Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 0406 | 12/13/2004 | 10011880 | Coolant leak at oil cooler hoses. *tt | 02/03/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 17 08 03 | 03/11/2008 | 17 08 04 | 10024407 | Engine oil pressure too low - engine flush. *nj updated 4/30/08. *nj | 04/11/2008 |
| 2012833 | 05/17/2007 | 20128332 | 10021439 | Engine oil pressure too low - engine flush. *kb | 04/26/2007 |
| 0604 | 04/07/2006 | 10020721 | Oil sludge limited warranty extension. *kb | 01/03/2007 | |
| 0431 | 08/11/2005 | 0515 | 10016508 | Repairs of oil sludge related problems. *tt | 09/20/2005 |
| 0402 | 07/26/2005 | 0506 | 10015982 | Engine oil specifications, oil capacity, oil filter. to include audi 24 2006. *tt | 08/18/2005 |
| 0420 | 08/01/2004 | 10009900 | Warranty extension covering certain oil sludge related repairs. *tt | 11/02/2004 | |
| 0420 | 08/26/2004 | 0431 | 10009876 | Oil sludge - warranty extension. service circular - warranty. *tt | 11/01/2004 |
| 0403 | 08/05/2004 | 10009881 | Low engine oil pressure light is on. audi cabriolet 2004 included. *tt | 11/01/2004 | |
| 0402 | 08/31/2004 | 10009879 | Valve cover, diagnosing oil leakage from gaskets. *tt | 11/01/2004 | |
| 0401 | 08/05/2004 | 0402 | 10009880 | Engine oil specifications, oil capacity, oil filter. *tt this bulletin replaces bulletin 04-01 dated jan. 12, 2004. 2004 cabriolet, audi included. *tt | 11/01/2004 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 150102 | 05/24/2001 | 150101 | 621505 | A condition may exist where the engine cranks but will not start. *tt | 09/25/2001 |
| 150101 | 02/13/2001 | 159901 | 619856 | A condition may exist where the engine may crank but will not start. *tt | 07/03/2001 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 0521 | 10/13/2005 | 0524 | 10016506 | The warranty is extended for subject vehicles to 168,000 km (105,000 miles), regardless of time in service, for engine damage resulting from a broken timing belt. *tt | 09/19/2005 |
| JK | 07/01/2005 | 10015577 | Customer satisfaction campaign jk to inspect the timing belt on vehicles with internal engine damage resulting from a broken timing belt. *tt | 07/29/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 10500 | 1 | |
| 1999 audi a4 2.8. third time the car needs to replace leaking cam seals on engine. all cam seal repairs completed by original dealer repair dept. first repair was only at 39,000 miles and 6 months off of warranty, in november 2003. 2nd repair was only two years and 30,000 miles later, at 69,000 miles, in february 2005. 3rd repair now needed, only after 35,000 miles later, at 105,000 miles. i have read that this is an ongoing problem with the a4 model manufactured over the course of several years, including 1999, and that the cam seals should last much longer than 35,000 miles. audi corporate refused to assist with expenses with the 2nd repair. i am in discussions with audi corporate about the expenses for the 3rd repair. since this is a persistent problem with my vehicle, and as i've read, many other 1999 a4s, i encourage the nhtsa to research this cam seal engine defect, and issue a defect recall. i had submitted the same request several years ago, when the first incident occurred. thank you. karen blumenfeld *tr | |||
| 10/24/2004 | 70000 | 1 | |
| A4 timing belt failure in 1998 quatro models. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 28000 | ||
| Rapid and catastrophic failure of water pump disrupted timing chain and led to severe damage to engine, requiring its replacement. this incident occurred while i was driving at night on a limited access road without shoulders. i needed to go several hundred yards, at most, to pull off road for safety. audi's 3-year warranty had expired, and so it offered no help, despite low mileage and regular maintenance of the car. | |||
| 05/02/2003 | 27500 | 1 | 08/27/1999 |
| Leaking water pump caused timing belt to fail causing $8500 engine damage on a 1999 audi a4 with only 28k miles. | |||
| 05/16/2003 | 15000 | 0 | 06/04/1999 |
| When the car was about a year old, the entire airbag system had to be replaced, the repair facility noted to me that i was lucky to bring it in when i did, as it was at risk for spontaneous deployment. additional problems included an oil pump failure ($750) at about the three year mark; and occasional sudden lurching/rpm revving or sudden onset of a 'lag' in power, which the dealer noted when i brought it in but could do nothing about. i have also had problems with the fuel indicator gauge being grossly inaccurate - indicating i have used only a quarter tank of fuel to drive 350 miles. however, the most bothersome ongoing problem is four or five trips to the dealer to repair a non-functioning cruise control system. each time they have 'replaced the vacuum hoses' but this 'repair' will begin to fail again later that same day. the system will either fail to engage altogether, or it will be engaged during highway driving, then within a few minutes, the speed will continually decrease until i have to manually disengage the system and turn it off. i reported this to audi of america's corporate customer service (very friendly and helpful) who helped me arrange another service visit, but the problem has never been resolved. cruise control has never worked and i'm giving up on it ever working. i just have to pretend that i don't have it, which is very annoying during highway travel. *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 04/25/2011 | 222673 | ||
| The events that led to the failer of the car is when it started to throw smoke from the exhaust and we found out about the failer when we took it the the mechanic who told us the engine was no good. so far im looking for a new engine | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 68000 | 1 | 05/20/2002 |
| Turbo-charger broke down. it should not have happened at 68000 as it is not a wearable part. the car started stalling, pressed gas pedal but there was no movement. scale of the rpm's on the dash board went all the way to 5500 rpm's, when i pressed a gas pedal, but the car did not move. suddenly, i was engulfed in humungous amount of white smoke. brought car to don rosen audi service center and they are saying that repair will cost me some $1,600 at least. but, i brought my car in, month ago to don rosen audi authorized service center with complaint that there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust and that vehicle was running at 60% of its power. they looked at it and said they did not see any problem, particularly that the turbo-charger was just fine. i said, maybe there is no smoke coming out right this moment, but it is happening every single day, few times a day, and please to look at it better. they've just sent me home telling me there was no problem. i told them that it was their mistake by not listening me when i complained on time to fix it. but they did not want to hear my argument. now, i have to pay for the repair i've told them month and a half ago to fix. plus, this brake-down should not have happened at first place at this mileage. also, when i visited them month ago they've told me that i need to change a timing belt only. i see that timing belt, as a part costs only $40, but they want to charge $1,000 to fix it. i do not think that the labor costs $960 to replace a timing belt. *nlm | |||
| 04/02/2003 | 83000 | 1 | |
| The engine stalled without warning which caused the brakes and power steering to fail. *jb....*ak | |||
| 02/05/2003 | 38000 | 0 | 03/22/1999 |
| 1999 audi a4 2.8 with 39000 miles and 6 months off waranty leaking oil from engine cam seals and from rear differential seals | |||
| 05/17/1999 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Was driving approximately 30mph when the vehicle stalled out. engine check light had came on & then off before stalling. towed to dealer. mechanic informed owner the air intake hose was detached & proceeded to reattach the hose. the stalling happened before on 12 sep 1999. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 08/10/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2099 | |
| August of 2001 the car broke down and was towed to an audi dealer. that dealer informed us that the engine siezed and he would need approval from audi of america to perform the repair under warrenty. audi of america's representative took several weeks to return a decision not to honor the warranty because we had our oil changes at independant service stations instead of audi dealerships. we attempted to contact that representative but we were not allowed to speak with him nor would they release his name. we attempted to speak with his supervisor, but audi of america told us there was no supervisor, that representative was the final decision, and there was no appeals process. we were given the name of the vice president after many attempts to appeal the decision, but were not allowed to speak to him. we wrote him a letter which was never returned. we have filed a law suit against audi of america and two of the dealerships. dt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 10/18/2004 | 64000 | 1 | 05/19/2002 |
| Timing belt failed at 64000 miles and caused engine damage (replacement of heads). total repair cost came to $4000. two weeks before the accident i had a full inspection by audi and specifically asked audi service rep if i needed to change the belt. i was told not worry since audi recommends 90k change interval (and even 105k on the newer models). car was a few months out of warranty. audi usa and the local audi dealer who recommended not to change the belt refused to pay for the repair. *nm | |||
| 12/19/2005 | 80300 | 2 | 09/01/2002 |
| I own an 1999 audi a4 1.8t. on november 19, 2005, i took my audi to tyson's corner audi dealer in tyson's corner, va. at the time, my car had 79,000 miles and the dealer casually mentioned that i need to have my timing belt replaced at 90,000 miles. the dealer did not inform me of any other problems with my car. subsequently, i drove my car. then a few weeks later when i was driving my car at 65 mph on the highway, the timing belt suddenly gave out and the car engine died on the spot. i could have also been killed on the spot. at this time, my car had 80,000 miles, no where near 90,000 miles that the dealer casually mentioned. i am writing to you to inform you of this malfunctioning timing belt problem. the timing belt damaged the engine and the dealer is quoting me $7,700 fixed my car. when i asked about the warranty with the timing belt, the dealer denied any wrong doing, falsely informed me that there is no warranty associated with timing belt, and above all asked me tow my car if i was not going to have it repaired at the dealer. i am fully aware of the class action law suit on 1997-99 audi a4 for the malfunctioning timing belt. yet, the dealer denies any wrongdoing and even falsely informed me that there are no warranty associated with timing belt. when i called audi usa customer service, the customer service representative also failed to mention any warranty but rather informed me that they cannot do much. they called the dealer on my behalf, but audi usa was not willing to do anything further once the dealer denied any responsibility. my car is still damaged with no engine. due to the class action suit, i believe that audi usa not only needs to fix my car at no cost but also place a recall on all 1997-99 audi a4 to prevent potential lethal car accidents. hence, i am contacting the national highway traffic association, which oversees all recalls and has been documenting this timing belt issue with audi. *nm | |||
