1999 Audi A4

THIS IS NOT ABOUT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT BUT RATHER SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS HAVE BEEN LOSING THEIR REFLECTIVITY. I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE THAT IT'S THE SILVER ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE MIRROR THAT IS FLAKING OFF AND THAT IT HAPPENS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES FAIRLY QUICKLY. I ASKED MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID IT WAS VERY UNCOMMON AND WOULD BE ABOUT $75 TO REPLACE THE MIRROR. AS I DRIVE AROUND AND AS I WALK PAST OTHER AUDIS AND VOLKSWAGENS I NOTICE THAT THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING ON THEIR MIRRORS AS HAPPENED TO BOTH OF MINE. I ASKED A MECHANIC AT ANOTHER SHOP IN RUTLAND ABOUT IT AND HE SAID HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME. IF IT'S THE NATURE OF THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL AND IT'S REASONABLE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN THEN FINE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH, HOWEVER, THAT IT'S A PROBLEM PLAGUING MANY OF THESE TYPES OF CARS AND A PROBLEM THAT AUDI, OR AT LEAST MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WILL NOT ADMIT IS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE MIRRORS. *NM

PROBLEM: WHEN TEMPERATURE FALLS BELOW 38 F, RECIRCULATION BUTTON NEVER WORKS. BEING IN BOSTON THAT COVERS MOST OF THE WINTER. THE ONLY WAY NOT TO BREATHE THE FUMES IS TO TURN THE VENTILATION OFF COMPLETELY. THIS THEN SHUTS THE HEAT AS WELL. MY NEW COMMUTE TAKES ME DAILY THROUGH THE CALAHAN TUNNEL. IF OUTSIDE IS 13 F, AND I AM STUCK IN TRAFFIC IN THE TUNNEL FOR AN HOUR, THESE ARE MY OPTIONS: KEEP THE HEAT RUNNING UNTIL POISONED BY GAS FUMES (GARAGE ANALOGY), OR SHUT OFF HEAT UNTIL FROSTBITTEN AT 13 F. CAN THIS BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY VIOLATION? ATTEMPTED RESOLUTION: AUDI OF AMERICA'S RESPONSE WAS THAT A/C HAS TO BE TURNED ON FOR RECIRCULATION BUTTON TO BE OPERATIONAL. SINCE A/C DOES NOT WORK BELOW 38 F (THEY CITED SOME FEDERAL REGULATION) SO THE RECIRCULATION BUTTON DOES NOT AS WELL. THE DEVICE WORKS AS DESIGNED, ACCORDING TO AUDI. MY DEALER, TOM WALTON OF PARK PORSCHE AUDI, TOLD ME CONFIDENTIALLY THAT THEY HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO DID NOT WANT TO PURCHASE AUDI A4 UNTIL THESE PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED. I FILED A REPORT WITH AUDIO OF AMERICA TWICE. THERE WAS NO FOLLOW UP EITHER TIME. MEANWHILE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THEY INQUIRED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND WERE TOLD THAT DEVICE OPERATES AS DESIGNED. THE SAME YEAR I RENTED EXACTLY THE SAME VEHICLE IN GERMANY AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A DIFFERENT A/C ASSEMBLY INSTALLED, AND THAT RECIRCULATION BUTTON WORKED WELL IN TEMPERATURES BELOW 20 F. IN U.S., THE SAME A/C ASSEMBLY BECAME AVAILABLE WITH THE 2000 MODEL YEAR, WHERE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT PRESENT. I ASKED THE DEALER IF I COULD PAY TO HAVE THAT A/C ASSEMBLY INSTALLED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. WHEN SURFING ON THE WEB, I DISCOVERED A SIMILAR PROBLEM REPORTED BY ANOTHER OWNER WITH THE SAME VEHICLE, BUT ONLY THIS TIME THE 1997 MODEL YEAR. SO IT APPEARS THAT FOR SURE 1997-1999 MODEL YEAR A4'S HAVE A FAULTY A/C ASSEMBLY. READ MICHEAL OF LA JOLLA, CA REPORT: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/AUDI.HTM. *AK

IF YOU OPEN ANY WINDOW OR SUNROOF, A LOUD WIND TURBLANCE CREATS A BOOM AND DOES NOT GO AWAY UNTIL YOU CLOSE ALL WINDOWS/SUN. THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN BY AUDI , BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO FIX IT. THEY SAY THAT I CAN GO BUY A WIND DEFLECTOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED MAJOR HEADACES, AND HAS DISTRACTED ME FROM THE ROAD ON MANY OCCASSIONS, ALMOST LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT. THIS NOISE IS VERY LOUD, AND IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE WRITTEN TO AUDI THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO MANY ACCIDENTS, BUT THEY DON'T CARE. I KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED TO AUDI, AND THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NHTSA TO A RECALL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE ANYONE DIES.

DEFECTIVE SUN ROOF WOULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY AND NOT CLOSE. DLR REPLACED SUN ROOF. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS NOT READNG THE SPEED ACCURATELY. DEALER REPLACE SPEEDOMETER SENSOR AND GEAR. FINALLY, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG. DEALER REPLACE DTHE AIRBAG SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK