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Audi

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Audi • General Complaints • Sludge

CJ of East Randolph, VT November 15, 2009

2001 Audi A4 1.8T At 66K miles the oil pressure light came on. The car had plenty of oil. Car went to a shop immediately which diagnosed the dreaded "sludge problem" and oil starvation. The pulled the top and said the cams looked good. I called Audi and found out about the manufacturer defect with the oil pickup/too-small oil screen/inadequate filter/new requirement for synthetic oil. We did a VIN check and discovered that the car had been in service for 8 years and 3 months.

Audi said they would not even consider helping unless the car was diagnosed by an Audi dealer so we paid the first (independent) shop had it towed to the dealer as required, at a cost of 100s of s. The dealer re-diagnosed sludge and said the engine appeared un-damaged and it would cost 3600 to clean out the sludge.

We provided all receipts to show that the car had oil changes at the recommended intervals (more actually). By this time we had lost use of the car for more than 3 months and had continued to pay insurance, registration, et al not to mention the tow truck and the initial mechanic. Audi finally came back and offered to pay 50% of a 3600 bill - for a problem caused by their own defect.

adam of e dennis, MA October 29, 2009

This is actually my son's car. He is a paraplegic and went to the hefty expense of having the car equipped to adapt to his needs. From the beginning, he had to have the turbo replaced which was under warranty at around the 30,000 mile mark. Now at 70,000 they say he needs a new motor and electrical panel and something else. They say he has "sludge" build up.

After researching, we realized they have had issues and there was some type of program to fix the issue. They instructed us to gather the oil change receipts at specific intervals. We complied, he obtaining receipts in AZ where he goes to school, and I here in Massachusetts. We were told after we accomplished that he would be eligible for the program for them to replace the motor. When we issued the reciepts we were told that they werent accceptable, that one place which is a local gas and service station that has been in business for many years was " not exactly reputeable". They stated that the reciept numbers were in sequence.

When I told him they to not have a computer and had to literally look up everything which was quite time consuming on their part, they said that they should and that was their problem, the reciepts not acceptable. I offered to bring them back and obtain the missing information and they practically accused me of having made them up myself. They were a reciept from a company with its name imprinted on the reciept. There was no warrant to speak to me in this manner. I am simply a mother trying to help my son out.

The engine is in the 7-8 thousand dollar range. My son depends on this car as it is handicapped accesible. This car clearly has had this problem as there is a program to remedy, although their criteria is questionable and inaccesible to us in our circumstance. They are telling us where we can and in this case cannot change our oil?

Lidia of Norco, CA October 24, 2009

While driving on the 101 fwy the vehicle (2005 Audi A4, 36,000miles) began to hesitate and smoke from the back. Emergency exit off the freeway, the vehicle's transmission oil drained out completely and the car smoked. The vehicle did not give any electronic warning on the highway of changes in oil status. The vehicle had to be towed to the nearest Audi dealer. Audi denies any customer recall or other incidence of this occuring with any of there Audi A4 models. Very disatisfied customer, stranded 100 miles from home.

Christopher of Marlton, NJ October 20, 2009

I've had enough Audi pain for the past 7 years. Problems from the very start - multiple trips to the dealer because of an illuminated traction control light (eventually they traced it to a bad sensor in the steering column). Just about every part in the cooling system went bad - three plugs and the water pump itself - also after multiple visits. Got the impression the techs were learning on the job with my car. The secondary air pump blew out. Ignition coil went, leaving me to drive home with a shaking car and a blinking "CHECK ENGINE" light. Low oil lights from time to time. Windshield wiper problems. The car had an insatiable appetite for light bulbs. Routine maintenance is expensive as hell - 1000 timing belts and 70 oil changes. For the longest time my chump dealer wouldn't give Audi loaners either - they'd try to stuff you into some cigarette-laden loaner. No Internet access in the waiting area - this from a company whose products are 30K and up, and you can get free wireless Internet from a frickin' supermarket. Eventually traded out of it, and am MUCH HAPPIER NOW.

Gregg of Cicero, NY September 28, 2009

I am very un-impressed with Audi' service. I have had an ongoing issue with tires on my car which I have an issue again and this will make it the 4th tire to be replaced. I have had a clunk in the car when it shifts down from 4th to 3rd gear. This has been looked at by Audi about 3 times as well and I received the same response as usual "All Audi's do this", which seems to be the Audi saying. Although I have had A4 loaners, none of which do this.

This clunk has been in the car since I got it and it now seems as though it is getting worse. After the VW mechanics took a look at it they determine there was an issue with the transmission. I have complained about not being able to fill up my gas tank and every time Audi said there was nothing wrong after three times they finally replaced the part and wouldnt you know it the problem went away. I have to say that If Audi would have found these issues right away in my first couple of weeks of ownership I would have given this car back to them like I wanted to.

I am feeling somewhat powerless as this place seems to walk all over people without a care. 4 bad tires, something with the transmission, lack of a detail upon delivery, stuff missing in the car, and the list goes on as well as probably 2 total months out of the first year of ownership spent in Audi's service bay. This does not seem like professionalism to me, I paid 1,600.00 extra for the certification? (Again Volkswagen service has been great and I will continue working with them, it is Audi service and sales department that I have an issue with).

Mike of Pleasanton, CA August 29, 2009

I have a 2002 A6 3.0 with extended warranty and the current mileage is 81,500. On April of this year (2009) I was driving to work when the "check engine" light came up and the car was making a very bad smell. I took it to the repair shop (not Audi) next to my work and they ran a diagnostic on the car. They said that the Catalitic Converter needs to be replaced. So I took the car to my Audi dealer at Livermore California and told them about the car. The service representative at Audi said ok we will check it out and since the car mileage is under 80,000 it still is covered with the extended warranty for the Catalitic Converter replacement.

The next day the Audi service representative called me and said only a switch needed to be replaced and the car is good to go! I told him that the other non Audi repair shop had told me that the Catalitic Converter needed to be replaced. But the Audi representative said that their diagnostics didn't give them the "code" and he assured me that the car is ok. So I told the Audi Service representative that I am worried that your computer probably has missed the proper diagnostic and I will be returning here after a few thousand miles and then you will tell me the car is above 80,000 miles and thus not covered for the Catalitic Converter replacement. So, he assured me that problem will not happen and even if it did happen after a few thousand (two or three thousand) miles over the 80,000 miles warrantly limit since I already had brought the car to them before the warranty expiration expressing this concern they would replace the Catalitic Converter at that time.

At the begining of August 2009 (the car had 81,500 miles on it) the check engine light came up again and I took the car to the same non Audi repair shop close to my work. They ran a diagnostic again and said the Catalitic Converter needs to be changed. This time I asked them to give a printout of their diagnostic report. Then I called my Audi service representative and complained that the exact same thing that I was worried about had happened and now the car mileage is over 80,000 miles. He said that is ok bring the car in so we check it.

I took the car to the Audi service and told them about the problem. The next day my Audi representative called me and told me that they had run a diagnostic on the car and all that needed to be changed was a "switch"!!!? I then complained and told him that I have a printout of the diagnostic that the other non-Audi repair shop has run and they have specifically indicated the codes: "P0431" and "P0421" which means "WARM UP CATALYST BELOW THRESHOLD for BANK2 AND BANK1". Then he said ok let me check again!! The next day he calls me and informs that: "Yes, the Catalytic Converters need to be replaced and it will cost about 2600 and since the mileage is above 80,000 miles warranty limit Audi will not cover it under warranty"!!!

So, I have told the Audi Service representative that is not acceptable. Meanwhile I have got some information from the "Consumer Affairs" regading Audi A6 3.0 model on another but related broblem. Audi has announced that the A6 3.0 model along with some other models may have faulty coils which will cause sudden engine failures which can damage the Catalytic Converter system and may also damage the engine. In my case in the last two, three years I have taken my A6 to the Audi dealer two or three times for the exact same thing: "power drop due to faulty coils" and have spent a few thousand for replacing the coils.

