2002 Audi A4

IGNITION COIL FAILURE. RECEIVED LETTER FROM AUDI ON MARCH 3, 2003 REGARGING RECOGNIZED IGNITION COIL FAILURES. AUDI INDICATED SIGNIFICANT FAILURES WITH IGNITION COILS AND PROMISED THAT IN THE EVENT OF IGNITION COIL FAILURE ALL REPAIRS WOULD BE FREE. ON MARCH 11, 2002, I WENT TO DEALER FOR A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT 11,000 MILES. I ASKED THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COILS EVEN THOUGH I HAD YET TO EXPERIENCE ANY TROUBLE. I WAS INFORMED THAT AUDI WOULD NOT REPLACE THE COILS UNTIL ACTUAL VEHICLE FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE COILS FAILED AND MY CAR DIED ON THE ROAD IN ZERO DEGREE WEATHER. AFTER A 90 MINUTE WAIT, AUDI ROADSIDE SERVICE ARRIVED AND TOOK MY CAR BY FLAT-BED TO DEALER. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT ONLY THE DEFECTIVE COILS WILL BE REPLACED. MY VEHICLE HAS SIX COILS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT ALL COILS WILL BE REPLACED ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN FOR A SECOND COIL FAILURE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A SECOND COIL FAILURE IS GUARANTEED. THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE APPEAR TO BEAR THIS OUT. THE NHSTB SHOULD DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF THESE DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. AUDI HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE FOR MONTHS AND APPEARS TO BE QUITE CONTENT TO LET ITS CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO BEAR THE RISK OF A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE MUST BE WRITTEN BEFORE THE NHTSA TAKES ACTION? *JB

AUDI SERVICE PERSONNEL NOTIFIED ME OF A CAM SEAL LEAK DURING THE 10,000 MILE SERVICING. THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT IT STILL LEAKED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT A SPECIAL TOOL FROM GERMANY IS NEEDED TO FIX THE PART. SO FAR THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP OVER TWO MONTHS - AND STILL WAITING FOR THE TOOL. AMAZING, HUH?

MY AUDI A4 SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. THE ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS LIGHT CAME ON AND FLASHED. AUDI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED MY CAR TO BROOKLINE AUDI, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE TO BLAME. AFTER READING ARTICLES INDICATING THAT AUDI WILL REPLACE ALL COILS, WHETHER THEY ARE BROKEN OR NOT, I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE ALL COILS. THEY INSISTED THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THOSE THAT ARE DEFECTIVE, NOT ALL AS REPORTED IN SEVERAL ARTICLES (E.G., MOTORTREND). I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WILL BE DRIVING FROM MA TO CA THIS WEEKEND. I TOLD THEM THAT I DO NOT WANT TO BE HALF WAY ACCROSS THE COUNTRY AND HAVE ANOTHER COIL BREAK. I WANT ALL COILS REPLACED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES.

FIRST IGNITION COIL PACK FAILED ON 3.0 A4 AVANT, I WAS DISTRESSED TO DISCOVER THAT THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT THAT HAS HAPPENED TO A LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH NO PLANS TO REPLACE MORE THAN THE UNITS THAT FAIL WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A $35,000 CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THE CLOCK, IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE TO KNOW THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AT LEAST ANOTHER 5 TIMES. THE DEALER WAS VERY EFFICIENT AND COURTEOUS, BUT THAT DOES NOT CUT IT WITH SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM THAT COULD STRIKE AT ANY TIME. WITH SO MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, AUDI SHOULD BE FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE.