2001 Audi A4

FRONT BRAKE FAILURE. OUT OF FOUR PAD/SHOES, 3 PADS PHYSICALLY SEPARATED OFF OF THEIR RESPECTIVIE SHOES. ONE OF THE THREE ACTUALLY CAME OUT DURING DRIVING. WHEN THIS OCCURED, I TEMPORARILY LOST BRAKING ABILITY AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY DECELARATION. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS IT BECAME USAFE TO DRIVE. THE REMAINING PAD/SHOE THAT WAS NOT SEPARATED WAS IN REAONABLE CONDITION MEASURING 7.7MM (OUT OF 10MM). THE TWO REMAINING SEPARATED PADS ARE CHIPPED SHOWING MAJOR DELAMINATION AND MAJOR DEGREDATION. REMAINING PADS & SHOES HAVE BEEN SAVED. BRAKE PADS/SHOES & ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY IRA AUDI 97 ANDOVER STREET DANVERS, MA 978-739-8806 THIS APPEARS TO BE A CATASTROPHIC PRODUCT FAILURE ONCE THE PAD LETS LOOSE COMPLETELY. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE, I WAS HEARING A THUNK SOUND WHEN THE CAR WOULD CHANGE FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD MOTION. THIS OCCURED ONLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT.

12/2004, PURCHASED CERTIFIED 2001 AUDI A4 FROM BEECHMONT AUDI IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. CAR HAD A COMPREHENSIVE 300+ POINT INSPECTION PERFORMED BY AUDI AS PER PAPERWORK. 5/20/2001, VEHICLE TAKEN TO BLUEGRASS AUDI IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY FOR A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM. SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO BRINING THE VEHICLE IN, I WAS IN REVERSE LEAVING MY GARAGE WHEN I FOUND THAT I NEEDED TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED WHEN I DROVE FORWARD THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I TRIED BACKING UP AGAIN AND FOUND THE BRAKING TO BE NORMAL. LATER THAT AFTERNOON I WAS GOING TO LUNCH AND WHEN I BACKED UP THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKE ASSIST AGAIN AND I HAD TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE CAR NEEDED A BRAKE FLUSH. THEY PERFORMED THE BRAKE FLUSH, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO AUDI SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH A GROMMET THAT CONNECTS TWO VACUUM HOSES AT THE BULKHEAD. THEY ADDED A CLAMP TO STOP THE AIR FROM ESCAPING THE SYSTEM, BUT THE NEXT DAY IT PROVED NOT TO WORK. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE WITHIN AUDI LIMITS. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE GROMMET. AFTER THE ITEM WAS REPLACED, IT STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS OF 7/4/2005. IN SUMMARY, THE VEHICLE HAS A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM IN REVERSE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IN MY UN-SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, THE BRAKE ASSIST FAILS IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING AND NOT RUNNING FOR LESS THAN 2-3 HOURS. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKES OPERATE, BUT MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP. THIS COULD BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ALONG JUST IN CASE THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

I'D LIKE TO FILE A COMPLANT FOR A FAULTY VEHICLE COMPONENT ON MY 2001 AUDI A4 (MILEAGE: 30,000 MILES). THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ARE COMING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. I'VE BEEN READING A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET (THAT'S HOW I FOUND THIS SITE). DEALER SAYS THERE'S A "FAULT CODE IN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE"...AND WANTS $1500 (!) TO REPAIR IT. THE ABS UNIT SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AS FREQUENTLY AS IT SEEMS TO BE IN THIS CAR. FOR A $1500 COMPONENT TO MALFUNCTION WHEN IT'S RARELY ACTUATED IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. THE TSB SHOULD FORCE AUDI TO PERFORM A RECALL AND/OR COMPENSATE CUSTOMERS FOR THIS OUTRAGEOUS PROBLEM.

'01 A4 2.8: (1) DIGITAL DISPLAY IS BLURRY AND CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THE COMPUTER IS DISPLAYING, (2) INTERNAL OIL SEALS HAVE BECOME DEFECTIVE CAUSING A FOUL BURNT-OIL SMELL WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, (3) TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS VERY HARD AND ROUGH, (4) VERY POOR DESIGN BY THE ENGINEERS TO PLACE A CUPHOLDER DIRECTLY OVER THE STEREO AND HEATER INSTRUMENTATION WHICH HAVE CAUSED MY BUTTONS TO STICK. HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS AND SHOPS AND TECHNICIANS HAVE STATED THAT THE SEALS ARE OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW AND SO IS THE DISPLAY PANEL WITH HAS SOME SOFTWARE OR LCD PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. *AK

THE BRAKE SQUEALS 90% OF THE TIME BEING APPLIED, IT HAPPENED SINCE A FEW MONTHS AGO. BROUGHT TO A LOCAL DEALER A FEW TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED WITH "CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM" AND "NOISE IS NORMAL FOR SOME BRAKES", WHILE THE PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE AND NOW THE BRAKE IS MAKING THE SQUEALING NOISE EVEN AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE AND LAST FOR ONE OR TWO SECONDS - IT HAPPENED ESPECIALLY AFTER THE FOOT BRAKE WAS APPLIED FOR MORE THAN 15 SECONDS AND THEN BEEN RELEASED (E.G. AFTER WAITING AT A RED LIGHT).*AK

IN SEARCHING FOR COMPLAINTS FILED FOR 2001 AUDI A4'S I NOTICED A NUMBER RELATED TO VERY POOR BRAKING IN WET WEATHER. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 A4. AUDI DOES HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE ROTOR BACKING PLATES MUST BE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN. WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND MENTIONED THE PROBLEM NO ONE IN THE DEALERSHIP WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. A FACTORY REP. WAS VISITING THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. HE ORDERED NEW BACKING PLATES WHICH, I AM TOLD, CAN ONLY BE ORDERED BY A FACTORY REP. IT TOOK 3 MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO REACH THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVEN'T HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE THE NEW BACKING PLATES WERE INSTALLED.*AK