2001 Audi A4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH UPHILL, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING BELT NEEDED REPLACING AND THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 84,429.

1. BOTH TIMES, CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN NORMALLY AT AROUND 30-40 MPH WHEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL, THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED FROM IT'S SPEED TO ZERO MPH IMMEDIATELY, ENGINE DIES AND ALL POWER WAS GONE FROM THE CAR. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE CAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. IT IS NOT A BATTERY ISSUE. THIS CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED TO ALL MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS WITH OEM PARTS USED FOR ALL SERVICES WHICH ARE ALL DONE BY CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS AT THE DEALER OR REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT SHOP. 2. OCCURRED FIRST ON SUNDAY 4/27/08 AND AGAIN ON 5/1/08. WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE ON QUIET SUBARBAN STREETS AND NOT THE HIGHWAY OTHERWISE WITH THE CAR COMING TO A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STOP THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY MESSY ACCIDENT. IMAGINE GOING FROM 65MPH TO 0MPH WITHOUT ANY WARNING ON A RUSH HOUR FREEWAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS VERY THOROUGHLY. 3. AFTER FIRST INCIDENT, CAR WAS TAKEN TO REPUTABLE AUDI AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT REPLACED AN ELECTRIC WIRE, ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND IGNITION SWITCH. MECHANICS' CLAIM TO HAVE FOUND POWER SUPPLY CABLE TO THE ECU WITH EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE, TRACED THE WIRE AND FOUND A BAD CONNECTION IN THE HARNESS CONNECTOR. BY-PASSED CONNECTOR AND NOW THE COMPUTER IS COMMUNICATING OK (COPIED FROM MECHANICS' OPERATIONS AND PARTS REPORT). THIS TOOK THE MECHANICS' 3 DAYS AS THEY SAID IT WAS A VERY FREAKY, UNUSUAL AND HARD TO FIND AND SOLVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. CLEARLY THIS DID NOT WORK SINCE THE CAR AGAIN SUDDENLY STOPPED 5 HOURS AFTER THE ALLEGED FIX. NOW HAVE TOWED THE CAR TO AUDI DEALERSHIP. 4. AFTER FIRST INCIDENT, CALLED AUDI CLIENT RELATIONS U.S.A. TO INFORM THEM OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK TO HELP MAKE SURE IT DID NOT HAPPEN TO OTHERS IN THE FUTURE SINCE IT COULD LEAD TO A VERY MESSY/FATAL ACCIDENT(S) BUT THEY WERE NOT AT ALL INTERESTED SINCE IT IS OUTSIDE WARRANTY. *TR

PURCHASED AN 2001 AUDIO (USED) AT D & S AUTO AND WITHIN A WEEK THERE WAS SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT IT BACK TO D & S AUTO. D & S AUTO HAD IT LOOKED AT AND THEY SAID THE LIST OF PROBLEMS WERE NONE FOUND, ONLY THAT THEY FIXED THE ENGINE LIGHT. COUPLE DAYS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND ALSO THE REAR BACK TIRE WAS MAKING A STRANGE NOISE. D & S AUTO MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE 2001 AUTO TO GO TO ANOTHER DEALER TO BE LOOKED AT. ALSO, PURCHASED THE BEST FULL WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER PRINTED OUT A LIST OF PROBLEMS WHICH ARE LISTED ABOVE HE SAID THAT ARE PROBLEMS AND THE COST WAS GOING TO BE AROUND $3,000.00 AND THAT THE WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER ANY OF THE REPAIRS. *TR

OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM THE DASHBOARD. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A RUBBER BODY PLUG IN THE RIGHT FRONT TOWBOARD IGNITED DUE TO AN OVERHEATED EXHAUST SYSTEM, CAUSING A FIRE THAT BURNED ON THE RIGHT FRONT FLOOR AND UPWARD INTO THE DASH. SPARK PLUGS SHOWED AN ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROBLEM EXISTED THAT CAUSED THE OVERHEATED EXHAUST. *TR

2001 AUDI A4 1.8 TURBO AT 99.1K MILES. THE TIMING BELT PREMATURELY NAPPED WHILE THE CAR WAS TRAVELING IN A BUSY MORNING COMMUTE CAUSING CAR TO DISABLED ON THE FREEWAY. THE TIMING BELT FAILURE CAUSED EXTENSIVE, ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE THAT ESTIMATED TO COAST ABOUT $6000 TO REPAIR. I HAVE ALL MY MAINTENANCES DONE AT THE AUDI DEALERS AND FOLLOW ALL THE RECOMMEND SERVICE BY AUDI. I WAS NEVER BEEN RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT ON MY ALL PREVIOUS VISITS FOR MAINTENANCE SERVICE. THE RECOMMENDED TIMING BELTS REPLACEMENT BY AUDI FOR MY MODEL IS 105K MILES. BOTH AUDI DEALER AND AUDI DENIED BEEN IN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIMING BELT DEFECT AND/OR INCORRECT TIMING BELT MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATION WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULT THE ENGINE DAMAGE AND PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANT. ACCORDING TO AUDI, THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE THE TIMING BELT WILL LAST TO 105K MILES, ONLY THAT IT IS THEIR RECOMMENDATION. *JB