2011 Audi S4

AT ABOUT 49K MILES THE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES LURCH BACKWARDS WHEN IN REVERSE OR GOING FROM REVERSE TO PARK. TOOK INTO MECHANIC. NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES SHOWED UP. AROUND 60K MILES THE CAR OVERHEATED. AUDI STATED IT NEEDED A NEW THERMOSTAT WHICH WAS AROUND $1000. DROVE THE CAR ACROSS COUNTRY FROM CA TO CO. AROUND 62K MILES CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULD NOT GET OUT OF 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION" WARNING CAME ON. STATED NOT TO GO INTO REVERSE. DROVE HOME SLOWLY. NEXT MORNING ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF. TOOK TO MECHANIC. NO PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND. MAY 2016 AT 69K MILES CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AGAIN. COULDN'T GET RPMS UP. RESET CODES USING DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. DROVE FROM UTAH TO CO. CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE PROBABLY 40 TIMES ON I-70. CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. MADE IT TO DEALER (PRESTIGE IN LAKEWOOD, CO). MECHATRONICS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND CAR IN NEED OF ENTIRELY NEW TRANSMISSION. COST $12,000. DEALERSHIP 'PAID' $8000. I PAID $4000. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR.

THIS VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM A FAULTY MECHATRONICS UNIT, CAUSING THE CAR TO MIS-SHIFT AND SURGE WHILE DRIVING, OR FAIL TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN STOPPED IN TRAFFIC IN "D" DRIVE, DUE TO PARKING BRAKE DRIVE-SELECT MALFUNCTIONS. IN THESE CASES THE CAR MUST BE TURNED OFF, IN TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN. THIS TECHNIQUE HAS WORKED SO FAR BUT I AM AFRAID THIS WILL NOT WORK EVENTUALLY, AND BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE ON THE ROADWAY.

VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT STRANGE SHIFTING BEHAVIOR IN LOW GEARS. WHEN UPSHIFTING OR DOWNSHIFTING FROM 1-2-3 AND VICE VERSA THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES HESITATE OR SHIFT INAPPROPRIATELY. AUDI DEALERSHIP UPDATED SOFTWARE AND CHECKED THE PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS NOT ANY ERROR CODES. PROBLEM WOULD COME AND GO USUALLY WHEN IT WAS HOT OUTSIDE. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR (SEPT 2015) CAR HAS AGAIN BEEN ODDLY SHIFTING IN LOW GEARS AND EVEN REVVING TO HIGH RPMS BEFORE DOWNSHIFTING IN AUTOMATIC MODE. CAR FINALLY THREW AND ERROR CODE SAYING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION AND CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT FIND THE RIGHT GEARS TO SHIFT. CAR HAS BEEN EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF MECHATRONIC UNIT FAILURE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

I WAS ACCELERATING, AFTER LEAVING A RESTAURANT, INTO TRAFFIC. I RECEIVED THE "DSG MALFUNCTION LIGHT" AND SUDDENLY AT ABOUT 20MPH MY LURCHED FORWARD AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE AND SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. CAR RESTARTED AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS BUT DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD GO WITHOUT NOTICE. IF I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND THROTTLE WENT OUT SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. *TR

I WAS CRUISING AT APPROX. 55MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK. I HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF ANYTHING PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND DECELERATING AS IF I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I MADE AN EMERGENCY MERGE INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN AND WAS LUCKILY NOBODY REAR ENDED ME. AFTER INSPECTION OF MY TIRES WHICH WERE OK I GOT BACK IN CAR. D OR R WOULD NOT WORK. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE.