2001 Audi A4

1) THERE IS NO TRIGGERING EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. IT JUST APPEARS OVER TIME. 2) THE LCD SCREEN IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS LINES OF PIXELS THAT DO NOT LIGHT UP. THIS IS CONSTANT, WITH MORE LINES OF PIXELS GOING OUT AND PERMANENTLY STAYING OUT OVER TIME. AS A CONSEQUENCE, IMPORTANT WARNING MESSAGES ARE NOT DISPLAYED OR READABLE; SUCH AS WORN OUT BRAKE PADS, FUEL LOW WARNING, WASHER FLUID LOW WARNING, ETC. IF THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT DISPLAYED, THE VEHICLE MAY RUN OUT OF GAS WITHOUT WARNING AND STALL WHILE OPERATING, OR BRAKES MAY WEAR DOWN TO THE POINT OF LOSING EFFECTIVENESS WITHOUT WARNING, OR BE LEFT WITHOUT WASHER FLUID WITHOUT WARNING. 3) ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED WITH NEW BY AUDI DEALERSHIP UNDER CPO WARRANTY. FAILED PART WAS KEPT BY AUDI. *TR

1. WE WERE STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON AN INCLINE FOR A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MINUTES SLOWLY APPROACHING THE CALDECOTT TUNNEL (CAL. HIGHWAY 24-EAST BOUND) WHICH WAS BACKED UP. I WAS REQUIRED TO PUSH OUR MANUAL CLUTCH IN AN OUT REPEATEDLY DURING THE BACKUP, BUT WAS VERY CAREFUL NOT TO "RIDE" THE CLUTCH. 2. TWICE IN A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS, THE SPECIAL "DUAL CLUTCH" FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY BEGAN TO CATCH FIRE. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THE CAR BECAME INOPERATIVE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. IN THE SECOND INSTANCE I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AND DANGER, BUT THE CAR WAS AGAIN INOPERATIVE. IT IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE DEFECTIVE FLYWHEEL DESIGN WHICH IS CATCHING FIRE SINCE THE CLUTCH IN THE FIRST INSTANCE HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED. 3. IN BOTH INSTANCES WITHIN THE 12-MONTH PERIOD, THE ENTIRE FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THE CLUTCH WAS STILL OPERATIVE. THE EXPENSE WAS APPROXIMATELY $3000 FOR EACH REPAIR SINCE AUDI CLAIMED THIS WAS "DRIVER ERROR." (THE REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.) THIS IS A PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM SINCE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES SUCCESSFULLY FOR 40+ YEARS WITHOUT HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS EXPERIENCED WITH THE FIRE-PRONE AUDI FLYWHEEL. SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND EXPERIENCES ARE REPORTED ON THE INTERNET ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON VARIOUS FORUMS. ALL SUCH REPORTS DETAIL A SIMILAR DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY BY AUDI. *TR

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