2003 Audi A4

I HAVE A 2003 A4 CONVERTIBLE AUDI. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING PROBLEMS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING, AND HAVE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT. THE RANGE SWITCH TELLING THE TRANSMISSION WHICH GEAR TO GO INTO GOES OUT. THE DANGEROUS SYMPTOMS INCLUDE AN INABILITY TO GO INTO REVERSE, THE CAR NOT ACCELERATING WHEN THE GAS IS PRESSED AND THEN LUNGING FORWARD. WHEN THE CAR SLOWS TO A STOP, IT OFTEN DOESN'T SHIFT DOWN AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD BEFORE KILLING THE ENGINE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND AUDI HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO ADMIT FAULT IN THE MANUFACTURING, AND/OR PROVIDE A SOLUTION. THE FIX HAS COME AT A COSTLY $8K NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

PURCHASED VEHICLE APRIL 2009 (CARFAX WAS CLEAN) REPLACED IGNITION COIL 2X BY SEPTEMBER 2009 REPLACED CLUTCH, RACK AND PINION, AND COMPUTER MODULE IN OCT 2009 CURRENTLY CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS MALFUNCTIONING I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN A CONSISTENT OPERATING CONDITION FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS AT A TIME. I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $5,000 IN CAR REPAIRS TO DATE. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER 2002. IN OCTOBER 2003, THE TRANSMISSION SUFFERED A MASSIVE FAILURE AND REQUIRED A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. AROUND JULY 2007 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE "PRND" INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD STARTED FLASHING. CHAMPION AUDI IN POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM). DESPITE MY DEMANDS, THE AUDI DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE PART, AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME UPWARDS OF $2500 TO REPLACE THE TCM. MY INDEPENDENT (AND AAA APPROVED) REPAIR FACILITY RECENTLY CONFIRMED THE TCM REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. BOTTOM LINE: THE TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL, AGAIN, AT ANY TIME. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINNING AND AUDI NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND REPLACE THE TCM AT NO CHARGE. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT TCM FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON AUDIS. AUDI IS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES YET REFUSES TO DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY A4. FIRST, MY HEADLIGHT SHORTED OUT AND COST OVER $600 BECAUSE IT FRIED ALL THE ELECTRICAL WIRES AND I HAD TO GET A NEW HEADLAMP SETTING AND WIRES. EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE COMPUTER HAS A LIGHTBULB SIGNAL LIGHT THAT IT IS NOT SENDING THE CORRECT AMPAGE. THE POWER STEERING LEAKS CONTINUOUSLY AND MAKES NOISES ALSO. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AND THE MOTOR IS RUNNING VERY BUMPY LIKE ALMOST LIKE IT IS MIS-FIRING OR SOMETHING. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY. WHEN I PUT IT INTO REVERSE IT STALLS AND WILL NOT GO. I PUT IT IN TO NEUTRAL, THEN REVERSE AGAIN AND IT SLOWLY CATCHES SOMETIMES. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS FLASHING AND I HAVE HAD MY CAR SITTING FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER ALL THIS SUDDENLY APPEARED. I AM SAVING MONEY TO TRY TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM AFRAID THAT THE ENGINE WILL STALL OR I WONT BE ABLE TO TURN DUE TO THE STEERING AND CRASH SO IT IS INOPERABLE AT THIS TIME. *TR

HELLO A RECALL NOTICE CAME IN FOR MY 03' AUDI A4 FOR ETC SENSOR.(70K MILES) TOOK THE CAR INTO DEALER GOT IT FIXED. A WEEK LATER OR SO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND TWO MECHANICS SHOPS, ITS THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER PRICE ON TRANSMISSION WAS 7,558.00 TOTAL. OWE MY GOODNESS...... CAR IS WORTH ABOUT THAT. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LOCATE A USED OR A REBUILD TRANSMISSION BUT THEIR IS NOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IN PRICE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION IS SO HARD TO FIX AND PARTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE THAT NO ONE WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE CAR AT ALL. NOT TO MENTION THE DIFFICULTY THAT REQUIRES TO REPLACE THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FOR MY VEHICLE MODEL. SPECIAL TOOLS AND PROGRAMMING. CALLED NEARBY STATES WITH NO LUCK FINDING A REBUILD TRANSMISSION. ALSO AUDI DOES NOT MAKE THEM ANYMORE, MAKING THEM EVEN HARDER TO FIND. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR THE PAST 3 WEEKS TRYING TO FIND SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND I CAME ACROSS THE SAME STORY FROM MANY AUDI A4 OWNERS. THIS IS NOT A DRIVER PROBLEM BUT A DESIGN FLAW. TRANSMISSION IS NOT FIXED BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD 7.5K FOR A NEW ONE THAT WILL GIVE OUT IN ABOUT 50K AGAIN. THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE TREMENDOUSLY IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING ONTO A RAMP TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY I COULD OF CAUSE AN ACCIDENT EASILY. THROUGH OUT BLOGS AND WEBSITE ADVICE, THEIR ARE COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO GIVE OUT RIGHT ABOUT 50-85K MILES. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 AUDI A4 3.0 CABRIOLET WITH 38,000 MILES ON IT. THE GEAR DISPLAY BEGAN TO BLINK FREQUENTLY AND THE MANUAL SHIFTING FUNCTIONALITY WOULD NOT WORK. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHILE IN REVERSE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2,400. AFTER RESEARCHING, I HAVE SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FEEL THIS MAY BE DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, GIVEN LOW RELATIVE MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

ENGINE BOX FLOODS AFTER DRIVING THROUGH LONG DISTANCES IN HEAVY RAIN. RESULTS IN CAR THAT WILL NOT RUN AT ALL (NEEDED TO BE TOWED) DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE ENGINE BOX FLOODS FROM INSUFFICIENT DRAINAGE FROM THE COWL WHICH THEN SHORTS OUT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (BASICALLY THE CAR'S COMPUTER CENTER) THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED (BOTH AFTER DRIVING THROUGH DIFFICULT RAIN STORMS) THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2005, AND IT TOOK NEARLY 6 WEEKS TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. REPAIR WAS DONE BY AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER THAT ORIGINALLY SOLD ME THE CAR. THE FINAL BILL WAS NEARLY $5000. THEY INSISTED IT WAS A FLUKE AND HAD ME MAKE AN INSURANCE CLAIM TO COVER THE REPAIRS AS FLOOD DAMAGE. I MADE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO AUDI AT THAT TIME SINCE IT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. (SOMEONE THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED TO ME THAT THEY HAD WITNESSED THIS BEFORE, EACH TIME TELLING THE CUSTOMER TO GO THROUGH THEIR INSURANCE TO COVER THE COST). HERE I AM LESS THAN 3 YEARS LATER AND THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND. I DROVE THROUGH AN INTENSE RAINSTORM AND I HAVE A FLOODED ENGINE BOX. THE BILL IS ONCE AGAIN GOING TO EXCEED $4000, NOT TO MENTION THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I WILL NEED TO RENT A CAR (AGAIN) TO CONDUCT MY BUSINESS. I SELL REAL ESTATE AND DEPEND ON MY VEHICLE. ONCE AGAIN I PHONED AUDI CUSTOMER CARE AND LODGED ANOTHER FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THIS ISSUE AND THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DESIGN FLAW. I AM CURRENTLY SEEKING LEGAL COUNCIL IN ORDER TO RECOUP THESE COSTS. I HAVE BOTH COMPLAINTS WHICH ARE EXACTLY THE SAME FILED WITH AUDI. I DO NOT HAVE THE FIRST SET OF PARTS, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY KEEP THE ONES THAT HAVE RECENTLY FAILED. AT THIS POINT I DO NOT HAVE A CAR, I AM WAITING TO SEE IF MY INSURANCE COMPANY WILL AGAIN PAY FOR THIS CLAIM. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AUDI NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE FLAW. *TR

AT A STOPLIGHT YESTERDAY, THE CVT TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED. WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY VERY SLOWLY LURCH FORWARD WITH A GREAT DEAL OF "GRINDING" NOISE. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO LIMP OUT OF THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND THEN HAD IT TOWED TO MY SHOP. MY MECHANIC TODAY TOLD ME THE CVT (CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION) FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. NEW, THE PART ALONE IS $7,500, WITH ANOTHER $1,000+ IN LABOR. MY 2003 A4 HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED SINCE NEW AND ONLY HAS 75,000 MILES. I HAVE FOUND CONSIDERABLE "TRAFFIC" ONLINE REGARDING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH AUDI CVT - BUT VERY LITTLE ON YOUR SITE. THIS IS S A MAJOR DESIGN PROBLEM THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF. *TR