2000 Audi A4

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2000 A4 1.8T AUDI. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT THE TIMING BELT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 105,000 MILES AND ALSO STATES THAT IT IS A "LONG-LASTING" BELT. I HAVE 95,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND THE TENSIONER AND DAMPER FAILED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH; THE CAR JUST STOPPED, AND I HAD TO NAVIGATE THROUGH FOUR LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER IN A CAR WITH NO POWER- SCARY AND DANGEROUS! THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC'S, AND SINCE I WAS 5 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME, I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THE NEXT 12 DAYS WHILE IT WAS BEING REPAIRED. $3300.00 LATER, AND AFTER TWO TRIPS UP THERE (10 HOURS ROUND TRIP FROM HOME) I GOT MY CAR BACK AND WAS INFORMED WHY THE WHOLE THING HAPPENED (DEFECTIVE PARTS). THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME ALL THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE-INCLUDING ALL 20 BROKEN AND TWISTED VALVES! APPARENTLY, AUDI KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, AND OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING, BUT AUDI HAS NEVER MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO NOTIFY ME OR OTHER A4 OWNERS OF THIS SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THIS IS A FINICKY CAR AND WHEN THE TIMING BELT GOES, IT ALSO CAUSES SIGNIFICANT ENGINE DAMAGE, WHICH IS VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR. BECAUSE AUDI KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAS NOT INFORMED THE CUSTOMERS, AND BECAUSE THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATES REPLACEMENT AT 105,000 MILES, I WILL ADAMANTLY PURSUE REIMBURSEMENT FROM THEM THROUGH THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. I READ OF ONE OTHER PERSON ON THIS SITE WHO HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM--IF YOU HAVE ALSO, PLEASE POST YOUR COMPLAINT! *JB

ABS MODULE/SENSOR FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS FREQUENTLY WITH OTHER AUDI OWNERS AND HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTED ON SITES SUCH AS MYCARSTATS.COM. BASICALLY THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING, ACCOMPANIED BY A BEEP. AFTER INITIAL RESEARCH, I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THE MODULE HAD FAILED AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. LOCAL AUDI DEALER QUOTED 1500 FOR THE MODULE PLUS LABOR. LUCKILY, I FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE BY SENDING THE FAULTY MODULE TO MODULEMASTER.COM. THIS COMPANY SPECIALIZES IN REPAIRING DEFEKTIVE CIRCUITRY. THE LABOR IS WARRANTIED FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE AND COSTS 300.00 (INCLUDING SHIPPING AND MISC. STUFF). THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVEABLE WHILE THE MODULE WAS OUT. THEIR WEBSITE CONTAINED A VIDEO ON HOW TO PROPERLY ACCESS THE MODULE, REMOVE IT, AND REPLACE IT ONCE IT WAS REPAIRED. ALL IN ALL, I SAVED MYSELF '1200 PLUS LABOR'. I WOULD LIKE EXPRESS MY DISGUST WITH ALL AUDI DEALERS WHO SELL THEIR MODULES FOR THESE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES. ONE THING NONE OF THEM ADMITT TO IS THAT THE REASON WHY THESE BOSCH MODULES FAIL IS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFEKT IN THE CIRCUITRY. SO THEIR $1200 MODULES WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL TOO. *NM

I EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF ABS IN A 2000 AUDI A4 AVANT QUATTRO. THIS IS THE WELL-KNOWN AND WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM WITH THE BOSCH 5.3 ABS CONTROL MODULE UNIT. THE UNIT SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY REASON, AT ABOUT 80K MILES. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THE ABS DOES NOT WORK AND THE PART TO REPLACE IT IS ABOUT $1500. I HAVE YET TO REPLACE OR REPAIR IT AT THIS POINT, HOPING VW/AUDI WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT (A RECALL WOULD BE NICE). *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ON APRIL 5, 2005 ENGINE STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND INSPECTION, AND THE DEALER FOUND THE HEAD GASKETS, MASS FLOW SENSORS, VACUUM HOSES, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS, AND THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. REPAIRS WERE MADE. FOUR MONTHS LATER THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISES AGAIN. THE CONTACT WAITED ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER ON DECEMBER 29, 2005 TO HAVE IT SERVICED A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE TIE ROD ENDS, CHAIN TENSIONER AND THE OIL COOLANT LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NEVER ANY WARNING INDICATORS OTHER THAN THE NOISE INDICATING A PROBLEM. NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM

AUDI A4 2000 1.8T (1) ABS LIGHT FLASHING. BROUGHT TO DEALER. QUOTED $600 FOR REPAIR KIT, $1500 FOR NEW MODULE. BOTH PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE LABOR. SEARCHED INTERNET AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER AUDI A4 OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. (2) ABS IS NOW INTERMITTENT ON MY CAR AND WARNING LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY. (3) CAN'T CORRECT RIGHT AWAY B/C MY AUDI DEALERSHIP IS 6 MONTHS BACK ORDERED. I ASSUME BECAUSE SO MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB