Audi A4 Maintenance and Repair

bosstweed · November 2002

I have a 2002 A4 Quattro 1.8T. I had an engine coil go out on me in the first 3 mounts of owning the car. Does any one know if this is common.

Now the most important thing is second gear does not work. It is rough to say the least and some times it will not go into gear at all, in both upshifting and downshifting. I have had it into the dealer three times now. The first two time they said that they were not able to see the problem. The third tiem they changed the trans. fluid from synthetic to a mineral and just made things worse. I have no confidence in this car and am frustrated. has anyone had problems like this, and does anyone know a good place to find info about lemon laws.
Thanks

Karen_S · November 2002

Check out this article.

Getting Some Lemon-Aid From Your Lemon Maker

deadcpu · November 2002

Weijietang,
has the dealer fix your car problem ? please let me know. I have the same problem with you and it is really frustrating. Is this happen to every car or just some car that you and I was unlucky on ?

Olivier

harpster · December 2002

In response to "snotar1", yes the dealer did replace all four of my coils. My work order specifically states 'found coil bad on cylinder 1, replaced all 4 coils.' I do believe that if they stated they replaced them that they did indeed replace all four.

A friend from Boston called me today (Sunday, January 26, 2003) to tell me that there's a big article in the Boston Globe about this coil problem in the Audi A4 and one of the VW Models. I'm going to check to see if the article can be viewed on their website.

The article stated that Audi was only replacing the coils as they misfired because of a shortage of replacement coils. The article also stated that Audi didn't view this problem as a safety issue. What crap!

If anyone hears rumblings about a class action suit let me know because I'm ready to join.

mcmuney · December 2002

1-A random noise during acceleration and decelleration.
2-A shift is driver side mirror that requires the memory button to be pressed every time.
3-A loud knocking sound that occurs right after car is started (occurs about 4-5 times a month).

If anyone came across with these problems and were able to correct them, please e-mail me at "mcmuney@attbi.com" and let me know.

Thanks!

racerx2001 · December 2002

I won't go over the problem all over again, as I have previously post it under the plain "A4" discussion. Please refer to my recent posts there.

I finally realize that the sound only happens from cold start, or when I turn off the ignition and restart the car. After putting the car in 1st, the sound is more noticeable with windows up, and occurs as I release the clutch. But at stop lights, when I again start from 1st, I don't ever hear the sound. Is it normal to have a 1 second klunk sound when the clutch is released during 1st gear after start of ignition? Is it possible that there are other clutch release sounds that I don't hear because it is masked by high speed. I have 235 miles on it. Can I go back to the dealer and say, I take the other one in the lot? Yeah right. What do you all think.

cyberpmg · December 2002

If you only hear the sound upon starting the car, then it can be attributed to the ABS self-check that is performed. Many owners of the '02 - '03 A4 have noticed this. This sound happens for all A4 models with either the manual, auto, or CVT tranny.

It has been deemed by AoA as a normal sound and does not cause any harm or wear to the system. Hope this helps!

mcmuney · December 2002

According to my technician at the dealership, the ABS check sound occurs within 2-5 seconds after the gear is put to drive and accelarator is pressed (during initial movement). The sound is more like a clicking sound. This should occur every single time.

If the sound is coming right after the car is started, I don't think it's ABS related.

deadcpu · December 2002

I have my Audi Quattro A4 2003, within 1 month, I found couples of problem with the car already.

1) cup holder at the front dash broke lose. it open but could not close. One trip to dealer, they fixed it.

2)lights on the tilt button for power sunroof are dead. The saleman said it broke the diode inside the knob, they reschedule to fix it in my second visit with the mirrors problem below. after I received the car today, the service department man said, it was built like that. totally different with the saleman told me at the first visit after they open up the car.

3)Mirrors are not adjust with remote control. I brought it to dealer twice and nothing fix yet. they claim it fixed but it isn't. I will have to go to the dealer again tomorrow (december 24, 2002)

3)Headrest of the driver seat can not go all the way down like passanger seat. I just found this out this afternoon (december 23,2002). I will bring this to my saleman attention during tomorrow visit.

4) the headlight is a little bit out adjustment. one it pointing right and one is lower.

I do'nt know what Should I say to AUDI. I think this is my first Audi Car but it will also be my last Audi. BMW or Mercedes will be replace on my next car purchase. My wife Acura 3.2 TL 2002 is even better built than this AUDI QUATTRO. Audi is just a big fat name brand without any quality.

boolistic · December 2002

Hi All; I am interested in hearing from anyone about engine vibration problems experienced with the 1.8T and Tiptronic engine. I have a severe vibration that is transmitted up through the seat and frame of the car at idle and it actually improves with the AC on. Further there are bands of severe vibration at 2100 rpm and again at other points along the rpm range.

The problem is so bad that I do not believe I can resell the car with this level of vibration and it is really uncomfortable driving. My experiences with Audi is that they refuse to do anything about it and they say it is "normal". Has anyone else experienced this?

Vibrating Joe

mcmuney · December 2002

I share your feelings. I've owned my 2003 A4 for nearly 3 months now and this site does not have enough space to note all of my issues.

I also noticed the headlight were out of balance, on mine...the right is higher, like this __/--. If yours is the same, it could be normal. I'll have to mention it the next time I take it in.

I haven't had any interior lights go off yet, but I did have an exterior light malfunction, I kept getting errors saying that my headligh, rear lights are not working, this was fixed after 3 trips to the dealership.

I do have mirror issues, which tend to shift automatically at times, but the times are unknown.

My main issues are noise related. I have one knocking sound that occurs right after the car is started, but this does not occur all the time. The other noise occurs during evening drives, it starts during acceleration between 40-60mph and continues at all speeds upto 60mph during acceleration and decelleration.

This whole car is a mystery!!

deadcpu · December 2002

MCMUNEY,
do you have the light on the swith that tilt the power sunroof luminated ? these aren't the light around the switch. the one i am talking about is on the swith. please confirm this.

and your right handside mirror working with the remote control?

We should compile a list of owner complains and send it to audi so they can work on these problems or call back their faulty product.

I brought my car to the dealer this morning December 27, 2002 to the right mirror, light on the knob that open the sunroof. All i get from their answer:
FOR MIRROR " IT DOES NOT SAY IN THE MANUAL THAT THE RIGHT MIRROR WILL WORK WITH REMOTE CONTROL"
FOR LIGHT ON THE KNOB " THE LIGHT ISN'T BUILT IN FOR 2003"..

i was about to curse because I pay a lot of money for this car and it isn't up to my wife Acura 3.2 TL. Her car just have every features that this damn stupid audi has and IT WORKS FLAWLESS.

I knew that I will not buy anymore of AUDI does not matter how great they are later on even they are called back to fix the problem.

pcbuhrke · December 2002

I have a 2002 A4 3.0 sp Manual. Here are the list of problems to date:
1) Faulty rear seat back latches - replaced
2) Transmission problems. 1st and 2nd gear mechanisms replaced
3) Power steering fluid vanished
4) CAM shaft adjusters broken. Currently being replaced.

Has any one else seen such problems? The car is only 1 year old. I'm quite upset that a car costing nearly 40K (USD) has so many serious problems.

drew37 · December 2002

bosstweed: unfortunately ignition coil (coilpack) failure is becoming an increasing problem in '02 1.8T's and to a lesser extent in 3.0's. And now may be starting in '03 A4's. There are estimates that as many as 10-15% of 02's have had this problem. Some more than once. There are rumors of a recall in the coming months. At audiworld.com this is a very hot topic of conversation.

02a4curt · December 2002

...the right is higher, like this __/--.....this is normal. Left side is lower to reduce glare for oncoming traffic.

rampus · December 2002

Recently replaced rear passenger door molding and now notice that front passenger and driver side molding is separating from doors. Car with only 48k miles is out of warranty and Audi says I have to pay to replace molding. Has anyone else experienced this problem and were you able to get Audi to pay for it even if out of warranty? I suspect its a design defect that Audi won't admit to.

JBaumgart · December 2002

Same problem here after about 53,000 miles on my '98.5 - have replaced both driver's side door moldings in the last six months (at my expense, which I didn't question 'cause I knew it was out of warranty). I think the spring clips that hold the molding in place are prone to deterioration - seem to have about a 5 year life expectancy.

zihuat · December 2002

We purchased a new 2003 Audi A4 3.0 quattro, fully loaded in October. At 4,000 miles the car started missing badly, nearly broke down before getting it back to the dealer for repair. Took the dealer a several days to determine the problem, but nearly two weeks to have the part--an entire new wiring harness for the left side of the engine--shipped over from Europe. Anyone else have or heard of this problem? We're worried sick we may have purchased a lemon . . . should have bought the BMW instead.?.?

mcmuney · January 2003

DEADCPU,
You are absolutely correct!!!

The switch itself does not light up. I did not notice this before and I'll surely bring it up at my next appointment.

Same problem with the right mirror, it does not change with the remote (keyless entry) and requires pressing the memory button that is on the driver door. I will have to address this issue as well.

As for the headlights, according to 02A4CURT (on post #117), it is normal for the right to be higher. I'll double check this information with the dealership as well.

It is just BS what the dealership is telling you. If the right mirror does not shift, it defeats the whole purpose of having a keyless memory seating and mirror function. The representatives are fairly nice at my dealership. I'm curious to see what they have to say.

As for writing to Audi, they don't seem to care. I've written to them several times regarding my issues and all I get from them is a letter stating that the car is within "technical specification" and that the dealership will make any necessary repairs that is under warranty.

Do you have some of my other problems that I'm having:

1)A random klunk/knocking sound when the car starts?
2)Any type of consistent noise that occurs while acceleration and/or de-acceleration?

These two are my main issues.

mcmuney · January 2003

ZIHUAT,
Ouch!! That sounds terrible. I also purchased my 03 A4 3.0 CVT in October, but I haven't had that problem yet, but then again, I haven't reached 4K yet. I'm closer to 3.5K, I'll let you know how things turn out later in the year. I did have a minor electrical malfunction that kept telling me that none of my right lights were working, but that was taken care of after 4 trips.

I'm not a big fan of the BMW's (except the 525 series), but even though the A4 is a great experience WHEN it is trouble free, all the headaches that owners are having is definitely not worth it.

cyberpmg · January 2003

The light pattern is correct. The pattern has a stair step effect going down to the left. This was done so the oncoming traffic won't think you have your high beams on. (The pattern should be reversed for those with the right hand driving position). This pattern also gives you more visibility on the passenger side to watch out for objects on the side of the road.

As for the sunroof dial, the actual dial knob does not light up. Instead, the markings around the knob do light up. The dial used to light up for the first generation A4s, but not for the current '02-'03 model. This was a very heated discussion over at Audiworld.com, but the truth is that the dial knob will not light up.

For the mirror and the remote, it has been determined that it is a software error in the program that doesn't allow the mirror to adjust from the remote. To my knowledge, no fix to the software has been made (and may not be).

The random "klunk" sound you hear at startup is the ABS self check. That is normal operation. A lot of people have been caught off guard when they hear it for the first time.

Can you describe the other noise you're hearing during acceleration/deceleration?

mcmuney · January 2003

First of all, thanks for sharing the info, it eases the pain a little.

As for the "klunk" sound, why does it happen at random times and shouldn't the dealership be aware of this? I mentioned the problem to them so many times and they say that they have no idea what it could be unless they hear it... and sure enough, like my other problems, nothing happens at the dealership. Secondly, there is a different klunk feel/sound that occurs when the car is put in 'drive' and the car makes its first movement. This occurs every time and I was told by the technician that this was the ABS self check sound. So, the 'klunk' that I'm refering to occurs as soon as the car starts. To me, it sounds as if it is coming from the rear. It occurs between 2-15 times a month. So, are you sure that this is a ABS self check as well??? If yes, why would it have two self checks?

Now, the noise (this is my BIGGEST issue). It's really hard to explain, it generally occurs during my drive home from work. Majority of the times it occurs during the evening... after 15 minutes of driving, it starts slowly and becomes loud. It's a cross between a hum/rattle and if I hold the gear nob down firmly, the noise sometimes stops or the sound gets lower. It sometimes starts with acceleration, but sometimes when the accelerator is released. But once it becomes constant, it will make the noise during both.

Lastly, I can live with the right mirror not working with my remote. But the left mirror does not stay put. For example, if I sit in my car and press the memory 1, the seat and mirrors will come to position. If I wait a minute and press memory 1 again, the left mirror will shift. If I do the same again, the left mirror will shift again, again and so forth. However, this does not occur while driving. But everytime I get into my car, I have to press memory 1 just to bring the left mirror into place and I'm the only one driving the vehicle so no one is manually shifting the mirror. So, I'm not sure exactly when the mirror moves. Know anything about this?

You'll be a life saver if you can solve my noise problems.

Thank in advance!!

purdue90 · January 2003

I've not noticed this problem myself, but my wife's run across it twice in our '01 1.8TQ 5sp w/17" wheels and low-profile tires. With cold wet weather, she's twice had a situation where she had no braking, and a stiff pedal. She pushed hard on the pedal, and in her words 'it broke through' and everything was fine. She says that it's not the ABS pulsing. Anyone run across a similar situation?

Thanks, all.

peterpan223 · January 2003

Carl, thanks for posting the problems with your car. My current lease runs out in March and my first choice for my next car is Audi 3.0 6speed.
But reading all these problems for the car concerns me and I wonder if I should start looking into other cars like BMW or 350Z.
How do you like your car experience so far? How is the manual transmition? Is it short and crisp or is it rather long and notchy? Also can you share how much you paid for your car?
Thanks in advance~!

cyberpmg · January 2003

You're right, the sound you heard upon going into drive is the ABS. The other klunking noise shouldn't happen at all. Is this sound happening during engine turnover or when you put it into a gear (like reverse)? Also, do you have an auto or manual transmission? I have the Audi 3.0 with Tiptronic. If I'm parked on an incline, I can occasionally get a clunking sound and a slight bit of resistance going from Park to Reverse. Maybe this is what you're experiencing?

For the other sound, you said that at times the sound would go away if you had your hand resting on the gear selector. That makes me think that it might have something to do with the transmission (or something related). Holding the gear knob down firmly is not a good thing to do. You're actually putting unwanted pressure on the gears that could lead to premature wear.

If the left mirror is refusing to stay in place with the memory setting, then there is a fault in the system that should be corrected by Audi. My left mirror does not have this problem. Are you holding down the memory button until everything stops moving? Simply doing a quick press of the memory button will not move everything into position.

mcmuney · January 2003

I thought that klunk sound was unusual. No, it doesn't occur during engine turnover, but ONLY when the car starts (within a second of ignition).

I drove with a technician and he said it could be transmission related, but could not duplicate it when I left the car. I'm leaving it again tomorrow, maybe they'll find something.

Yes, I'm holding the memory down until everything moves. I've noticed that you have to do that when the door is closed. When the door is open, I can simply press the memory button and let it go and it will move everything into place.

So far it seems that I'm the only one with this unique noise and the klunk sound.

Thanks.

snotar1 · January 2003

Three ignition coils on my 2002 A4 Avant 3.0L failed at 8110 miles. I understand this is problem with a number of A4s. The dealer replaced only the bad coils.

Has anyone gotten Audi to replace all the coils? I am not happy, I don't think the car has the reliablity I expected. I waiting for other coils to fail.

rtb0807 · January 2003

I've replaced the ignition coil on my Audi A4 3.0 3 times (its currently at the dealership and I have 9K on it)...not sure what the problem is, but its getting quite frustrating and very disappointing. I expected it to be more reliable.

bizwor · January 2003

I am considering purchasing a 98 6cyl Quattro. the price is really good, below blue book, but the mileage is really high 109,000. All highway I've been told, anybody know if these cars are 100,000 + type cars like Nissans and Hondas, are should I bail
thanks

mcmuney · January 2003

How did you identify the faulty rear seat back latch problem?

I have a 2003 A4 3.0 CVT and I'm having my own share of problems. One of them could be a potential transmission problem, but everyone is having difficulty in making a diagnosis.

I hear like a tingling noise, usually in the evenings, which starts after driving for about 10 minutes. It is sometimes during acceleration and other times during deceleration.

