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Comments
I have a really bad feeling I'm going to get hosed by the dealer.
I went to an independent shop before going to the dealer. The independent shop told me essentially the same thing you did; that it could be the wiring, the spring, the ignitor or the module. But they were honest and said they couldn't pin it down easily.
The Audi dealership wrote that it was the airbag itself, so I can at least curse them out when their greedy little hands take $600 from me for a new airbag and the problem returns a week later. Maybe there's some legal recourse for me if the same error code is repeated.
Although the forum attracts people primarily wanting to solve problems with their cars or exchange information, many of us are thrilled with the overall experience. I have found the car to be very fun and extremely safe especially with quattro and I like to press the twistys. I am 5'11/170 with most of my height in my legs and the car fits me just fine and I don't put the seat all of the way back nor do I run into the center console with my leg. I have had one problem with my Zenons going down over rough roads but the service experience was largely a good one except for the 20 something newly employed service woman who does not seem to know much about cars much less Audi----; it was good that she asked someone before answering my questions. The sunroof issues mentioned in the forum are solved by not opening the roof all the way unless windows are open. The HVAC is typical of a german ride and very efficient. I have sometimes wished for more power in my 1.8T but enjoyed it mostly. Roger, Roger, Roger....
We decided to keep the car after it went out of warranty in the hope that the bad components had all been replaced. Two thousand miles later we had a blower motor and an oil sensor fail. I was given an estimate of $650.00 for the repairs. It was at this point that we decided we had to get rid of the car.
The Audi dealer made no attempt to retain us as a customer. Ironically, the Acura dealer was willing to give us more for our A4 trade-in than the Audi dealer and to find the exact car we were looking for. The Audi dealer wouldn’t even provide a list of what was available beyond their lot. We decided to buy the Acura TSX.
October 14, 2003
XXXX XXXX
ZZZZ Audi
Dear XXXX,
My wife is on a first name basis with the ZZZZ Service Department. This is not a good thing. A quick check of the service records will show that the reliability of our 2001 Audi A4 (41,000 miles) has been exceptionally poor. Some of the parts we’ve had replaced include headlight bulbs, clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, flywheel, ignition coils, muffler clip, power steering pump, driver’s side B-pillar, vane pump, and exterior trim parts. In addition, the wiper blades and headlights were not adjusted properly at the factory and required adjustment by the service department in order to function adequately.
The most recent problem occurred immediately after our A4 was in the shop to have ignition coils replaced for the second time. This time it was a collapsed vacuum line and a broken vacuum booster. Because of the timing I have to wonder if this happened inadvertently as a result of the ignition coil work done previously. As I write this letter, the check engine light is on and the power-assisted brakes are working intermittently.
A bad situation has been made worse because the service department does not stock many of the A4 parts that we’ve had fail. Most failures require two visits one to diagnose the problem and another to rectify it after the parts come in. On one occasion the wrong part was ordered. Currently the vacuum booster is on order.
Our A4 is a great car when it isn’t broken down. But, because of the frequent reliability problems and the lack of stocked replacement parts, we are questioning whether or not we should keep it beyond the warranty period; and if not, what type of car we should buy to replace it. I need to answer the following questions in order to make these decisions:
1. Does ZZZZ and or Audi offer any relief in terms of free or deeply discounted extended warranties to customers who have been sold a car with poor reliability?
2. Is our experience typical of your other Audi customers, or did we just get a bad car?
3. Does ZZZZ and or Audi offer any incentives for disillusioned customers to take a chance and buy another Audi in hopes that it will be reliable?
Frankly XXXX, I would like to remain one of your customers, but I will need to see some positive responses to these questions in order for that to happen. Please let me know where ZZZZ and Audi stand.
Sincerely,
February 2, 2004
YYYYY YYYYY
ZZZZ Audi
Dear Mr. YYYYY,
I sent the enclosed letter several months ago and have not yet received a reply. While my wife had our car in for additional repairs recently, XXXX XXXX mentioned that he had forwarded the letter to your attention. Will you be providing answers to my questions, or is there someone else that I need to contact? Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
February 6, 2004
Client Relations
Audi of America
Auburn Hills, MI
To whom it may concern,
I received a call from Mr. YYYYY YYYYY, the manager of ZZZZ Audi in WXYZ, PA, in response to my enclosed letter of 2 February. Mr. YYYYY said that our case may qualify for some type of redress and suggested that I contact Audi Client Relations. I have also enclosed my letter from 14 October, 2003 that details some of the problems that we had experienced up to that point with our 2001 A4. Since then we’ve had the car back to the service department for more repairs. In addition, the power steering pump, trunk struts, and a fan switch are due to be replaced on Tuesday, 10 February.
To summarize our situation, we are well pleased with our car when it is not experiencing reliability problems. The Audi that we owned prior to this one was extremely reliable, so we have concluded that we just got a bad one this time. As we are nearing the end of the warranty period we need to decide whether or not to keep the car or to buy a replacement. To make this decision we need to get answers to the following questions:
1. Does Audi offer an extended warranty at no cost to customers who have been sold a car with poor reliability?
2. Does Audi offer any incentives for disillusioned customers to take a chance and buy another Audi in hopes that it will be reliable?
If the answers to the above questions are no, we intend to trade our Audi in on another brand of vehicle.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
February 18, 2004
YYYYY YYYYY
ZZZZ Audi
Dear Mr. YYYY,
I contacted Audi Client Relations per your recommendation (see the enclosed letter). Unfortunately I was informed today that there was nothing they would do, and that I would have to take these issues up with the ZZZZ Sales Manager. Obviously we are disappointed with this response and feel as though we are being given the run around. I guess the ball is back in your court.
Sincerely,
From Audi, you can get three levels:
Silver covers "major components" (probably about 50% of the car??)
Gold covers the silver stuff plus "High tech" components: basically more sophisticated stuff including a lot more electrical components
Platinum is essentially the same coverage as the bumper to bumper warranty you get with the new car except that it excludes stuff that wears out like break pads, bulbs, batteries, clutch components etc.
You also pick the term and deductible. You can go up to 100K miles and 7 years from date of purchase.
For 100K, 7 yrs, $100 deductible per visit: Silver is $2804, Gold is $3632 and Platinum is $4228.
You must buy the Audi warranty before your existing warranty runs out.
The Ford 100K warranty:
It can be purchased at any time, even after your existing warranty expires. But you must have a "pre-inspection" to assure that there is nothing wrong with your car before you get the warranty. (the Audi 50K service will do for this)
You can go to any shop (not just Audi)
It is good for 100K miles (on your odometer) or 4 years from the date that you purchase the warranty.
It covers the same stuff as the Audi Platinum warranty
It costs $3823.
It is transferable to a new owner.
I think you can cancel it and get a prorated refund as well.
I'm thinking that this is a good indication of how much my car will cost me if I decide to keep it. Obviously, they don't plan on losing money on their warranties, so I can pay them this up front and recover some (or maybe all if I have a lemon) of it throughout the course of the warranty period.
Here's the airbag question!
I just noticed what appears to be something that has oozed out of the airbag emblem in the back seat head airbag. It looks almost like the car leaked in a major way and then dried out(but it doesn't leak...I sprayed it hard all over the outside with water and no leak). There is this crusty white stuff that has clearly soaked through the fabric and created a foot-long front which has dried in place. This is a one-person car and nobody has been back there (not even Bill Clinton ) I showed it to the Audi dealer. They agreed that it looks like it came from the airbag emblem thing. Of course they wanted to take my car away from me for diagnosis...I'm a little hesitant at this point since the last time they got their grubby hands on it they had it for 10 days! Any idea what this could be??
Swimgal
Thanks in advance for your advice. Cicero
Unless you like the feel of a vibrating steering wheel (ooooo) you should always balance the tires after a rotation.
Swimgal
I'm hoping that I can get a recommendation from this list on a knowledgeable and reliable shop for my 2001 Audi A4. Right now, I need the brake pads checked, but I wold like to establish a working relationship given that the expense and disappointment of local dealerships.
I live in Watertown, Massachusetts, and work in Wakefield just off of Rte 128/95.
Please let me know your personnal experience and connection with the shop.
Thanks,
AnnieM
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your help with this decision. We're looking at purchasing from a private (first) owner of A4 '02 3.0 quattro with the following:
22K Miles
Automatic, Brilliant Black Ext, Ebony premium leather interior
Premium Pkg
Cold Weather Pkg
Sports Pkg
Bose Premium Sound
Rear Side Airbags
Pwr Rear Sunshade, Manual Side Sunshade
the car is selling for $26K. I've researched this board and asked the seller about any issues re: engine coil replacements, mirror lights, lag and lurch, and gear locked in park.
1. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ITEMS I SHOULD LOOK FOR?
2. IS THIS CAR A GOOD BUY? We love the look of the A4. But don't know if buying the first year of this model is a good idea. We are in NO RUSH to buy, and can keep looking for a 2003.
THANKS!
