2004 Audi S4

2004 AUDI S4. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE FAILED WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE, POWER BRAKES AND STEERING LOCKED UP *TGW THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN OR ADJUSTERS. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $24,000 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE LEARNED IT WAS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM FOR HIS MODEL AND YEAR. THE SPECIFIC MECHANICAL FLAW SEEMED TO BE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN COORDINATED THE ACTION BETWEEN THE PISTONS AND THE VALVES. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PLASTIC GUIDES. THE GUIDES PUSHED AGAINST THE CHAIN BY THE ADJUSTERS. *JB

CAR ENGINE WAS MISFIRING - WAS INFORMED A FAULTY COIL PACK WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. ONE WEEK LATER THE MISFIRES STARTED AGAIN. TWO MORE COIL PACKS WERE REPLACED. 2 WEEKS LATER ANOTHER MISFIRING EPISODE. CAR DIED AT INTERSECTION SO WAS TOWED IN FOR INSPECTION. CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER/CAM GUIDES HAD FAILED. PARTS WERE REPLACED FOR 5K AND THEN 2 WEEKS LATER CYLINDER 3 FAILED WHEN VALVE AND PISTON INTERACTED - CAR DIED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR ENGINE IS GOING TO NEED TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, 10261281, AND 10294798. MY SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN NOV OF 2009 ON THE BANK 1 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 1 - LESS THAN ONE YEAR FROM THE SAME FAILURE ON BANK 2 (SEE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #10294798). THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION THE ENGINE APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ANOTHER ~$4,500. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, AND 10261281 MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN DEC OF 2008 ON THE BANK 2 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 2 - ALL BUT RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY I CONTACTED AUDI TO NO AVAIL. I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED IN AUDI FOR ENGINEERING SUCH SHODDY DESIGN, AND NOT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT. IN FACT CRISWELL AUDI CHARGED $300 FOR AN ECU UPDATE THAT DID NOTHING. ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION IT APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ~$4,500. *TR

AT 44,000 MILES MY CAR HAS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I STATED ABOVE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE ENGINE REVVING UP. THE TRANSMISSION CAN ALSO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS UNDER HARD BRAKING WHICH ALL OF YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE IN GEAR YOU SLOW DOWN BETTER IF ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU POP OUT OF GEAR YOU CAR DOES NOT HAVE AS MUCH HOLDING YOU BACK. *TR

I GOT IN MY CAR THIS PAST FRIDAY TO LEAVE FOR WORK AND THEN MY CAR STARTS RUMBLING AND SOUNDS LIKE WHAT CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS A MUSCLE CAR. I ONLY LIVE A MILE FROM MY OFFICE SO I DRIVE MY CAR IN. WHILE DRIVING IT SEEMS LIKE THE CAR HAS LOST LOW END POWER AND IS STILL IDLING WITH A RUMBLE. WHEN I GET TO WORK I POP THE HOOD AND NOTICE THE ENTIRE MOTOR SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH AND MY BUDDY SEES MY EXHAUST IS MOVING UP AND DOWN. SO I DECIDE TO GET IT TO THE LOCAL GARAGE THAT HAS WORKED ON MY CAR BEFORE. HE IS ONLY ABOUT 2 BLOCKS DOWN FROM MY OFFICE. WHEN I PULL OUT FROM MY PARKING LOT THE CAR THROWS A CEL AND ABOUT 500 FT FROM THE GARAGE IT STARTS FLASHING. SO I COAST THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE AND GET THE CODES READ. THEY'RE COMING UP AS CYL. 4, 5, 6, AND 7 MISFIRES AND P0021 CAM TIMING ADJUST BANK 2 NOT REACHED. SO THE MECHANIC CLEARS THE CODES AND TAKES THE CAR AROUND THE BLOCK AND ONCE AGAIN THE CEL COMES ON AND THIS TIME IT SAYS CYL. 1,3,7, AND 8 MISFIRING AND THE P0021 CODE FOR THE CAM TIMING AND ALSO A NEW CODE P1317 BANK 2 CAM/CRANK ANGLE SENSOR WRONG COMBO OF ECU'S....TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT THE CAR WAS TOWED OVER 100 MILES AWAY TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A FAULTY CAM TENSIONER. THE WHOLE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AND TORE APART AND THE TENSIONER REPLACED. THE BILL IS $6286.18. MY CAR IS A 2004 AUDI S4 WITH ONLY 67,000 MILES ON IT AND I JUST PURCHASED IT ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO. IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

I DRIVE A 2004 AUDI S4. MY CAR SUFFERED A MAJOR FAILURE. THE MOTOR FAILED DUE TO A DESIGN BY AUDI AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE CAR FAILED DUE TO THESE PLASTIC GUIDES THAT AUDI USES AS TIMING CHAIN GUIDES. THE GUIDES ARE NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE SERVICED ALTHOUGH WHEN THEY FAIL YOU HAVE TO PAY AT LEAST 4 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GET THEM REPLACED BECAUSE THE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE PULLED TO REPLACE THEM. THEY ARE ON THE BACK OF THE MOTOR SO THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER OR THE GUIDES FAIL IT CAN AND WILL RESULT IN A MAJOR MOTOR FAILURE. IF THE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REBUILT IT WILL COST AT LEAST $10,000. LUCKILY I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT WAS COVERED, BUT I WOULD STILL LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND AUDI SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A FAILURE THAT ONE WOULD EXPECT ON A 4 YEAR OLD CAR. *TR

2004 AUDI S4, BUILD DATE 09/03 : 1. 24 AUG 06- 16,500 MILES- A/C STOPPED WORKING- REPLACED ENTIRE A/C SYSTEM (COMPRESSOR, HOSES, PIPES, DRIER, RESTRICTOR) UNDER WARRANTY. 2. 10 APR 07- 23,253 MILES- CAR WON?T START- STARTER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. PEALING SHIFT KNOB (CHROME SURROUND WAS PEALING AND THE EDGES WERE LIKE A RAZOR BLADE), REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. CENTER CONSOLE LATCH BROKEN- REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. 3. 22 FEB 08- 31,992 MILES- ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO FAULTY VALVE SEAT. SEAT BROKE ALLOWING VALVE TO BE SUCKED INTO CYLINDER AND THEN PUNCHED OUT THE SIDE OF THE BLOCK. ENGINE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. 4. 10 SEP 08- 37,448 MILES- A/C STOPPED WORKING. HIGH PRESSURE SWITCH REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR