1998 Audi A4

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

MY HEATER RECENTLY QUIT BLOWING HOT AIR. THE VEHICLE HAS 75K000 MILES AND IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. I AM TOLD IT IS THE HEATER CORE. THIS SEEMS ODD AS A HEATER CORE SHOULD NEVER GO BAD OVER A 5 YEAR PERIOD. THE LABOR IS 14 HOURS OR ABOUT $1,200. THEN, I WAS MADE AWARE THAN THE AUDI DEALER STOCKS HEATER CORES. THIS SEEMS EVEN MORE ODD AS IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ENOUGH FOR THE DEALER TO WANT TO STOCK THE PART. I HAVE HAD OTHER THINGS GO WRONG ON THE CAR AND THEY ALMOST NEVER STOCK THE PART. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS HAPPENS AND AWFUL LOT. THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT TYPE OF FAILURE RATE.*AK

THE PASSENGER SIDE ARBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING ALONG AT 40-45MPH ON A SECONDARY ROAD. THERE WAS NO COLLISION AT THE TIME AND NO EVIDENCE OF POTHOLES OR ROAD DEBRIS. THE DEALER SCANNED THE COMPUTER AND RETRIEVED "CRASH DATA" AND CLAIMED THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WORKED AS EXPECTED. THEY NOTED A SMALL DENT UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR COLUMN OF THE CAR WHICH THEY CLAIMED WAS CAUSED BY ROAD DEBRIS AND TRIGGERED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTER EXAMINED THE CAR AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A COLLISION - NO DENT OR OTHER DAMAGE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM IN THE CAR IS DISABLED. *LA

I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD OFFER ANY ADVICE. I HAVE A 1998 AUDI A4 THAT WAS PURCHASED IN JULY, 1997 AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000 ROAD MILES. IT HAS HAD A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS THROUGH THE YEARS, THE MOST RECENT OF WHICH WAS A BROKEN (NOT WORN) CLUTCH THAT WAS REPAIRED LAST MONTH. I CONTACTED AUDI USA AND REQUESTED THAT THEY HELP PAY FOR THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THEY REFUSED, STATING THAT THE CAR IS WELL OUTSIDE THEIR 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARANTY PERIOD. I GRANT THEM THAT, BUT A NUMBER OF OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE 7 OR EVEN 10 YEAR POWERTRAIN WARRANTIES. MY OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THIS VEHICLE IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. ADDITIONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT A BROKEN CLUTCH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PERSONAL HARM IF IT WERE TO RESULT IN TOTAL CLUTCH FAILURE WHILE ON THE ROAD AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL (MY CLUTCH APPARENTLY FAILED "PARTIALLY" ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUDI REPAIR FACILITY). ARE THERE ANY OPTIONS FOR FURTHER PURSUIT OF THIS ISSUE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ROBERT A. WEATHERLY, MD

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