THE VEHICLE AT 48,643 MLS. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT THE BELT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR 90,000 MLS. MY SECOND COMLAINT IS THAT THE TIE RODS ON THE FRONT END. *AK OF THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE REPLACED. THESE ITEMS SHOULD NOT BE GIVING OUT ON A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES ABOUT ANY RECALLS.