2001 Audi S4

MY GRIEVANCE RELATES TO THE RELATIVE EASE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS STOLEN ON A SUNDAY FROM A STREET PARKING SPACE IN MANHATTAN, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9 AM AND 5 PM, WHILE LOCATED ON A MAIN THROUGHFARE THAT IS REGULARLY TRAVELED BY BOTH PEDESTRIANS & VEHICLES. THAT THE VEHICLE'S FACTORY INSTALLED THEFT-DETERRENT WAS DEFEATED OR FAILED TO OPERATE, GIVEN ITS HIGH VISABILITY ON A MODERATELY TO HEAVILY TRAVELED STREET, SHOULD WARRENT, AT THE VERY LEAST, AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PROPER FUNCTIONING OF ALARM SYSTEM OPERATION AS REPRESENTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. WHILE THE THEFT INCIDENT STATS KEPT BY AUDI, AND THEIR US SUBSIDERY, AUDI OF AMERICA, SHOW THEFT TO BE INSIGNIFICANT, THE DATA PROVIDED BY OTHER NATIONWIDE DATABASES IS ANOTHER MATTER ALTOGETHER. IN 2002, THE S4 WAS THE 25TH MOST STOLEN CAR IN NJ (ALL INTENTS& PURPOSES: THE TRI-STATE AREA, NY, NJ, CONN). THIS PARTICULAR SUBMODEL (S4 SEDAN & WAGON) WAS MANUFACTURED B/WN 2000-2002, IN FAIRLY LIMITED PRODUCTION NUMBERS. ITS STATUS AS 25TH MOST-STOLEN CAR SEEM TO INDICATE AN EXPLOITABLE FLAW IN ITS THEFT ALARM/PROTECTION. *AK

THE XENON HEADLIGHT CONSTRUCTION ON AUDI S4 CARS BASED ON THE B5 PLATFORM (BUILT 2000-2002) ARE INADEQUATELY DESIGNED, ALLOWING THIEVES TO EASILY STEAL THEM. FURTHERMORE, NOTHING IS BEING DONE BY AUDI TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WHICH CAUSES THE OWNER TO HAVE TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE ON A REPAIR USUALLY IN EXCESS OF $3500 AND BE WITHOUT THE CAR FOR SOME AMOUNT OF TIME. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY AND HAPPENS EVERYWHERE FROM PUBLIC GARAGES TO PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS IN BOTH "SKETCHY" AND VERY UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOODS. *AK

AUDIS STOLEN IN NJ, NY, PA , VA .......... ALL OVER EAST COAST IN POPULATED AREAS AUDIS GET STOLEN LIKE IN NONES COUNTRY ..AND AUTHORITIES DO NOTHING !!!!!!!!!! I AM REFERING ESPECIALLY TO AUDI S4, TT AND A4 .. AND 99% END UP IN NEWARK , NJ .. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR THIS TO STOP.. WE ALL KNOW WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE.. CAN BE CAUGHT LIKE RATS ....... A BAIT S4 PARKED IN NEWARK AND IT TAKES NO MORE THAN 2 MIN TO SEE HOW THIEFS SHOW UP........................... IT'S NOT BRAIN SURGERY..IT'S ACTUALLY EVERYWHERE IN CENTRAL/EASTERN NJ ..EVERYWHERE .. !!!!!!!!!!!!*AK

