2009 Audi A4

I HAVE OBTAINED THIS CAR AS A USED CAR. ENGINE OIL WAS CHANGED ONE WEEK AFTER I HAVE THE CAR AT A MECHANIC SHOP. THREE WEEKS (ABOUT 500MILES DRIVING) LATER, A LOW ENGINE OIL ALARM SOUNDED. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE SAME MECHANIC SHOP AND ADD A QUART OF OIL TO THE ENGINE. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO A ROAD TRIP. THE LOW OIL ALARM SOUNDED AGAIN. THIS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ROAD TRIP WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY (ABOUT 500MILES SINCE LAST OIL ADDITION) AT ABOUT 75MPH. I HAVE TO GET OFF THE HIGH WAY RIGHT AWAY AND WENT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP TO TOP OFF THE OIL. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF I COULDN?T FIND A MECHANIC SHOP IN TIME TO ADD MORE ENGINE OIL, THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERHEATED, LOCKED, AND FORCED TO STOP RIGHT AWAY. UNDER THIS SCENARIO, A SERIOUS COLLISION WITH THE CARS BEHIND OR NEXT TO ME MIGHT BE CAUSED IF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON RESEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM/COMPLAINT IN THIS MODEL OF CAR DUE TO THE DEFECTS IN THE PISTON RINGS. IN MOST CASES, THE PISTON RINGS WERE REPLACED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. MY CAR IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY WITH 57K MILES ON IT. THE DEALER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FIXING THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND IT WAS DEFECTED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

AFTER HAVING MY CAR FOR A YEAR, IT STARTED TO BURN THROUGH OIL AT AN INCREASING RATE. CURRENTLY IT IS GOING THROUGH ABOUT 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN A FEW TIMES TO CHECK FOR LEAKS OR TRY TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION WHERE IT IS GOING AND HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD THAT THIS MODEL ENGINE GOES THROUGH AT A FASTER PACE AND HAS BEEN A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONGST CUSTOMERS. IN ADDITION TO THIS I HAVE DEALT WITH HAVING TO GET THE SUNROOF RE-LUBRICATED EVERY FEW MONTHS, DEALING WITH RATTLES IN THE DOORS, WARPING OF THE INTERIOR (DASH, DOOR PANELS, SEAT BACKS), AND A ONE-TIME FAILURE WITH THE DOOR LATCH NOT WORKING DURING COLD TEMPERATURES. *TR

WHEN I CALLED THE NEAREST DEALER FOR A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FOR 55000 MILES, I WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL INVOLVING THE CAMSHAFT. BY PHONE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR THIS WORK AND IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO HOURS. I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE AT 8 AM AND AT 11 AM I RECEIVED A CALL. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BEGIN THE RECALL WORK, BUT IT WAS A RECALL THAT INVOLVED THE 50000 MILE WARRANTY. I WAS NEARING 55000 MILES, BUT THEY WOULD DUE THE WORK UNDER WARRANTY. AT 2 PM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND THEY WOULD NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY PROVIDED A RENTAL CAR UNTIL THEY COMPLETED THE WORK. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE??? THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE ISSUE WITH THE CAMSHAFT PROBLEM WENT OUT IN JUNE 2011. THAT WAS ONE MONTH AFTER THE MAINE DEALER PERFORMED MY 35000 MILE MAINTENANCE!!! THE POINT IS THAT THE LONGER I DROVE THE VEHICLE, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM PROGRESSED. THEY SAID THAT EVENTUALLY, I WOULD LOOSE THE ENGINE. *TR

THIS AUDI WAS A LEMON FROM THE START AND BOTCHED REPAIRS AT THE DEALER HAVE ONLY MADE IT WORSE. ONE THE 2ND DAY WE OWNED THE CAR THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND WE HAD TO RETURN IT TO THE DEALER FOR MORE OIL. OVER THE NEXT 2 YEARS THE CAR BURNED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL STARTING AT 1 QRT EVERY 2500 MILES AND DETERIORATING TO 1 QRT EVERY 800 MILES. ALL ALONG THE DEALER TOLD US THIS WAS "NORMAL". IN MAY 2011, DEALER TOLD US THAT AUDI HAD INITIATED A TESTING PROGRAM AND IF THE CAR FAILED THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING. IN JUNE 2011, THE CAR FAILED TEST AND THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR 3+ WEEKS CONDUCTING MAJOR ENGINE SURGERY. 6000 MILES LATER WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO DO ROUTINE WARRANTY WORK. IN THE COURSE OF THIS WORK, THEY DESTROYED THE TIMING CHAIN AND PISTONS OF THE CAR. 1 WEEK LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IN TALKING TO AUDI TECHNICIANS AT OTHER DEALERS (OFF THE RECORD) THEY SAY THAT THE OIL PROBLEM IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT THE FIXES ARE SIMPLY BANDAIDS. APPEARS THAT THE 2012 MODEL HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO FIX THE ENGINE FLAW. THE NET EFFECT IS THAT THE CAR HAS VISITED THE AUDI DEALER ON AT LEAST A MONTHLY BASIS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT AND HAS SPEND MORE THAN 8 WEEKS IN MAJOR "WARRANTY RELATED" ENGINE REPAIRS. TO TOP IT OFF, AUDI HAS COMPLIMENTED THIS "WORST IN CLASS" PRODUCT EXPERIENCE WITH A "WORST IN CLASS" CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE AS AUDI AMERICA 1-800 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY EITHER ROBOTIC OR RUDE IN TALKING WITH US ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MOST RECENTLY, THEY MADE A LAME OFFER TO REIMBURSE US FOR TOWING EXPENSES AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THIS DUBIOUS CAR FOR ANOTHER 12 MONTHS. AMAZINGLY, THEY REFUSE TO PU T THE OFFER IN WRITING UNTIL AFTER ACCEPTANCE. PRESUMABLY SO THAT THEY CAN AVOID LEGAL ISSUES. PLEASE HELP. I AM SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING THIS. *TR