2010 Audi S4

I WAS DRIVING ON A NORMAL STRETCH OF FLAT HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 65MPH AND THE DASH LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE OUT OF THE BLUE. CAR INDICATED REVERSE GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHTS, AND TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM PROBLEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME. CAR WENT IN TO A "LIMP MODE" AND IT ONLY SHIFTED IN EVEN NUMBER GEARS, AND FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS DANGEROUSLY UNSTABLE DUE TO ERRATIC MISSED SHIFTING. THE CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN IN PRIOR FOR A SERVICE CHECK AND HAD NO CODES OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEMS AT ALL! AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM THAT THE MECHATRONICS FAILS ON THIS VEHICLE RATHER OFTEN. THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. COST OF REPAIR WAS NEAR 3300$. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 4K MILES OUT OF WARRANTY WHEN THIS OCCURRED, AFTER NUMEROUS PERSISTENT EXCHANGES WITH AUDI OF AMERICA THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO COVER THE FAILURE AS I WAS CONSIDERING SEEKING LEGAL ACTION. ( I HAD THE PART IN HAND AND COULD SUBMIT IT TO FAILURE ANALYSIS ENGINEERING FOR CAUSE). ON AN POLL ON A POPULAR AUDI WEBSITE, APPROXIMATELY 15% OF THESE MECHATRONICS HAVE FAILED. THE DESIGN ISSUE IS A CIRCUIT CARD EMBEDDED IN HOT TRANSMISSION FLUID THAT AFFECTS THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL OF THE TRANSMISSION. IF THE TRANSMISSION IS DAMAGED IT CAN BE OVER A +10K$ REPAIR. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING MY 2010 AUDI S4 OVER HEATED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE STORE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LUCKILY MY CHILDREN WERE NOT WITH ME BECAUSE I HAD TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY ROAD UNTIL THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN. FROM WHAT I GATHERED ON THE INTERNET SEVERAL HUNDRED AUDI'S HAD THE SAME ISSUE BUT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED. ONLY A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) WAS ISSUED. AUDI MAKES THE CUSTOMER PAY THE BILL, EVEN THOUGH THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC THERMOSTAT WITH AN ALUMINUM ONE AND SOMETIMES THE WATER PUMP. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE IF YOU ASK ME. FIRST AND LAST AUDI I WILL EVER OWN. BAD EXPERIENCE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC THE 2010 AUDI S4 WITH THE DSG S-TRONIC TRANSMISSION BECOMES VERY JERKY, CAUSING IT TO SURGE WHEN STARTING AND STOPPING OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. AS A RESULT IT IS HARD TO CONTROL, ESPECIALLY IN TIGHT TRAFFIC, PARKING AREAS, OR AROUND PEDESTRIANS. ADDITIONALLY, HEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN IN THIS CONDITION THE SHIFT FROM 2ND GEAR TO FIRST HAPPEN IN SUCH A WAY THE IT GIVE THE FEELING THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN REAR ENDED. *TR

PULLED OUT OF PARKING LOT AND RECEIVED A GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WARNING ALONG WITH A TPMS MALFUNCTION. WARNING ON DASH INDICATED THAT I COULD CONTINUE DRIVING. I DROVE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER MILE AND WHILE GOING THRU A ROUNDABOUT, THE CAR SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN. I CONTINUED THE REST OF THE WAY HOME FOR ABOUT 2 MORE MILES. THE MECHATRONIC UNIT WAS DETERMINED TO BE FAULTY AND WAS REPLACED. *TR

MY COOLANT PUMP BLEW AROUND 10K MILES. I LIVE IN BOSTON. IT WAS COLD THAT MORNING - SINGLE DIGITS. I STARTED THE CAR AND HEARD A FLAPPING NOISE. I IGNORED IT AND DROVE TO GET COFFEE. WHEN THE CAR WARMED UP, THE FLAPPING NOISE WENT AWAY SO I STARTED OUT TO MY DESTINATION. ABOUT 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE COOLANT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE INSIDE WAS WET. I CALLED AAA AND THEY TOWED THE CAR TO THE AUDI DEALERSHIP. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I LEARNED THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. COUNT ME AMONG THOSE THAT ARE UPSET THAT AUDI IS NOT FIXING THIS BEFORE IT HAPPENS. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC RECALL BUT A SIMPLE CALL FROM MY DEALERSHIP ASKING ME TO COME IN SO THEY CAN FIX A POTENTIALLY FAULTY PART. *LN