I FEEL THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRICAL FRONT SEATS IN THE B5 CHASSIS A4/S4 (1996-2001 A4 AND 2000-2002 S4). I OWNED A 1998 AUDI A4 AND CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 AUDI S4. BOTH HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH A FRONT SEAT THAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH UNDER ACCELERATION AND BRAKING, THE EXTENT OF WHICH WORSENED DRAMATICALLY OVER TIME. THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED ON MY A4 WITH THE AUDI DEALERS I CONSULTED TELLING ME THAT THE MOVEMENT WAS "WITHIN" SPECS. IS IT WITHIN SPEC TO ROCK ALMOST AN INCH? IT SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THE GREATEST STRESSES WOULD BE DURING SOME KIND OF EMERGENCY BRAKING MANUEVER. EVENTUALLY MY S4 HAD THE SEAT-FRAME REPLACED AS THE MOVEMENT GOT TO WHERE IT APPARENTLY WAS "OUT OF SPEC". I ASKED FOR WHAT THE GUIDELINE WAS AND WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH A QUANTITATIVE ANSWER. I KNOW MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION, AND I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT THE ISSUE WILL NOT REAR IT'S HEAD WITH MY "FIXED" SEAT, PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE WITH OTHER CARS I HAVE BEEN IN MADE MY HONDA, BMW, MERCEDES AND MORE SO THE "ALL SEATS DO THIS" ARGUMENT PRESENTED BY AUDI DOES NOT SEEM TO HOLD MUCH WATER. IF THE SEAT BRACKET AND FRAME ARE WEARING OUT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S TOLERANCES WITHIN MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, IT SEEMS LIKE A FAULTY DESIGN WHICH CREATES A POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE SAFETY HAZARD FOR MANY PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. I URGE YOU TO WORK WITH AUDI TO IMPROVE THEIR SEAT/DESIGN/PARTS FOR EXISTING OWNERS BEFORE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES TO OWNERS OR PASSENGERS OCCUR. THANK YOU. - ANDREW CHANG. *AK

MY 2001 AUDI S4 WAS STOLEN IN SPRINGFIELD, NJ AND RECOVERED IN NEWARK, NJ. THE TOTAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY $8000. I BELIEVE THAT THIS THEFT WAS POSSIBLE LARGELY BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT FLAW IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY, THE DOORLOCK MECHANISM IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE ALARM, INCLUDING THE MOTION SENSORS AND THE IGNITION KILL. THUS, A TINY HOLE PUNCHED IN THE DOOR TO UNLOCK THE DOOR SIMULTANEOUSLY LET'S A THIEF INTO THE CAR AND DISABLES THE ENTIRE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE LACK OF A TRUE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM ON THE CAR CREATED A REPUTATION FOR THIS HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE THAT IT IS EASILY STOLEN AND NOW IT IS A PARTICULAR TARGET FOR THIEVES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW JERSEY AREA. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HIGH-SPEED JOYRIDES AND OTHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WITH STOLEN S4'S. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MOST AUDI'S FROM 2000-2002 HAVE THIS FLAW AND I BELIVE THAT AUDI SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND RETROFIT THESE VEHICLES WITH A SAFER ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM.*AK

I HAD JUST PURCHASED A 2001 AUDI S4 FOR CLOSE TO $40,000. WITH 1100 MILES ON IT MY CAR WAS STOLEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT APPROX 3 PM. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT THE FACTORY PASSIVE ALARM CAN BE TRICKED INTO THINKING IT HAS BEEN DISARMED. A SMALL HOLE NEAR THE DOOR LOCK GAINS ACCESS TO A ROD THAT WHEN LIFTED DISARMS THE SYSTEM AS IF A KEY WERE USED, COMBINE THIS ACTION WITH THE WITH REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION, AND THE VEHICLE CAN BE STARTED WITH A SCREW DRIVER AND DRIVEN AWAY. I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT VW/AUDI HAD THE TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO EQUIP THIS MODEL WITH AN ENGINE IMMOBILISER AS PART OF THE OEM ALARM SYSTEM. I'M AWARE OF DOZENS OF THEFTS OF THE AUDI S4 IN PARTICULAR AND AM READING OF MORE THEFTS OCCURRING WEEKLY. JUST DO A SEARCH ON WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM USING THE WORD "STOLEN" AND YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN THE NY/NJ METROPOLITAN AREA. I THINK AUDI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS GROSS OVERSITE ON THEIR PART AND OFFER A RETROFIT OF SOME SORT TO PROTECT MY INVESTMENT. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE FREELY ANYWHERE I WANT WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT IT BEING STOLEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS HERE. *JB