2002 Audi A4

I HAVE AN 2002 AUDI A4. IN DECEMBER 2006 THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY INTERSTATE. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED ($200 PLUS) WE FOUND THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD FAILED WHICH IN TURN COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT AND WE FOLLOWED ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE. THIS BELT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AND BY DOING SO PUT MY FAMILY AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THAT HIGHWAY IN A HORRENDOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *JB

MY AUDI A4 1.8 TURBO ENGINE MAY HAVE SLUDGING PROBLEM - 80K MILES. CAR ENGINE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATING AFTER DRIVING LONG DISTANCES - ABOUT 1.5 HOURS ON THE ROAD GOING APPROX 60-70 MPH. BUT OIL LEVELS ARE ACTUALLY FINE. OIL LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN DRIVING IN LOCAL COMMUTING AREA. AUDI WILL ONLY COVER THE FIX IF CONSUMERS HAVE RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES PERFORMED WITHIN THE 10K RECOMMENDED MILEAGE. I HAVE TO PAY $2750 ESTIMATED TO FIX THE PROBLEM - SOME ENGINE SLUDGING AND OIL PRESSURE LOW. AUDI WILL NOT COVER. NOTE THAT OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES EVERY 10K AND DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THESE 10K OIL CHANGES MUST BE DONE AT THOSE INTERVALS. MANY OF THESE ENGINES MANUFACTURED BY VW ARE FAILING. IF THE OIL ABSOLUTELY MUST BE CHANGED WITHIN 10K OR 12K MILES OR ENGINE SLUDGING/FAILURE WILL OCCUR - PROPER NOTICE SHOULD BE GIVEN IN OWNER'S MANUAL TO INDICATE THAT THEY OIL CHANGES ABSOLUTELY MUST BE PERFORMED AT 10K MILES OR ENGINE FAILURE WILL OCCUR AND A HIGH RED ALERT MESSAGE SHOULD BE DISPLAYED IN THE DASH WHEN SYSTEM'S CHECK IS PERFORMED BY DRIVER. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WHICH POSES A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE ROAD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED !!! I ACTUALLY TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AT 16,674 MILES BECAUSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH, DEALERSHIP INDICATED IGNITION COILS WERE BAD AND REPLACED. *JB

AFTER DRIVING ABOUT A BLOCK AFTER COLD START, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO HESITATE. PROBLEM GOT WORSE. AFTER DRIVING A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3 BLOCKS, THE ENGINE DIED. THERE WERE WISPS OF SMOKE COMING OUT OF GRILL. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, DISCOVERED A SMALL FIRE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. DEALER REPORTS THAT THE FIRE STARTED BECAUSE OF A COIL FAILURE. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO PLASTIC MANIFOLD COVER, BECAUSE FIRE WAS PUT OUT EARLY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH ON A DRY AND FLAT INTERSTATE, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND ALMOST COLLIDED WITH A MEDIAN. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE WHOLE SIDEWALL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD, AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD SMALL SPOTS WHERE THE TREAD JOINED THE SIDEWALL. A DONUT TIRE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. ON 09/18/06, THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO AGREED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE BUT OFFERED NO RESOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE DEFECTIVE TIRES BE SENT IN FOR INSPECTION AND THAT 4 NEW TIRES SHOULD BE PURCHASED. THE TIRES WERE REGULARLY CHECKED FOR CORRECT PRESSURE, AND ROTATED ON TIME. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL BULGING IN THE TIRES. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALLS ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE CRACKED.

IN DECEMBER OF 2005 MY RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS ADVISED THAT MY CAR NEEDED AN OIL CHANGE AND TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. INSTEAD OF AUDI REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE ENGINE AT THIS TIME, THEY SIMPLY CHANGED THE OIL. IN JUNE OF 2006 MY RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY THE ENGINE IN MY CAR BEGAN MAKING HORRIBLE NOISES AND DRIVING VERY, VERY POORLY. . MY SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED ME AND ASKED ME HOW OFTEN DID I CHANGE AND THE OIL AND WHO CHANGED THE OIL IN MY CAR. I ADVISED THEM THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE EVERY WORKED ON THE CAR. HE CALLED ME BACK AND ADVISED ME THAT AUDI WAS REPLACING THE ENGINE IN MY CAR. I AGAIN WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE SLUDGE PROBLEMS. I WAS MADE TO FEEL THAT I WAS "LUCKY" BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING ME A FAVOR BY REPLACING THE ENGINE. AT THE TIME THAT THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO PAY TO HAVE THE TIMING BELT, TEN ROLLERS RELAY AND THE WATER PUMP REPLACED. A COST TO ME OF OVER $500.00. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE DOING ME A FAVOR BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE LABOR, JUST THE PARTS. IN JULY 2006, I NOTICED THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE NEW ENGINE AND WAS ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO LEAK AND THAT SOMETIMES WHEN AN ENGINE IS REPLACED THERE MIGHT BE AN AIR BUBBLE AND THAT MIGHT CAUSE THE COOLANT LEVEL TO DROP. I AGAIN ADVISED THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE COOLANT WAS ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE AND THAT WITHOUT A LEAK SOMEWHERE IT COULD NOT JUST COME OUT OF THE ENGINE. THEY AGAIN CHECKED IT OVER THE WEEKEND AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY FOUND A COUPLE OF DROPS OF COOLANT BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY DRIVE THE CAR AND SEE IF THERE WAS A LEAK. THEY DID JUST THAT AND FOUND THE LEAK, THE MAJOR LEAK. MY SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT THE PART THAT WAS LEAKING WAS AN OLD PART FROM THE OLD ENGINE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO PAY $375.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 20-25 MPH, THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT FOR NO REASON CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HIT A GUARD RAIL. THE TIRES ARE THE ORIGINAL TIRES SOLD ON THE VEHICLE. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE TIRES WERE LOSING AIR AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TIRES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED AND PUT AIR IN THE TIRES. THE TIRE INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE. THERE WAS ONE PERSON INJURED AND THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. UPDATED 05/16/2006. *AK *NM

MY 2002 AUDI A4 JUST HIT 69,900 MILES & THE 3RD TURBO ON MY CAR HAS JUST GONE BAD & HAS NOW DEVELOPED A TICKING NOISE IN THE VALVE-TRAIN. FIORE AUDI IN ALTOONA, PA LOOKED AT THE CAR & SAID THEY NEVER HEARD A NOISE IN THE TOP OF THE MOTOR & THAT THE "DENTIST DRILL" TURBO NOISE WAS CAUSED BY AN EXHAUST LEAK. I VERBALIZED MY CONCERNS OVER OIL SLUDGE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR & THEY PULLED THE VALVE-COVER & OIL PAN & FOUND OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP IN THE OIL LINES FEEDING THE TURBO & IN SOME OF THE OIL GALLEYS IN THE ENGINE. AUDI OF AMERICA AGREED TO REPLACE THE TURBO AND THE OIL FEED LINES UNDER AUDI'S EXTENDED OIL SLUDGE WARRANTY. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS PUT BACK TOGETHER, FIORE FINALLY HEARD THE "TICKING" NOISE IN THE TOP OF THE MOTOR. AFTER PULLING THE HEAD THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK AND THE CYLINDER HEAD WERE WARPED. FIORE TECHNICIANS INFORMED ME THAT THESE DAMAGES WERE CAUSED BY THE ENGINE BEING EXCESSIVELY OVERHEATED. THE CAR HAD NEVER INDICATED THAT IT HAD OVERHEATED, YET FOR THIS "EXCUSE/REASON", THEY REFUSED TO COVER ANY REPAIRS REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT I HAD PRODUCED RECEIPTS DOCUMENTING THAT THE OIL WAS CHANGED RELIGIOUSLY AROUND 3,000 MILE INTERVALS (WELL BELOW AUDI'S INITIAL RECOMMENDATION THAT THE OIL BE CHANGED EVERY 10,000 MILES, AS REFERENCED IN THE MANUAL, OR THEIR SUBSEQUENT RECOMMENDATION OF CHANGING IT EVERY 5,000 MILES) WITH AN AUDI RECOMMENDED FULL SYNTHETIC OIL AS PER THE SLUDGE WARRANTY POLICY. THE OIL LINES THAT FEED THE TURBO CHARGER WERE NEVER CHECKED OR REPLACED DURING ANY OF THE TURBO CHARGER REPLACEMENTS, OR OTHER OIL SMOKE COMPLAINTS, UNTIL NOW. AFTER OUR 3RD TURBO REPLACEMENT, OBVIOUSLY DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP, I'M NOW TOLD MY MOTOR IS NO GOOD. HAD AUDI TAKEN CARE OF THIS ISSUE WHEN THESE PROBLEMS WERE FIRST DEVELOPED & IDENTIFIED, IT WOULDN'T NEED A NEW ENGINE AT LESS THAN 70K MILES DUE TO AN ISSUE THAT IS WELL-KNOWN WITH THIS VEHICLE & THAT WAS ALSO OBVIOUSLY PRESENT WHEN THIS VEHICLES WARRANTY WAS IN FULL EFFECT. *NM