1999 Audi A4

AT 51,000 MILES I HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ON MY AUDI UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO A BROKEN PIPE FLANGE. I NOW HAVE 102,000 ON THE AUDI AND THE SAME PART IS BROKEN. AUDI USA WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPAIR THIS PART. I FEEL IT MUST BE A DEFECT IN THE WORKMANSHIP OR MATERIALS SINCE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER SHOULD NOT BE REPLACED UNTIL IT IS WORN OUT AND NOT BEFORE THEN. THIS IS PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND THE EPA SHOULD ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS. *JB

TIMING BELT FAILED AT 64000 MILES AND CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE (REPLACEMENT OF HEADS). TOTAL REPAIR COST CAME TO $4000. TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT I HAD A FULL INSPECTION BY AUDI AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED AUDI SERVICE REP IF I NEEDED TO CHANGE THE BELT. I WAS TOLD NOT WORRY SINCE AUDI RECOMMENDS 90K CHANGE INTERVAL (AND EVEN 105K ON THE NEWER MODELS). CAR WAS A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. AUDI USA AND THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER WHO RECOMMENDED NOT TO CHANGE THE BELT REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *NM

AUDI REFUSES TO PAY FOR FIXING A SERIOUS SAFETY RELATED SERVICE ACTION (SERVICE ACTION JE - FAILURE OF CONTROL ARMS), UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PROVIDES DETAILED MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSED REPAIR FACILITY. THIS WILL RESULT IN PEOPLE NOT FIXING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE, ENDANGERING NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO OTHER INDIVIDUALS. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CHECKED, AND MY CAR HAS THE PROBLEM - BUT THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE FIX, SINCE I PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR MYSELF. NOTE: CRACKING OF CONTROL ARMS IS NOT RELATED TO LACK OF GENERAL MAINTENANCE. *NM

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

THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RECALL (NHTSA: 04V495000 ) ATTACHED BELOW FOR THE 1999 AUDI A6 HAPPENED ON MY CAR THE AUDI A4. IT IS THE SAME TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 1999 A4 AS WELL. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN VERMONT WHEN THE ROADS WERE WET/SNOWY AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY (5 DEGREES/HOUR). THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. IT WAS FREAKY. WHEN I SPOKE WITH AUDI USA, THEY EXPLAINED I NEEDED TO GO TO A DEALER. TWO AUDI DEALERS IN THE BOSTON AREA WERE DISMISSIVE OF THE SITUATION. "THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN YOUR CAR". WELL IT DID AND AUDI SHOULD TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. 1999 AUDI A6 BASE RECALL ID FROM NHTSA: 04V495000 RECALL DATE: 10/12/2004 COMPONENT: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 28300 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.8L, V6 5-VALVE ENGINES, AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, WHILE DRIVING DURING EXTREMELY LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES THE THROTTLE MAY FREEZE IN AN OPEN POSITION DUE TO ICE ACCUMULATING IN THE THROTTLE BODY. DEFECT CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO REDUCE SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER LIFTS HIS/HER FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THIS LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. REMEDY: AUDI WILL INSTALL A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE BODY KIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 29, 2004. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834. OWNERS OF VEHICLES WHICH ARE NOT REGISTERED IN THE COLD-WEATHER STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING, WILL BE NOTIFIED OF A SERVICE ACTION, UNDER WHICH THEY WILL BE PROVIDED THE FREE REMEDY UPON REQUEST. NOTES: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC, JB/JG. *JB

I OWN A 1999 AUDI A4 WITH APPROXIMATELY 74,000 MILES. RECENTLY UPON START-UP THE ABS INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I NO LONGER HAVE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND THAT TO REMEDY THE SITUATION WILL COST IN EXCESS OF $1500. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A AUDI MANUFACTURING DEFECT (ANECDOTALLY, I HAVE HEARD OF HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE ABS). WHILE THE CAR IS OPERABLE USING STANDARD BRAKES I BELIEVE IT IS A SIGNIFICANT DANGER SHOULD THE ABS BE REQUIRED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. *JB