I have many other issues, but the noise being the most annoying.

Thanks.

keithp · January 2003

I have had my A4 1.8t (2001) in the shop 3 times replacing the coil pack. Is anyone having the same problems? This is really getting old.

jackpetj · January 2003

My A4 Quattro (2002 style) is just over one year old. I had a problem with mis-firing in November 2002. The dealer told me that Audi had discovered a problem with coils and that they were replacing them. I asked if they were going to replace all four, but was told that Audi had instructed dealers to only replace failed components. I was left feeling a little disconcerted. In mid December 2002, a second coil failed (another tow home from the office, and four hours lost). I asked again if they would replace all four, with the same response "We are not permitted to do so". My reply "Well I will see you in a few weeks!"
Jan 8, 2003 a third coil failed. I refused to go through the inconvenience of calling another tow truck - I was on the Highway 8 in Houston, in rush hour - dangerous at the best of times. So I limped to the dealer in the slow lane.
I spoke with the Sales Manager, and said I did not want to see the car again until they could give me some confidence that it would be problem free. It is Jan 13, and no response yet. Hopefully someone took my complaint seriously.
I purchased an Audi (my first) with the thought that it would be reliable and safe. If I have to drive more than 100 miles I take my wifes car, because I don't know whether the A4 will get me there in one go.
The other thing to fail in October 2002 was the fuel gauge sensor (intermittent zero to max indications) So not only did I have little confidence the car would get me to my destination, I also never knew how much fuel I had to get there either.
I have been extremely disapointed with the A4 to date.
I will let you know what happens later this week.

keithp · January 2003

My car has been in the shop for almost 2 weeks now, with little to no hope of getting it back anytime soon. This is my third time replacing the coils. Has anybody looked into the Lemon Laws. I know they change from state to state, but I would be interested in knowing if these coil failures falls into the Lemon Law criterior? Hope other people are happier with their Audi than I am.

mcmuney · January 2003

I've read up on a little bit and I know that for California if your new car has been at the dealer shop for 30 days or more within the first 6 months or it has been there for an unreasonable amount of time, it is considered a LEMON.

What I'd suggest that you do is e-mail some lemon law lawyers and find one that is willing to look at your work papers for FREE. Once the lawyer looks at your work papers, he/she will be able to advise you properly.

From what I hear, AoA likes to settle lawsuits.

snotar1 · January 2003

I just spent about two weeks going back and forth with Audi customer 'advocates' and supervisors. I was trying to get them to replace all of the coils in my A4 3.0L. I don't want to keep going breaking down and dealingf with the problem. The best I could get out of them was that they are sorry. Nothing more! It is Audi's policy to only replace the coils when they go bad.

This seems illegal, especially when so many people are having the same problem.

I don't think Audi cares about customer loyalty, they got my money. I feel screwed.

mcmuney · January 2003

When I pop-up (not open) my sunroof, I usually hear an unusual sound. It is more like a harmonica effect, as though the sound is caused by the wind hitting against some part of the sunroof.

Has anyone experienced this? If so, what's the fix besides closing it?

Thanks in advance!

pbags · January 2003

thought i'd read thru the A4 issues before trading in my allroad for the A4 avant. now i'm not sure this is the best solution. have loved the '01 ar when it's ok, but have had multiple problems, some not easily diagnosed. the latest will require 3 days in the shop to repair rear main seal leak. trans has to be dropped to get to it. doesn't give me a warm/fuzzy feeling about having my car dissected. after all the problems, i'm ready to trade in before the warranty expires. is the A4 avant worth it or should i look at the bmw 3 series wagon? gosh, i hate to think bmw. had toyotas for years and never a problem.

harpster · January 2003

I own a 2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro with 12000 miles on it. Brought it brand new. I was driving the car home Friday night in 2 degree wind chill weather when the car began to sputter and cough. Fortunately, I was only two miles from home and I prayed all the way home that the car wouldn't quit on me. Had it towed to the dealer Friday night but they couldn't look at it until Monday, today. Anyway, they called to tell me that one of the coils had gone bad and because I had read the posts on this site I knew that that was probably the problem. Also, from reading this site I knew to ask if they replaced ALL four coils and not just the bad coil. They informed me that they had replaced all four coils. Hopefully I won't have any further problems.

Has anyone experienced problems with the coils after they've been replaced?

dobber · January 2003

For what it's worth, i too have had the dreaded miss fire. Replaced my 1st coil pack at 12,000. unfortunetly, the coils are the least of my problems.
the cars has been in for a total of 25 days for transmission problems.
that's is now a total of 35 days in 9 months. i am pursuing the lemon law trail!

snotar1 · January 2003

In Mass the Lemon Law covers the first year or 15 k miles, the problem has to be substantial and a 'reasonable' number of repair attempts made.
My coil problem does not fall under this law. Any one know a lawyer who wants to start a class action law suit. It sounds like there are enough people with this problem to make a class.

It is interesting that the dealer told 'harpster' that they had replaced all four. Did you get it in writing?

plewis100 · January 2003

My 2002 Audi 4 with 9400 miles had been off the road for 29 days waiting for a new coil, 2 radios replaced and various burned out light bulbs and plastic pieces and lights falling off or loose. While failing bulbs and loose plastic pieces are no big deal, the cumulative effect in the first year of a new car adds up to a lack of confidence. Throw in the coil problem and you've got someone who will never buy another Audi again. We never take the A4 far from home and prefer our 5 year old, 88,000 mile Outback (problem-free!) for longer trips. The fact that Audi tries to pass itself off as a competitor to Lexus or BMW is pathetic.

keithp · January 2003

I finally got my car back, again. I was told, by the service manager, that all four of the coils have been replaced. I believe him. I was also told that Audi has made modifications to the most recent batch of coils sent to the US. However, the service manager told me that part number did not change. He stated that normally a new part number is issued, when modifications are made. Thus, I have no idea how how long it will take, for my car to be sent back to the shop.

I have used the Audi Web-Site, as means to show my frustration. In the nicest possible way, I told them I am very unhappy with the car. I have not had a single response from my e-mails. Has anyone gotten a response from Audi, acknowledging they have a problem?

tim_hooligan · January 2003

I too have had a laundry list of problems, and I decided to write Audi of America to address my problems and see if they would offer any assitance in finding and fixing my problems..and at best, pull a lemon out of my pocket.

But, their reponse took nearly 6 weeks and was a simple phone call. They said "Sorry to hear about your problems. But we think your problem is with the dealer and not the car."

When I explained that my car been in for repair 10 times for major issues like head gaskets being replaces all within 6000 miles of ownership, there is a serious issue with the CAR and the DEALERSHIP. This did not include the other problems that I have just begun to live with. I know they'll get worse and eventually I'll be stranded, but I will NEVER keep this car past warranty, so it's all on them.

At one point I considered trying to get an even swap (2001 for 2001) but odds are that I'll get someone else's problem child.

So basically, don't expect any response that you're looking for from Audi.

Keep a copy of all your records and the emails you sent to them. Mail a certified letter to AoA and keep a copy for yourself. From there, you can request arbitration from a 3rd party (the BBB I believe). You can threaten with a lawyer if you have a strong case, and they may be more willing to arbitrate.

Let me know how it goes!

And if anyone in the DC area knows a good dealership, let me know where!!!

harpster · January 2003

This is the article I was referring to:

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/026/auto/No_easy_fix_for_failin- g_ignition_coils_in_Audis_VWs+.shtml

2963 · January 2003

As I am seriously considering the purchase of an '03 A4 3.O Quattro in the next few weeks, has the coil problem manifested itself in the V6 engine as well?

Most of the postings in this forum, along with the referenced article in post #148 (thanks, harpster), refer to the 1.8T engine. Have any V6 engines experienced similar coil failures?

Any additional information related to V6 engine troubles would be greatly appreciated...

kinnman · January 2003

Has anyone heard if recently built models have a newly designed coil? The article harpster provided mentioned a new coil, but date was specified. I recall seeing a post which said something about vehicles built after Nov 2002. I just put a down payment on a vehicle which arrived last week. Thanks in advance!

innerloop · January 2003

On some other website where they are tracking user reports of coil failures, there was only one failure reported on a 2003 coil.

