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 BOUGHT A 2003 AUDI A4 CONVERTIBLE IN NOVEMBER 2008 AND SINCE THEN THE DEFECTIVE CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS RESULTED IN THE REAR GLASS WINDOW TO BE NEARLY COMPLETELY LOOSE. THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD AND REPRESENTS A DANGER SINCE THE WINDOW COULD FALL OUT AND HURT OTHER PEOPLE. AUDI OF SANTA MONICA SAID THEY CAN'T/WON'T FIX IT AND REFERRED ME TO AN UPHOLSTERY SHOP WHO SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND CAN'T FIX IT (DESPITE AUDI RECOMMENDING THEM FOR FIXING THIS). A DETAILED CHECK OF NUMEROUS ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS (IN THE U.S. AND GERMANY) SHOWS THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMING PROBLEM FOR 2003 AUDI CONVERTIBLES THAT AUDI SIMPLY REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. 2003 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT KARMANN MANUFACTURE THE ROOF AND, INTERESTINGLY, HARMANN IN GERMANY SEEMS TO ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY AND HAS FIXED THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME PEOPLE, CHARGING ONLY FOR LABOR. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA LOOK INTO THIS FAULTY MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND FORCE AUDI TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 AUDI A4. WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT 20 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION. AS A CONSEQUENCE SHE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT-END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 49,000.

MY 2003 AUDI A4 ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS HAS STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS ON IT'S OWN. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS PULLING OUT AND I PUSHED THE GAS AND IT JUST STARTED TO PICK UP SPEED I PULLED OVER AND THEN TRIED TO PULL OUT AGAIN AND IT STARTED AGAIN TO PICK UP SPEED I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND SO I TURNED IT OFF AND THEN IT WAS FINE. THE SECOND TIME I WAS PULLING OUT AND PUSHED THE GAS TO SPEED UP AND AGAIN IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE VERY FAST AND SO I PULLED OVER AGAIN AND THOUGHT I MUST OF HIT IT INTO SPEED CONTROL AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME WITH CRUISE CONTROL OFF IT STILL CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND IT WAS HARDER TO GET THE CAR TO STOP I HAD TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL REALLY HARD AND I THOUGHT IT WASN'T GOING TO STOP. THEN WHEN I DID GET IT TO A COMPLETE STOP I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV, AS IF I WERE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A CRASH. IF IT WERE IN THE WINTER MONTHS I WOULD HAVE CRASHED, AND I HAD MY ONE YEAR OLD BOY WITH ME THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING FOR BOTH OF US. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT NOTICED WATER IN THE FOOT WELLS ON BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS FLOODED DUE TO CLOGGING OF THE INTAKE PLENUM DRAIN GROMMET. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO HAVE IT CLEANED IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,342. UPDATED 8/7/09 *CN UPDATED 08/11/09.*JB

HI, I AM AN OWNER OF AN AUDI A4 2003. I AM NOT TOO SURE IF ITS THE "RIGHT PLACE" TO COMPLAINT ABOUT MY CAR'S SAFETY. MY CAR'S HEADLIGHTS ARE GOING OUT THE WHOLE TIME WHILE I AM DRIVING AND I HAVE TO RESET THEM BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM WORKING FOR COUPLE MINUTES. AFTER SOME MINUTES THE SAME PROCEDURE. I WENT TO AN AUDI DEALER AND THEY WONT "REPRODUCE" THE ERROR. THEY SAY THAT ONCE WE CONNECT IT TO OUR DATABASE AND WE READ NO ERROR THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO. I LOOKED INTO IT (ONLINE) FOR COUPLE WEEKS NOW AND I READ THE SAME STORIES OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM PEOPLE THAT THEY OWN CARS FROM YEARS 2000- 2006 . THEY SAID THEY CONTACT AUDI AND AUDI IGNORES THEM. THAT'S WHY I AM COMING TO YOU. IT IS SO DANGEROUS THE LIGHTS TO GO OUT WHILE WE RE DRIVING AND YET NOBODY CAN HELP US TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR