2004 Audi A4

PRNDS appeared in red on my dash and then started blinking. Went on line regarding this and read about a TCM switch or a lever switch malfunction.Have an appt with mechanic on 8/26/21. From what I have read we are looking at a cost prohibitive repair of several thousands of dollars. Does Audi have any responsibility? Apparently it is a common complaint with the A4 model. Felt loss of power when decelerating.

I FIRST HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT POP ON MY 04 AUDI A4 CVT THE CODE NUMBER 17090, THEN FLASHING PNDR INDICATOR LIGHTS. AFTER DOING MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH AND HEARING OTHER STORIES ABOUT AUDI CVT ISSUES, I CAME TO A CONCLUSION THAT THE ISSUE LIES WITHIN THE TCM (TRANSMISSION COMPUTER) AND HAS A FAULTY PART THAT GOES BAD. I DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE SO I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR, CAUTION THIS FAILURE WILL CAUSE LOSS OF REVERSE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AND SOMETIMES DRIVE. I DID HAVE A CLOSE CALL WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING, ALL OF A SUDDEN I DIDN'T HAVE REVERSE AND THE CAR THAT WAS DOWN THE ROAD WASN'T WANTING TO SLOW DOWN, HE DID END UP STOPPING FOR ME BUT WAS PISSED OFF, AND I WAS TOO, NO REASON FOR A 40,000 MILE CAR TO HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS. AUDI QUOTES THIS REPAIR AT $2500. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SINGLE AUDI PRODUCED IN THAT SAME TIME PERIOD WITH A CVT TRANSMISSION HAS THIS ISSUE AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED SO THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS. AUDI HAS DENIED ME TO HELP WITH THESE COST, BUT I KNOW HAVE HELP OTHERS OUT, SO THEY ARE DEFIANTLY AWARE OF THERE ISSUE. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2004 AUDI A4 WITH ONLY 92K MILES ON IT, ON MY WAY HOME WITH THE CAR I HEARD THIS WEIRD NOISE EVERY TIME ACCELERATE IN FIRST GEAR AS SOON AS I CHANGE TO SECOND ITS GONE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE I NOTICED THAT ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THEN I STARTED TO WONDER IF AUDI MANUFACTURING COMPANY HAD A RECALL SEEING THAT ITS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM. THATS HOW I ENDED UP ON THIS WEBSITE. *TR

THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE AUDI DEALER HAS A BAD AUTOMATIC TCM TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE THAT CAUSES THE CAR TO SLIP GEARS OR NOT SHIFT DOWN WHEN COMING SLOWING DOWN AND THEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WILL STAY LOCKED IN 3RD GEAR AND WHEN PULLING OUT ON TO THE FREEWAY OR A BUSY STREET IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GET UP TO SPEED. WHEN PARKED ON A SLANTED DRIVEWAY OR STREET THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ENGAGE A GEAR ONCE IT HAS BEEN SELECTED AND THE CAR WILL ROLL DOWN HILL. *TR

2004 AUDI A4 1.8L TURBO - THE CAR SUFFERS FROM A PROBLEM THAT BEGINS WITH A FLASHING OF THE GEAR SELECTOR RANGE (PRNDS). THIS OCCURS CONSISTENTLY, EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED. WHEN PRNDS IS FLASHING THE VEHICLE POSSESSES A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS OCCURRED (3) TIMES SINCE THE ONSET OF THIS CONDITION. WHILE THE GEAR SELECTOR RANGE WAS FLASHING I PULLED OVER TO RE-FUEL AT A LOCAL GAS STATION. AFTER PURCHASING GAS I RETURNED TO THE CAR, STARTED IT UP, AND THE FLASHING PRNDS CONDITION PERSISTED. WHEN I ENGAGED REVERSE TO EXIT THE GAS PUMP AREA THE CAR VERY SUDDENLY LUNGED BACKWARDS WITH SUCH TREMENDOUS FORCE THAT THE VEHICLE BREAK SYSTEM COULD NOT CONTAIN THE JOLTING FORCE OF THE BACKWARDS MOVEMENT. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN STANDING BEHIND ME......THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I HAVE MADE EFFORTS TO CONTACT THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER (AUDI OF AMERICA) AND THEY FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.... ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY HAS FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS DEFECTIVE AND THREATENING VEHICLE CONDITION. THERE ARE MANY OTHER AUDI A4 OWNERS THAT HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON AUDI FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. THE HEART OF MY CONCERN: INSTEAD OF VOLUNTEERING TO REPAIR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, AUDI OF AMERICA HAS ADVISED THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED AT A PERSONAL COST TO ME OF APPROXIMATELY $3,000.00, WHICH I FIND APPALLING. THE CAR CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT THIS DRIVING CONDITION, AND LUNGING REVERSE CONDITION CAN BE REPLICATED. I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA FOR REVIEW BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE MY CONCERN ASAP. *TR

AT AROUND 55,000 MILES, WARRANTY OVER AT 50,000, MY FRIEND (HE OWNS A FOREIGN AUTO REPAIR SHOP IN SEATTLE) NOTICED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS A LITTLE JUMPY. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS EARLIER BUT I DID NOT NOTICE IT BECAUSE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THEY NEVER KNOW ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR UNTIL IT FALLS PART. MY NEAREST AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WAS 45 MINUTES AWAY AND I NEED THE VEHICLE FOR DELIVERIES AND PICKUPS IN MY BUSINESS SO I WAITED UNTIL IT GOT WORSE. AT APPROX 65,000 MILES I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER ($99) WHO STATED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO FAIL TO THE TUNE OF $ 6500. I CALLED AUDI, THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL I SEE AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THAT COST ME $ 115 TO TELL ME THE SAME THING AND THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME $ 8500. I ASKED WHY IT IS FAILING SO EARLY, HE COULD NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER. IT'S "ONE" OF THOSE THINGS! ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT AND HE SAID "NO". MY BUDDY SAID DRIVE IT TILL IT DROPS, IT HAS 74,000 MILES NOW, IT'S GRINDING REAL BAD NOW AND I DO NOT HAVE THE $ 6000 TO FIX IT, NEED SOME RELIEF ESPECIALLY SINCE OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED OVER 20 CARS IN MY LIFE AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST GERMAN MADE AUTOMOBILE. I NEED HELP! *TR

2004 AUDI A4 CVT TRANSMISSION LURCHING, ROUGH SHIFTING, AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION PREDICTED BY MECHANIC, REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT COSTLY REPAIRS (THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS). FIRST OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS WELL MAINTAINED. I AM TOLD THIS IS A "COMMON COMPLAINT/PROBLEM" WITH AUDI'S. INTERNET SEARCH YIELDS MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON CVT TRANSMISSIONS. CALLED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ARE MUTE ON CVT TRANSMISSIONS AS AN ISSUE! DEFECTIVE CVT TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY AUDI, NOT BY CONSUMERS. PRESENT MECHANIC CONTACTED OTHER MECHANICS AND, I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AMONGST MECHANICS? WHY NO RECALL. *TR

VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AND ATTEMPTING TO GET UP TO SPEED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THE CLUTCH SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION FAILED IN-BETWEEN GEAR SHIFTS. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME LODGED/STUCK AGAINST THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PANIC IN THE BELIEF THAT SOME FOREIGN OBJECT WAS INTERFERING WITH THE NATURAL RETURN OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN GEAR, AND WAS COASTED TO A SHOULDER WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL STILL STUCK AGAINST THE FLOORBOARD. ONCE SAFELY ON THE SHOULDER, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE DRIVER INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL STICKING TO THE FLOORBOARD. NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE BLOCKING/INTERFERING WITH THE CLUTCH. AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR AND PLACE THE VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR RESULTED IN THE CAR STALLING OUT. THE CAR WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE. AN AUDI DEALERSHIP ASSESSED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND DETERMINED THAT THE SUDDEN CLUTCH FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE CLUTCH DISK BEING OVERHEATED, AND THE FRICTION MATERIAL BEING COMPLETELY WORN OUT DESPITE ONLY 29,000 MILES BEING LOGGED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS THE MATTER IS BEING LITIGATED. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ADDITIONALLY, UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS SLUGGISH WHILE SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CLUTCH BODY AND FLUID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. *AK UPDATED 12/15/2006 - *NM