I OWN AN 1999 AUDI A4 1.8T. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2005, I TOOK MY AUDI TO TYSON'S CORNER AUDI DEALER IN TYSON'S CORNER, VA. AT THE TIME, MY CAR HAD 79,000 MILES AND THE DEALER CASUALLY MENTIONED THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY TIMING BELT REPLACED AT 90,000 MILES. THE DEALER DID NOT INFORM ME OF ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, I DROVE MY CAR. THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TIMING BELT SUDDENLY GAVE OUT AND THE CAR ENGINE DIED ON THE SPOT. I COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN KILLED ON THE SPOT. AT THIS TIME, MY CAR HAD 80,000 MILES, NO WHERE NEAR 90,000 MILES THAT THE DEALER CASUALLY MENTIONED. I AM WRITING TO YOU TO INFORM YOU OF THIS MALFUNCTIONING TIMING BELT PROBLEM. THE TIMING BELT DAMAGED THE ENGINE AND THE DEALER IS QUOTING ME $7,700 FIXED MY CAR. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE WARRANTY WITH THE TIMING BELT, THE DEALER DENIED ANY WRONG DOING, FALSELY INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY ASSOCIATED WITH TIMING BELT, AND ABOVE ALL ASKED ME TOW MY CAR IF I WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALER. I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT ON 1997-99 AUDI A4 FOR THE MALFUNCTIONING TIMING BELT. YET, THE DEALER DENIES ANY WRONGDOING AND EVEN FALSELY INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE NO WARRANTY ASSOCIATED WITH TIMING BELT. WHEN I CALLED AUDI USA CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ALSO FAILED TO MENTION ANY WARRANTY BUT RATHER INFORMED ME THAT THEY CANNOT DO MUCH. THEY CALLED THE DEALER ON MY BEHALF, BUT AUDI USA WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FURTHER ONCE THE DEALER DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. MY CAR IS STILL DAMAGED WITH NO ENGINE. DUE TO THE CLASS ACTION SUIT, I BELIEVE THAT AUDI USA NOT ONLY NEEDS TO FIX MY CAR AT NO COST BUT ALSO PLACE A RECALL ON ALL 1997-99 AUDI A4 TO PREVENT POTENTIAL LETHAL CAR ACCIDENTS. HENCE, I AM CONTACTING THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ASSOCIATION, WHICH OVERSEES ALL RECALLS AND HAS BEEN DOCUMENTING THIS TIMING BELT ISSUE WITH AUDI. *NM

I AM AN OWNER OF A 1999 AUDI A4 QUATTRO WITH THE 2.8 ENGINE; THE VIN OF THE VEHICLE IS [XXX]; THE VEHICLE HAS 101,845 MILES. I WAS HAVING THE FOLLOWING ISSUE; AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON INDICATING AND ABS FAILURE. THIS WOULD OCCUR AFTER THE CAR IS COMPLETELY WARMED UP. I DID SOME CHECKING AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS PROBLEM WITH ABS CONTROL UNIT. I FURTHER INVESTIGATED THIS ISSUE AND ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996-2001 AUDI A4S. VOLKSWAGEN JETTAS AND PASSATS OF THE SAME YEAR, THAT UTILIZE THE SAME SYSTEM, HAD/HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM; IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT VOLKSWAGEN CONDUCTED A NATIONAL RECALL CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I WAS WONDERING WHY AUDI HAS NOT HANDLED THIS PROBLEM IN THE SAME MANNER. I DONT THINK AUDI OWNERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED PAY TO FIX A CLEARLY MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND A SAFETY COMPONENT AT THAT! I CONTACT AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GET A REACTION FROM THEM; THE REFERENCE NUMBER IS [XXX]. I WROTE A DETAILED LETTER TO MR. JOHAN DENYSSCHEN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AUDI NORTH AMERICA; HE IN TURN PASSED THE LETTER TO ONE OF THE AUDI REGIONAL MANAGERS ANNETTE JOHNSON. THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAD INDICATED THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DIAGNOSED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI SERVICE CENTER (AUDI DEALER). HER TONE WAS VERY HELPFUL; HOWEVER SHE HAS INDICATED THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO CONSTITUTE A RECALL. FURTHERMORE, THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE ABS FAILURE AS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THEY REGARD THE SYSTEM AS A DRIVER''S AIDE. ADDITIONALLY SHE COULD NOT FIND ANY RECORDS THAT SHOWED VOLKSWAGENS BEING RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I EVENTUALLY GOT A PROBLEM FIXED AT A SMALLER SHOP, WHICH COST ME AROUND $600.00 DOLLARS. THE DEALER WAS GOING TO OVER CHARGE ME ON THE PART BY $400.00 AND 6.5 HOURS OF LABOR AT $105.00 PER HOUR FOR A JOB THAT ACTUALLY TOOK ONLY 1.5 HOURS. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)