In summary, I believe that Audi should replace my cars Catalytic Converter with no charge because: 1) The Catalytic Converter had failed before the 80,000 miles warranty exipration on my first visit to the Audi service (the car had 78,500 miles on it). 2) Audi service was not able to correctly diagnose the problem neither on the first visit (the car had 78,500 miles) nor the second visit (when the car had 81,500 miles). It was only after I specifically told them what the non Audi repair shop's diagnostic "code" was (P0431 and P0421) that they went back and confirmed the problem.

michelle of Clarendon Hills, IL July 30, 2009

I purchased a Q7 in December 2007. The sales manager was trying to make his numbers and asked me if I could please pick it up by a specific date. I said yes as long as it is ready as I live in the city and it isn't simple getting there. It wasn't ready. It took over a month to get add-ons installed and only after threats. THe DVD headrest player stopped working 8 months into my lease. I stopped by Audi to try to line up repair. They gave me the number of the installer who is out of business. They then passed me to another company that never returned any of my 3 phone calls.

LAst week I took my car into service to Audi on a Tuesday..they kept it 2 extra days and I finally picked it up because they hadn't found anyone to fix the DVD. I have called the service manager and had him paged and not had a response 3 times today. Yet he is in the office. We are leaving on a long distance trip Monday and it looks like yet again we will not have a DVD player but you can bet that I still have to pay monthly for it!

Also Laurel Audi installed my trailer hitch and it was done incorrectly. The pressure of the bike rack split the bumper because the installation was too close to the bumper. They aren't sure that they will compensate for that repair. 4 times I have brought the car in because the gas cap unlock doesn't work. They repaired the back door hydraulic system twice because when you go to open the hatch back it gets stuck. It still gets stuck. THe MMI electrical system has stopped working. The handles on the passenger doors were loose. The car is not made well and the service is poor and the sales staff has no integrity. Do not buy this car from Laurel.

Finally, I bought the extended maintenance because unlike BMW, they nickel and dime you otherwise. When I brought my car in to another AUdi because the car said service due, Fletcher Jones Audi said that I didn't have the maintenance and made me pay for an oil change that my car didn't even need! The computer was mis-set.

I have wasted approximately 10 hours telling my story again and again to service people at Laurel Audi, Fletcher Jones Audi and corporate Audi. I have spent approximately 4 days of my life traveling to the Audi dealers and getting poor service. My car is still not acceptable.

Colleen of Wantagh, NY July 10, 2009

I purchased a 2006 Audi A4 from this dealership on October 31, 2008. The car I purchased came equipped with a factory installed Navigation system. I asked for the cd that operates the navigation and was told it was damaged and one would be ordered for me. After numerous phone calls over the course of 8 months, I am being ignored and do not have my cd. I purchased the vehicle with the navigation option and should be able to use it. I paid for this option in the vehicle and would just like to be able to use it.

Tom of San Rafael, CA June 29, 2009

When I bought my car it was rated combined at 18 mpg. Now the EPA has rerated it 19 mpg using "premium gas." Like who uses premium gas? This is really stupid by the EPA - think of it. It is a 1996 audi a6 quattro. Now I can't get the 4,500 cash for clunker deal. How can I get the EPA to rate the car using regular gas and rate the mpg at 18 so I can get rid of this clunker. I'm retired and so 4,500 is lot of money to me (particularly after the market crash).

Marchell of Suffolk , VA June 26, 2009

I purchased a 2008 Audi A3 new. With approximately 3,000 miles on the vehicle the road noise started. I have been told that it is the tires that are installed on the A3 that create this extreme road noise. Then I was told that I drove the tires low and created this extreme road noise myself. Then I was told that the suspension system is extremely "tight" and is hard on tires. Then I was told I was the only one with this problem in any Audi. The solution was to turn up my radio or buy a different model, or buy tires every few thousand miles. Then I was told that Audi installed a cheap suspension in this vehicle and no matter what tire I installed I would get the same extremely loud road roar, as this suspension would scallop any tire.

I have been trying to deal with this problem months after this vehicle was purchased. DO NOT PURCHASE A A3 unless you want a piece of junk. I have learned the hard way. I have been at the dealership dozen of times and talked with the comsumer care department of Audi. No solution.

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