If the coils were replaced before any failure occurred, then you're in really good shape. The mileage seems nice and low, plus it has a few more goodies than what I have. You should still be covered by the OEM warranty and free maintenance service up to 4 years or 50,000 miles.
There are some extra features found in the 2002 that were cut from the 2003 model (like rear heated seats, smog sensor, interior motion sensor, etc.) that may not be must haves, but are definately nice to have. Sounds like a good deal for you!
Can't reply on the long term, or the CVT, but my 2004 1.8T Tip has been puurrrrrfect since January.
Go for it!
At 85000 miles, I had a complete set of lower control arms (the second!), an upper control arm, and both tie rod ends replaced.
Audi's response to my inquiry was that these are normal "wear parts" and the responsibility of the owner.
I had planned to replace this with another audi when its useful life was at an end, but I now question the wisdom of this approach. Audi doesn't seem to stand behind their cars.
They have major systems like front end suspensions and timing belts that they think of as wear parts that need to be replaced regularly. Run, don't walk, and do not stop at an Audi dealer.
On the other hand, I own an Urquattro with only 61k miles and have had to replace the distributor, ignition module, and fuel distributor; not to mention the rebuilding of the cylinder head and valves since the timing cog broke. Granted - the timing cog may not have been properly seated and tightened by a previous mechanic. Still, it makes me wonder how many parts would have given out under normal circumstances. Knock on wood - the turbo's still good!
Now, when I do see an Audi A4 3.0 or a BMW 325, Acura tsx, I LOVE what I see. I am planning to get a new car next year & doubt I'll get another Hyundai, but I can't justify getting something that will let me down.
flame away!!
2. Buy a used Audi if that's your "flame".
3. Register the Audi with your insurance company as a "pleasure vehicle" - which costs less.
4. Drive it when ever you want.
If it breaks down, you always have the Hyundai while the Audi is waiting on parts or for repairs.
That's what I do with my Urquattro, while my daily driver is a Mazda 3.
Just when I was looking to buy I came across this article over at cars.com
----
Volkswagen is warning 426,000 VW Passat and Audi A4 owners of an engine oil sludge problem, and the Center for Auto Safety is asking the Chrysler Group to correct sludge problems and extend the warranty on 2.7-liter V-6 engines in 1998-2002 model year vehicles.
Sludge buildup causes engine performance to deteriorate. In extreme cases, sludge can cause engines to seize.
Affected Volkswagen models are 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines on 1998 to 2004 Passats and 1997 to 2004 A4s. VW won’t say how many engines have been replaced or repaired, or what it is spending to fix the problem.
-------
Link is here http://www.cars.com/news/stories/090104_storya_an.jhtml?page=news- story&aff=national
Do you know where the Fuse Box is? I did not have the book when I bought this car. Thanks.
My concern is this: the dealer is all over the map with regard to the severity of the problem. When they first told me the joints were cracked, I asked if it could wait since I was already in for a timing belt change and some other expensive repairs. Their reply was that it's not too serious a problem and that the worst that would happen is the ride would get bumpier and noisier.
Now the last time I took it in, the mechanic told me I shouldn't drive the car until they're replaced, that I would lose control of the vehicle if they failed. The way in which he said it, coupled with the previous statement that noise and vibration was all I had to worry about, really set off my BS detector. I don't feel like I can get a straight answer out of these folks now.
So is my car really an accident waiting to happen, or are they just trying to pressure me into expensive repairs? FWIW, there is no noise or vibration right now - I wouldn't think there's any problem at all if the dealer wasn't barking about it.
Thanks,
Jonathan
I have confimed this with many other owners over the past year so it is one of those 'they all do that' noises and nothing to worry about.
JR
The letter from Audi should include a list of approved motor oil that should now be used in the 1.8T engine. The synthetic oil will not generate the sludge that conventional (dyno) oil can. Those owners who chose to use synthetic oil on their own (and brought it in to be used during scheduled maintenance) have not encountered any problems with oil sludge.
You were lucky that only the oil pump failed. With the pump failed, oil circulation stopped. You ran the risk of having the engine components fuse into a solid block of metal due to the missing lubrication of the oil.
I don't think you'll be qualified for any lemon law as it usually referrs to repeated attempts to repair the same problem or having the car in for repairs over XX days and within the first year of ownership.
1) Is low gas mileage normal at first?; and
2) When should I use the "S" gear?
Thanks!
winwell, it is typical for the gas mileage to be low for the A4 (both the 3.0 and the 1.8T). Give it about 5,000 miles before noticing a climb in the fuel effeciency. I have close to 77,000 miles with mostly highway driving and get around 24mpg for my 2002 3.0.