Other Engine Info: 50-St/Can. BIN 5 / ULEV II emission std.
Emissions Certification Test Group: 6ADXV02.0352
Other Restraint System Info: Active Seat Belt., Advanced Front AirBag, Advanced Front Airbag
Plant City: Ingolstadt
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
I AM AN OWNER OF A 1999 AUDI A4 QUATTRO WITH THE 2.8 ENGINE; THE VIN OF THE VEHICLE IS [XXX]; THE VEHICLE HAS 101,845 MILES. I WAS HAVING THE FOLLOWING ISSUE; AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON INDICATING AND ABS FAILURE. THIS WOULD OCCUR AFTER THE CAR IS COMPLETELY WARMED UP. I DID SOME CHECKING AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS PROBLEM WITH ABS CONTROL UNIT. I FURTHER INVESTIGATED THIS ISSUE AND ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996-2001 AUDI A4S. VOLKSWAGEN JETTAS AND PASSATS OF THE SAME YEAR, THAT UTILIZE THE SAME SYSTEM, HAD/HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM; IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT VOLKSWAGEN CONDUCTED A NATIONAL RECALL CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I WAS WONDERING WHY AUDI HAS NOT HANDLED THIS PROBLEM IN THE SAME MANNER. I DONT THINK AUDI OWNERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED PAY TO FIX A CLEARLY MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND A SAFETY COMPONENT AT THAT! I CONTACT AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GET A REACTION FROM THEM; THE REFERENCE NUMBER IS [XXX]. I WROTE A DETAILED LETTER TO MR. JOHAN DENYSSCHEN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AUDI NORTH AMERICA; HE IN TURN PASSED THE LETTER TO ONE OF THE AUDI REGIONAL MANAGERS ANNETTE JOHNSON. THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAD INDICATED THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DIAGNOSED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI SERVICE CENTER (AUDI DEALER). HER TONE WAS VERY HELPFUL; HOWEVER SHE HAS INDICATED THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO CONSTITUTE A RECALL. FURTHERMORE, THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE ABS FAILURE AS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THEY REGARD THE SYSTEM AS A DRIVERВїїS AIDE. ADDITIONALLY SHE COULD NOT FIND ANY RECORDS THAT SHOWED VOLKSWAGENS BEING RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I EVENTUALLY GOT A PROBLEM FIXED AT A SMALLER SHOP, WHICH COST ME AROUND $600.00 DOLLARS. THE DEALER WAS GOING TO OVER CHARGE ME ON THE PART BY $400.00 AND 6.5 HOURS OF LABOR AT $105.00 PER HOUR FOR A JOB THAT ACTUALLY TOOK ONLY 1.5 HOURS. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THIS AUDI, ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD OCCASIONALLY FLICKER WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND THEN PRODUCE AN ERROR CODE: "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT." THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER, WITH THE BULBS STILL PRODUCING LIGHT, WHILE DRIVING BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL FLICKER, GENERALLY WHEN ASSOCIATED WITH A BUMPY ROAD, AND THEN WILL SUDDENLY TURN OFF, PRODUCING TWO ERROR CODES "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" AND "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT". THE BULBS ARE SOMEWHAT NEW AND ALL THE HEADLIGHT PARTS ARE OEM, AND THIS BECOMES EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE I'M DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THE DARK. I UNDERSTAND FROM ONLINE BLOGS THAT SEVERAL OTHER 2006 AUDI A4 OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH TIES BACK TO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE GIVEN THAT HEADLIGHTS ARE AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF A CAR WHILE AND THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS WHEN DRIVING IN THE DARK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR