Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Audi A4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 30 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 30, in the owner's own words
THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT HAVE BEEN ON EVER SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE, THINKING THAT IT MAY BE A FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER AS SEEING VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN MANY WEBSITES. ANOTHER MAIN CONCERNED IS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINE DESIGN CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL SLUDGE. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION MEASURES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT HAD THE TURBO REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR DUE TO THE STALLING. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER PLACE OF RESIDENCE. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. A REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 70,000 MILES SHE WAS INELIGIBLE FOR A FREE REMEDY. HOWEVER SHE NOTED THAT THE OWNERS MANUAL STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 90,000. SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT BY A INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,000.
DT: THE CONTACT STATED TIMING BELT BROKE AT THE END OF 2001. SHE STATED THAT WHEN THE TIMING BELTS BREAK ON THESE AUDIS AND BEND THE VALVES,E THEY WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SHE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE SINCE THEN. SHE HAD THE CAR TOWED IN 2001. THE BILL WAS $4,468.00. THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT AT 80,000 MILES. AN ADVOCATE FOR AUDI IN MICHIGAN TOLD HER ON 9-26-05 THAT THEY SENT HER A LETTER CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WHEN THEY SENT IT. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST AUDI. (9-27-05 THE CONTACT CALLED THE SAME ADVOCATE AND ASKED HER TO CHECK THE REFERENCE NUMBER ON THE CAR, AND THE ADVOCATE TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS ONGOING CAMPAIGN CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. IT WAS CALLED THE JK CAMPAIGN. THE CONTROL ARM WAS CALLED THE JE CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTERS AND NOTIFIED THE ADVOCATE THAT SHE HAD NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN THE MAINTENANCE BOOK,IT STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHANGED UNTIL 90,000 MILES.*AK
1998 AUDI A4 QUATTRO EXPERIENCED EARLY TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILURE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR *NM
TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILURE ENGINE RUNS POORLY, COULD SEIZE ENGINE AND CAUSE ACCIDENT.
1998 AUDI A4 QUATTRO TIMING BELT BROKE CAUSING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. *NM
THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. THE UPPER, LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS AND THE TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS A SEVERE OIL LEAKAGE OBSERVED COMING FROM THE ENGINE DURING ACCELERATION. OIL WAS FOUND IN THE SPARK PLUG CAVITIES AND THE SPARK PLUG WIRES PROTECTIVE SLEEVE WAS BRITTLE DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *AK *SC *JB
I HAVE AN 1998 AUDI A4 TURBO. WHILE DRIVING IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR THE CAR JUST STOPPED. I TOOK IT TO AUDI AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SNAPPED AND BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION PISTONS AND VALVES WERE DAMAGED. THE ESTIMATE OF REAPAIR WAS OVER $6200.00 THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IS FOR 115,000 MILES, THIS OCCURED AT 76,000 MILES. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT AUDI IS NOW RECOMMENDING REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER AT 80,000. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS, THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED NOR PLAN TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR AND THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 1998 AUDI 1.8 T ALONG HIGHWAY WHEN TIMING BELT FAILED, WITHOUT WARNING, WRECKING ENGINE. CAR HAD ONLY 58K MILES, AND OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT RECOMMEND REPLACING TIMING BELT UNTIL 90K MILES. THERE IS NO TSB FOR THE BELT BUT AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REQUIRES ALL NEW TIMING BELTS TO BE INSTALLED IN A NEW CONFIGURATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE TIMING BELT FAILED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WITHOUT WARNING, THE TIMING BELT ON MY 1998 AUDI A4 FAILED, RESULTING IN SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE AND LEAVING MY FAMILY STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS. AUDI HAS KNOW ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE TIMING BELT PROBLEM FOR YEARS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOTIFY CUSTOMERS. MAZDA HAD A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THEIR TIMING BELTS (SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 00V134/MAZDA RECALL NO. 92007); WHY HASN'T AUDI RECALLED THE CARS AND FIXED THIS PROBLEM??*AK
IN VERY COLD WEATHER, THE ENGINE STICKS AND HOLDS A SPEED OF 6,000 RPM. THIS CONDITION LASTS FOR AT LEAST 40 MINUTES DURING WHICH TIME THE CAR IS NOT CONTROLLABLE. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN FOUR TIMES. I HAVE INVOLVED THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER AS WELL AS AUDI OF AMERICA. THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOUR TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. AUDI OF AMERICA IS REFUSING TO EITHER ACKNOWLEDGE OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ON JAN 16, 2003. THE LAST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED WAS JAN 16, 2004. *JB
