2010 Audi S4

2010 AUDI S4. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THE WATER PUMP. *TGW AUDI ISSUED A SERVICE ADVISORY TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP DUE TO A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR WATER PUMP FAILURE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THREE WEEKS LATER BY THE DEALER, THAT AUDI REMOVED THE ADVISORY DUE TO LACK OF SUPPLY AND THAT THE WATER PUMP WOULD ONLY BE REPLACED IF THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN. *JB

ON DEC 8, MY AUDI S4, MODEL YEAR 2010, BUILT END 2009, 11,000 MILES, STRANDED WITH A LEAKING COOLANT SYSTEM "OUT OF THE BLUE", DURING MODERATE HIGHWAY DRIVING. WARNING SYSTEM INDICATED TO TURN OFF ENGINE AND CHECK COOLANT. NOT NECESSARILY SAFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A 8 LANE HIGHWAY. AUDI SERVICE DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED A DEFECT WATER PUMP WITH AN "UPDATED MODEL" (METAL BODY, REPLACING THE "PLASTIC BODY MODEL"), AND REFERS TO THIS A DESIGN FLAW. THIS ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN TO AUDI FOR THE LATE-2009 BUILT 2010 S4S, BUT ALSO FOR Q5 AND A6 MODELS. YET AUDI DOES NOT INFORM THE OWNERS, WHILE THEY RECEIVE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS ON A REGULAR BASIS. AUDI SERVICE WAS WELL PREPARED AND REPORTS THAT THEY CAN HARDLY MEET DEMAND OF NEW WATER PUMPS WITH INCOMING CASES. THE WATER PUMP FAILURE SEEMS TO BE PROMOTED BY COLD WEATHER (<-5C). ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE FROM THE TOWING COMPANY CONFIRMS THAT 2010 AUDI'S ARE PRONE TO BEING TOWED THIS EARLY 2010/2011 WINTER. CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL SAFETY AND ENGINE DAMAGE IMPACT OF A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE COOLING, IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO NOT INFORM OWNERS SO THEY CAN WATCH THEIR COOLANT LEVEL AND SEEK REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER PUMP. *TR

2010 AUDI S4 WITH V-6 3.0T ENGINE. RETURNING HOME AFTER A 7 MINUTE DRIVE, I WAS 300 FT. FROM MY HOUSE WHEN I RECEIVED AN ENGINE MESSAGE COOLANT LOW, TURN OFF ENGINE AND CHECK COOLANT. I STOPPED IN DRIVEWAY TO FIND MY WATER PUMP HAD BURST, AS WITH SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HERE. I KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AS MORE THAN 50 OTHER AUDI S4 OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AND IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON AUDI OWNER'S FORUMS. MY CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE, AND WILL BE TOWED TO DEALER TOMORROW UNDER WARRANTY. AUDI OF AMERICA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE PUMPS SLOWLY, BUT REFUSES TO RECALL DESPITE THE POSSIBILITY OF ENDANGERING DRIVERS. AT THE VERY LEAST, WE SHOULD BE WARNED OF THIS POSSIBILITY. IT IS ONLY THROUGH OUR OWN RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION THAT OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM NEWARK AIRPORT ON NJ TURNPIKE AT 1 A.M., THE WATER PUMP FAILED ON MY 2010 AUDI S4. THE COOLANT WARNING INDICATED A PROBLEM. I MADE IT TO A SERVICE AREA WITHIN A FEW MILES. I DID NOT WANT TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND COOLANT SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ENGINE WITH STEAM RISING UP. THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER IN EDISON, NJ. THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED BY A REDESIGNED UNIT. AUDI HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THIS DEALER HAD OVER 100 VEHICLES RECENTLY TOWED IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO. I BELIEVE THAT IN CANADA AUDI VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THE WATER PUMP SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH THE NEW UNIT BEFORE CARS GET STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

2010 AUDI S4 WATER PUMP FAILURE -- THIS COMPLAINT IS IDENTICAL TO THE PREVIOUS TWO COMPLAINTS SURROUNDING THIS MODEL'S WATER PUMP FAILURE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT A NEAR FULL LOSS OF STEERING DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. IN MY CASE THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED, HOWEVER LIKE OTHERS WHO HAVE DETAILED THEIR EXPERIENCES, AUDI HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL, NOR IS THE REPAIR SATISFACTORY AS THE DISTINCT ODOR OF G-12 (G-30 IN EUROPE) IS PRESENT. THOUGH THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FIRST, IT IS ALSO A CONSUMER PROTECTION MATTER AS THE BOTH THE DEALER AND AUDI OF AMERICA WHO I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH HAS NOT BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE TO MANY 2010 AUDI S4 OWNERS. MANY OF THEM REPORTED A WATERPUMP FAILURE BASICALLY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, I.E., HIGHWAY DRIVING, CORNERING, AND LOW SPEED DRIVING. 2010 AUDI S4 PRODUCED IN 2009 CLEARLY HAVE A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP, WHICH TEND TO MOSTLY FAIL PRIOR TO 10K MILES ON THE CAR. MANY S4 OWNERS AND FORUM MEMBERS REPORTED MANY KINDS OF HAZARD THAT THIS FAILURE CAN BRING, INCLUDING COOLANT SPILLING THAT CAN POTENTIALLY HARM THE SURROUNDING MOTORISTS (SLIPPERY SURFACE CAUSED BY OILY COOLANT) AND THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY. MY WATER PUMP HAS NOT FAILED YET, BUT FROM THE FAILURE RATIO SHOWN ON A AUDI S4 OWNER FORUM, IT CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN THAT MOST OF THESE WATER PUMPS WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL AT ANY MILEAGE. I AM SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT ENDANGERING OTHERS, MYSELF, OR MY FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE OF THIS POTENTIAL FAILURE ON THE WATER PUMP OF 2009-PRODUCED 2010 S4. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN OVER THIS ISSUE. *TR

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE WATERPUMP USED IN THE 2010 AUDI S4 3.0T. SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED A WATERPUMP FAILURE WHICH RESULTS IN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING AND PARTIAL OR FULL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURE HAVE HAD THEIR 'BLACK PLASTIC' WATERPUMPS REPLACED WITH A REVISED 'ALUMINUM WATERPUMP'. SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON VARIOUS ENTHUSIAST FORUMS, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE WATERPUMP IS A TICKING TIME BOMB THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED SO INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT 1) LEFT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, 2) SUBJECT TO AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT DUE TO LACK OF POWER STEERING, OR 3) AT RISK DUE TO AN OVERHEATING VEHICLE. I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE ON MY VEHICLE, BUT I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT NHTSA WILL WORK WITH AUDI TO ISSUE A PROMPT RECALL FOR ALL AFFECTED OWNERS. I DO HAVE THE OLD REVISION OF THE WATERPUMP ('BLACK PLASTIC') ON MY VEHICLE AND I AM WORRIED THAT I MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE A FAILURE. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME POSTS ON VARIOUS ENTHUSIAST BOARDS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/382525-ANOTHER-WATERPUMP-BITES-IT...?HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/317505-B8-S4-WATER-PUMP-FAILURE?HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/352343-PROBLEMS-SO-FAR...-TODAY-THE-WATER-PUMP-BLEW?HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/349318-MY-COOLANT-BROKE!!?HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://FORUMS.AUDIWORLD.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2789310&HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://FORUMS.AUDIWORLD.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2789742&HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://FORUMS.AUDIWORLD.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2774524&HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP HTTP://FORUMS.AUDIWORLD.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2773666&HIGHLIGHT=WATERPUMP. *TR