Hard to say if that report is legit, or if the low number of reports is because its a relatively new model and hasn't reached the failure point yet, but one of the reasons Audi pointed to for the limited supply of the "good" coils was that top priority goes to new production vehicles, so its safe to assume any 2003 would have the newer coils, however good they are...

snotar1 · January 2003

My 2002 A4 Avant 3.0 L had 3 coils go at 8500 miles. So even though the 1.8 L seems to have most of the coil problems the V6 has it too. Since these parts are also in short supply, I'm guessing it is the same coils in both the V6 and the 4 cyl.

I agree with a number of you, I would never own this car out of warranty. My 10 yr old Mazda 626 has been so reliable, I'm spoiled.

It is too bad because when the Audi runs its a real joy to drive. But who wants to worry about getting to their destination everytime they get in the car.

I'm glad 3 coils went bad, now there are only 3 waiting to quit in stead of 4 or 5. I wonder if you can drive a misfiring car untill they all go? That is the only way I can think of to get Audi to put good parts in thecar.

JBaumgart · January 2003

It's really too bad that Audi has developed this widespread coil problem with one of their suppliers. This will really set them back as far as their reputation for reliability is concerned, and it comes at a time when their cars have attracted many new customers. Unlike the bogus unintended acceleration issue, this problem is very real and as the word spreads it has to have an impact on their sales, which up to this point have been growing steadily year-by-year. Every car make has problems and recalls now and then, but unfortunately this one seriously affects one's ability to get from Point A to Point B, and it appears to happen suddenly, without warning. It's also occurring on model lines and engine configurations that have been around a long time. In contrast, my '98 A4 with the 2.8 engine has been pretty much bullet-proof, and I've not heard of the coil problem affecting any of the 2.7T engine cars (like my allroad, for instance). But the A4 and A6 "names" have been around for a number of years now, and this part supplier problem, even though it's surfaced only recently, will probably damage the reliability reputation (as far as the average Joe is concerned) of all Audi's generally, if only because the problem is so widespread and most directly affects Audi's top selling model.

I hope this issue has now been resolved, and Audi gets as many owners' cars fixed with "new and improved" coils ASAP before too much damage to the Audi name is done. They should go out of their way to make customers happy, even though for many customers who are very upset or have lost confidence it now seems to be too late. I really feel for anyone who paid good money for their luxury vehicle, but no longer has the confidence to take their car on a trip out of town, for fear of being left stranded. Once Audi gets their supply problem under control, I think they should replace any owner's coils on demand, no questions asked, even if their does not appear to be any problem whatsoever with the owners' existing coils.

Just my 2 cents...

rikia1 · January 2003

I have already posted a message on the A6 message board, however, most of the coil problems relating to my 2002 A6 3.0 Quattro appear to be the same as on the A4. My car has had 3 attempts to fix coils. Like others have stated, the dealer says they can only fix what is broken. Well, under NJ lemon law, this is the third attempt for the same defect and/or my car has been out of service for over the 20 day cumulative lemon law standard. This all has to occur under 18,000 miles and I'm at 17,000. After numerous complaints to the dealer and Audi of America's dealer representative, along with a letter implying the car is a lemon under NJ law, I received a phone call from this dealer representative stating that I would be "splitting hairs" if I pursued the lemon law! The nerve, after having pushed aside all my previous complaints. However, she did respond within the 10 day limit (9 days to be exact) after she received the lemon law letter notification. She further went on to say that all coils would be replaced and to hold on to the loaner car. However, that same day my dealership called up to inform me the car was ready. In fact, the dealer and manufacturer have no communication! The dealer had merely changed one coil after having kept my car for two weeks! I refused to further deal with the frustration and have hired a lawyer. I have been advised that trying to settle with a lemon law suit could take a long time so now I am asking to receive a new car, 2003, and just put down the difference after what I paid for the 2002.
I encourage anyone that has such continuous problems to really pursue legal action. Audi can't get away with something like this because apparently they are giving us all the same run around excuses or are not even acknowledging that it is their problem and not ours. Should enough people pursue this course, it might end up that we all win - whether it be a new car or a refund! It's well worth it!

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