1998 Audi A4

THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA AROUND 11:40AM THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I WAS DRIVING MY 98 AUDI A4 2.8 QUATTRO NORTH ON A TWO LANE CITY STREET WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35MPH. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR TWENTY MINUTES AND SMELLED A VERY POWERFUL GAS SMELL SINCE I STARTED DRIVING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ACCELERATION OF MY CAR INCREASED TO 45MPH. I TRIED BREAKING TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND THE BREAK PEDAL RESISTED MY EFFORT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW TO 40MPH BUT NO LOWER. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK THE CAR ACCELERATED GREATLY. DESPITE BREAKING, THE SPEED KEPT INCREASING. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY CAR. I WAS TRAVELING FOR OVER A MILE AT SPEEDS REACHING 60MPH ON A 35MPH SPEED LIMIT. I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY IT TURNED GREEN THE MINUTE I WENT UNDER IT. HAD IT NOT, I WOULD HAVE RUN THE RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. MY CAR REACHED SPEEDS TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE ROAD I WAS ON. I MOVED INTO THE CENTER LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, FEARING I WOULD HIT THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. WHILE DRIVING OVER A MILE UNABLE TO CONTROL MY SPEED I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO PULL OFF AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHEN I DID PULL INTO THE CENTER LANE I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AT 50MPH. I PUSHED THE BREAKS WITH ALL MY MIGHT; IT DID NOT STOP THE CAR, SO I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. HAD I NOT FOUND THAT PARKING LOT, I WOULD'VE RUN INTO A SNOW EMBANKMENT OR HIT A BUILDING. THERE WAS NO CHANCE MY CAR WAS STOPPING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE SPEED OR BREAKING. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT PARKING LOT WAS EMPTY. I REALIZE THAT MY SPEEDS WERE VERY DANGEROUS ON THIS ROAD. SPEEDS OF THIS NATURE COULD'VE RESULTED IN DAMAGED PROPERTY AND INJURIES OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHERS. THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING AND UPSETTING EXPERIENCE THAT COULD'VE RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGES, INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATH. MY SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED. *JB

AFTER ONLY 65000 MILES ON MY 1998 AUDI A4 I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO REPLACE MAJOR ABS COMPONENTS BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS FAILURES. THE ABS SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, AND THERE IS NO INDICATION OF WHEN IT WILL FAIL. A BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON, THEN GO OFF, INDICATING THERE IS TROUBLE, BUT AT TIMES THE LIGHT WILL BE OFF AND IT IS NOT UNTIL YOU BEGIN TO BRAKE THAT YOU REALIZE THE ABS IS NON-FUNCTIONAL. AUDI HAS BEEN VERY SLOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, REQUIRING A 2 WEEK WAIT JUST TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THEN REQUIRING $2300 TO MAKE A 6 YEAR OLD CAR SAFE TO DRIVE.*AK

AFTER LESS THAT 70K MILES, THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS (SPECIFICALLY THE BUSHINGS THAT PROTECT THE CONTROL ARMS' JOINTS) ON MY AUDI A4 HAVE PROVED DEFECTIVE. ACCORDING TO MY TECHNICIAN, THE CONTROL ARMS ARE THE PART OF THE CAR THAT MAKE STEERING POSSIBLE; THEREFORE, FAULTY CONTROL ARMS CREATE AN ENORMOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND A LIABILITY. AUDI HAS ALREADY ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BUT THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS -- DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS ARE MORE DEFECTIVE. EVERY AUDI TECHNICIAN THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS DEFECT HAS ADMITTED THAT AUDI IS DUCKING THE PROBLEM, AND AS A CONSUMER I FEEL CHEATED. AUDI IS NOT OPERATING ON GOOD FAITH. THIS IS BAD BUSINESS THAT LEAVES UNASSUMING CONSUMERS BEARING THE BURDEN NOT ONLY OF COSTLY REPAIRS BUT ALSO OF HAZARDOUS MECHANICAL FAILURES. *JB

I RECEIVED A RECALL ON MY 1998 AUDI A-4 FOR A PROBLEM WITH BOTH FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS. WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE DEALER SAID THESE WERE OKAY, BUT THE UPPER FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD, AND ALSO THE STEERING TIE-RODS.*AK WHEN I CALLED AUDI THAT IT WAS THE UPPER NOT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS THAT WERE BAD THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE RECALL WAS FOR THE LOWER. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR TECHNITIAN TO CONFIRM, WHICH HE DID. HE ALSO SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE TIE RODS IN SUCH BAD CONDITION. REPAIR COSTS ARE ABOUT $500. BECAUSE THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS ARE BOTH PART OF THE SAME UNIT AND THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE HIGH MILEAGE (59,000 MILES) I DO NOT FEEL IT IS RIGHT FOR ME TO HAVE BEAR THIS COST.

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON MY 1998 AUDI A4. I CONTACTED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE THE SERVICE. THEY ARE GOING TO INSPECT MY CONTROL ARMS. IF THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED I MUST PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE I CAN PROVE THAT I HAD AN AUDI TECHNICIAN LOOK AT THE CONTROL ARMS AT THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED INTERVALS. THIS SEEMS VERY UNSAFE SEEING HOW IT AFFECTS THE STEERING OF THE CAR. IT ALSO SEEMS UNUSUAL AN INSPECTION OF THE CONTROL ARMS WOULD PREVENT A FAILURE OF THE CONTROL ARMS.*AK

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT INITIALLY CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY, THEN BEGAN TO OCCUR MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. NOW IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THAT I GET INTO THE CAR. MY ABS DOES NOT WORK. A LOCA AUDI DEALER TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR OF CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW ABS CONTROL MODULE ($1100.00) AND THREE HOURS OF LABOR AT $78.00 AN HOUR.*AK