| 03/31/2005 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was making a right hand turn at 15 mph when the owner noticed that the vehicle was making a loud noise. consumer parked the vehicle and had it towed to a dealer. results showed that the timing tension rod broke, which caused the engine to fail.*ak | |||
| 02/26/2005 | 76424 | 1 | 11/27/1998 |
| The timing chain on my 1999 audi a-4 1.8 turbo with 76,000 miles broke as i was driving on a busy freeway during rush hour, leaving me a a potentially dangerous situation. fortunately, my car was not hit by other cars. as a result, however, the engine and transmission as well as the timing chain were all trashed. the manufacturer recommends replacing the timing chain at 90,000 miles, but audi of north america told me that they noiw recommend replacement at 70,000 or 75,000. they did not recommend it to me or to the dealer where my car has been serviced (following all the manufacturers recommendations) and the local audi dealer said that since the warranty had expired they would do nothing.*ak | |||
| 10/24/2004 | 75000 | 1 | |
| While driving engine light came on. vehicle lost power, and became difficult to steer. vehicle was towed to a gas station, and i t was discovered the timing belt was defective.*ak | |||
| 04/12/1999 | 67600 | 10/12/2001 | |
| 1999 audi a4 1.8t quattro, vin: waucb28d8xa080742 timing belt failed while driving. maintenance schedule recommends replacement of this belt at the interval of 105,000 miles. this failure occured at 67,600 miles one month after warranty ran out (per audi, carfax indicates car still under warranty). this extremely early failure suggests a manufacturer defect exists with this engine. audi advocate investigating at this time, but has suggested that this manufacturer defect will not be covered by audi. i disagree, this should be covered as an unacceptable failure, impossible to avoid by consumer, as i would never have guessed to replace at an earier time, let alone, at 50% of manufacturers recommended interval. | |||
| 02/02/2003 | 48000 | 3 | 09/15/2003 |
| Water pump went out, causing the timing belt to fail. failing timing belt caused it to jump but luckly it didn't cause any engine interference.*ak | |||
| 01/14/2004 | 68800 | 1 | 11/10/2001 |
| At approximately 68,800 miles the timing belt on my audi a4 1.8t quattro broke as i was pulling into traffic. this occured approximately 6 weeks after the expiration of the manufacturers extended warranty. the auto has been meticulously maintained since its purchase and has all the pertinent service records. the current repair estimate is $4,000 to $5,000. the current recommended replacement interval for the timing belt by audi is 90,000 to 105,000 miles. audi usa currently will not provide any assistance in the repair of this vehicle. i have performed some internet research and aside from the 2 complaints on the nhtsa website i have found numerous similar complaints of aud a4 and vw passat 1.8t timing belts breaking well in advance of the 90,000 miles service interval. this appears to be a manufacturers defect and the vw audi should be responsible for the repair of this problem i believe. fortunately for me i was not hit as my car failed pulling into traffic. i believe this defect poses a significant risk should it fail at an inopportune moment. | |||
| 11/22/2003 | 48000 | 1 | 02/16/2001 |
| The timing belt failed at 48,000 miles causing major engine damage. all sources state this belt does not have to be replaced until 90,000-105,000 miles. *nlm | |||
| 05/21/2003 | 69000 | 1 | 08/17/2002 |
| My timing belt failed at 69000 miles and caused engine damage (replacement of heads). total repair cost came to $4000. seems to be a common failure prior to the recommended 90k change interval. i tried scheduling the changing of the timing belt at 6800 miles but was told to wait by an audi service department. currently working with audi for repayment.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER | |||
| 02/07/2003 | 73000 | 11/01/1999 | |
| We own an audi a4 that we have had too many repairs. the car has needed a turbo at 55,000 miles, oil pump at 63,000 miles, ignition computer at 68,000 miles and rack and pinion steering at 73,000 miles. we are aware that the car is at high mileage, but this car is suppose to get 200,000 miles out of it. the car was serviced at dealers the entire time. we think that perhaps there are defects in the car that other drivers are experiencing. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 05/17/1999 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Was driving approximately 30mph when the vehicle stalled out. engine check light had came on & then off before stalling. towed to dealer. mechanic informed owner the air intake hose was detached & proceeded to reattach the hose. the stalling happened before on 12 sep 1999. *ak | |||