SUDDEN & CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF BEARING/PULLEY OF MAIN TIMING BELT, WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE HAD FEWER THAN 55K MILES ON ODOMETER AND WAS WELL MAITAINED.*AK SUCH FAILURE CAN CAUSE INSTANTANEOUS DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE, WITH RESULTANT LOSS OF CONTROL AND/OR SUDDEN AND RAPID DECCELERATION, POSSIBLY CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION. THE LOSS OF THE BEARING CAUSES THE MAIN TIMING BELT TO SHIFT POSITION AND/OR TO SNAP, CAUSING THE ENGINE VALVES TO MOVE OUT-OF-SYNC WITH THE ENGINE PISTONS OR TO STOP MOVING ALTOGETHER. THE PISTONS THEN COLLIDE WITH THE VALVES, CAUSING ENGINE DESTRUCTION. FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND INSTANTANEOUSLY. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF IMPENDING FAILURE THAT ONE CAN OBSERVE DURING A VEHICLE INSPECTION. IN MY CASE, ENGINE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR, BUT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE DIRECTLY TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN WHO DID THE REPAIR SAID THAT, IN MY CASE, I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY AND THAT ONLY SLIPPAGE HAD OCCURED, AND THAT THE SLIPPAGE WAS JUST BELOW THE POINT AT WHICH ENGINE DESTRUCTION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THIS TECHNICIAN WAS FROM GERMANY (AS WAS THE VEHICLE), AND HE SAID THAT PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS BEARING (AND/OR ASSOCIATED WATER PUMP) IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HE ALSO SAID THAT IN GERMANY A RECALL WAS ORDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS THEY CONSIDERED THE FAILURE PREMATURE, FREQUENT, AND THAT IT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, AS THE ENGINE COULD EASILY DESTRUCT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSIG A COLLISION. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS DOZENS OF REPORTS OF PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS BELT/PULLEY/WATER-PUMP SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. (1998 AUDI A4 2.8L QUATTRO AUTOMATIC)
1998 AUDI A4 1.8T FULLY MAINTAINED TIMING BELT FAILURE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. SERVICE MANUAL CALLS FOR TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT AT 90,000 MILES. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 76,000 MILES. AUDI USA REFUSAL TO GATHER SERVICE INFO OR COMPENSATE FOR LOSS AND PROVIDED NO AVENUE FOR APPEAL OR ESCALATION OF THE CASE. AUDI USA HAD MADE NO EFFORT TO INFORM DRIVERS OF THIS PROBLEM. *LA
I DISCOVERED A SIGNIFICANT ENGINE OIL LEAK IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AT 50K MILES. *NLM
IN MARCH 2003, THE OIL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DIAGNOSED A FAULTY SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED FOR $300. IN JUNE 2003, THE OIL WARNING LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON. THIS TIME IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY OIL PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED AT $900. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. DIAGNOSIS: FAULTY THERMOSTAT AND SENSOR. REPLACEMENT COST $750. ALSO, WASHER FLUID CONTAINER CRACKED AND HAND BRAKE LEVER HANDLE CRACKED (AT DIFFERENT TIMES) -- BOTH MADE OF CHEAP QUALTIY PLASTIC.*AK
MULTITUDE OF PROBS. W/ ALMOST EVERY ASPECT (BRAKES, ENGINE VALVES, OIL LIGHT STAYS ON, RAIN LEAKS, BAD WHEEL BEARINGS, ETC.) OF THIS CAR. MOST FRUSTRATING HAS BEEN RUDE AND INCOMPETENT SERVICE BY AUDI DEALER. AFTER AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS THE DEALER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH NOT ALL THE NOISE WAS GONE, THE CAR WAS SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE TO CALIF.,(WE LIVE IN NJ). WE DID NOT BELIEVE THE DEALER BECAUSE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE REMAINED AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP WHERE BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE FOUND TO BE DAMAGED. WE WERE ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DO SO . *AK
AUDI A4 1.8T Q TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED AT 75,000 CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. SERVICE INTERVAL PUBLISHED BY AUDI IS NO EARLIER THAN 90,000MI. TENSIONER FAILURE IS KNOWN DEFECT AND HAS BEEN REDESIGNED BY AUDI, YET AUDI WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. AUDI CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY NOR HAVE THEY PUBLISHED ANY TSB ALERTING PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED EARLY. *AK
I AM THE OWNER OF A 1998 AUDI A4 1.8T CAR. MY COMPLAINT IS MY TIMING BELT GAVE OUT ON THE VEHICLE AT 48,643 MLS. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT THE BELT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR 90,000 MLS. MY SECOND COMLAINT IS THAT THE TIE RODS ON THE FRONT END. *AK OF THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE REPLACED. THESE ITEMS SHOULD NOT BE GIVING OUT ON A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES ABOUT ANY RECALLS.
TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED CAUSING REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER AT 40000. KNOWN ISSUE WITH AUDI THAT TENSIONER FAILS AS THEY HAVE A REPLACEMENT KIT WITH NEW TYPE OF TENSIONER. YET, WILL NOT COVER COST OF REPLACEMENT OF FAILED TENSIONER OR TIMING BELT.*JB
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR FAILED, LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND WIRE HARNESS, CAUSING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS OF DAMAGE
CAR WAS SERVICED FOR AN OIL LEAK AND WHAT THE MECHANIC FOUND WAS THE BALL BEARINGS OIL PASSAGE SEALS WERE LEAKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CYLINDER HEADS. REPAIR WOULD BE $4,000 FOR PARTS ALONE. LABOR WOULD BE ADDITIONAL. CAR IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH VEHICLE TIMING BELT BROKE, CAUSING RAPID LOSS OF SPEED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. CONSUMER STATED OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDED TIMING CHAIN BE REPLACED AT 90,000 MILES HOWEVER TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 72,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED BROKEN TIMING CHAN, TENSIONER AND BENT VALVES. *TT
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND WAS STUCK ON DANGEROUS FREEWAY OVERPASS. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAD BROKEN, AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE. ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED. AUDI DEALER QUOTE ON PARTS ALONE IS OVER $6900. DT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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