Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Audi A4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 77 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 77, in the owner's own words
TAKATA RECALL; FUEL PUMP WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING CAUSING CAR TO STOP AND ALMOST LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. (CA ELECTRIC COMPONENTS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK, WINDOW IS A BIG ONE. WHEELS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN SIX MONTHS AND THE AXEL APPEARS TO CAUSE WHEEL DAMAGE. CONSTANT LEAKS SUCH AS COOLENT.
ON DECEMBER 3RD, 2010, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-405S HEADING FROM LONG BEACH, CA TO SAN DIEGO, CA. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION IN MY CAR. I STILL HAD ELECTRICAL POWER (IE, INDICATORS STILL WORKED, MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION WORKED AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS WORKED). I PULLED STRAIGHT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AT WHICH POINT I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD OF MY CAR APPEARED TO BE MELTING AND THAT SMOKE WAS RISING OUT OF THE ENGINE. I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CALL 911. TWO GRACIOUS STRANGERS ATTEMPTED WITH TWO SEPARATE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT WERE UNABLE TO. THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ENTIRELY CONSUMED BY FLAMES WITHIN 2-3 MINUTES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMTS ARRIVED, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS AFLAME AND WAS NO LONGER SALVAGEABLE. IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES FOR THE ENTIRE CAR TO GO UP IN FLAMES. ALL THAT REMAINED ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WAS THE REAR-HATCHBACK DOOR. EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY MELTED AND BURNED. THE STATE TROOPER WHO WAS AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT SAID THAT THE CAR WAS SO BADLY BURNT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CAR AFTER THE FIRE AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM IF NEEDED. THE FIRE WAS SO FAST, HOT AND QUICK THAT IT WAS ONLY 30 MINUTES FROM WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD TO PULL OVER, TO THE END OF THE ENTIRE ORDEAL. *TR
DRIVERS DOOR SPEAKERS WORKING RANDOMLY AND CUTTING OUT ALL TOGETHER AT TIMES, SOMETIMES WITH STATIC PRIOR TO CUTTING OUT. SO FAR THE SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON OCT 2 2004,NOV 2 2004, NOV 15, 2004,DEC 7 2004. THE CAR STILL HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND THE DEALER DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO FIND OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND IN 2 SECONDS I FOUND THE ISSUE. IT IS A BROKEN WIRE IN THE DOOR PASS THROUGH. THE DEALER TELLS ME IT'S NOT A BROKEN WIRE BECAUSE THEY TESTED ALL THE WIRES AND THEY CHECKED OUT OK. IF THE SPEAKER IS NOT WORKING OR CUTTING OUT WITH THE DOOR OPEN AND YOU MOVED THE RUBBER PASS THROUGH, THE SPEAKER COMES BACK ON AND WORKS FOR A SHORT TIME AGAIN. DEALER HAS PERFORMED THE RECALL FOR THIS ON NOV 2 2004 BUT THERE IS STILL AN ISSUE. I STOPPED HAVING THEM TRY TO FIX THIS WHEN THE FACTORY WARRANTY RAN OUT BECAUSE OF THE COST INVOLVED. *TR
2002 AUDI A4 1.8T WITH GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEMS CUSTOMER STATES THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPEN WITH OTHER AUDI CAR FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS**NAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL SHE HAS OR THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *JB
FAILURE OF ENGINE IGNITION COILS ,CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER, AND CREATES SURGING AND SHAKING OF VEHICLE, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HAPPENED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS FAILURE OF 2 OF 4 ENGINE COILS. THESE WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER RECALL. CONTACTED AUDI, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE SATISFACTORY ANSWER. THEY WILL NOT COVER REPAIR, AND THEY CLAIMED THAT IT WAS NOT A PART THAT REQUIRED REGULAR REPLACEMENT AND WILL NOT STATE WHAT THE LIFE OF THE COILS SHOULD BE. *AK
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BAD IGNITION COIL IN HIS 2002 AUDI A4 CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY RESULTING IN HIS NOT BEING ABLE TO GO OVER 20 MPH WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES SINCE 2003 AND HAS EITHER TOWED THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER OR HAS DRIVEN IT TO THE DEALER NO FASTER THEN 20 MPH. AT THE DEALER THEY HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION COILS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE COPY OF INVOICE REPAIR IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 70000 MILES.
AFTER DRIVING ABOUT A BLOCK AFTER COLD START, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO HESITATE. PROBLEM GOT WORSE. AFTER DRIVING A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3 BLOCKS, THE ENGINE DIED. THERE WERE WISPS OF SMOKE COMING OUT OF GRILL. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, DISCOVERED A SMALL FIRE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. DEALER REPORTS THAT THE FIRE STARTED BECAUSE OF A COIL FAILURE. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO PLASTIC MANIFOLD COVER, BECAUSE FIRE WAS PUT OUT EARLY. *JB
NUMBEROUS OF FAILURES; WINDSHIELD WASHER SYSTEM, DRIVER'S SEAT MOTOR BURNED OUT 3 TIMES, ALL REPLACED. *BF THE FIRST DAY THE CONSUMER WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE LOT, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD, HOWEVER 2 MONTHS LATER THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN, AND 2 MONTHS AFTER THAT THE BATTERY DIED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD A SMALLER BATTERY WAS INADVERTENTLY INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY, RADIO AND SPEAKERS WERE REPLACED. *JB
AUDI 2002 WITH 12,000 MILES STILL UNDER WARRANTY SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED. *JB
STEREO-FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT ON AT LEAST (4) OCCASIONS WINSHIELD FLUID DISPENSER/WIPER MALFUNCTION SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT MALFUNCTION-AT LEAST (5) OCCASIONS SOLENOID VALVE BAD CLUTCH SWITCH BAD BLOWER IN AIR CONDITIONING/HEATER UNIT BAD PIRELI TIRES-BROKEN BELTS IN ALL FOUR (AT 25,000 MILES)- THESE ARE THE TIRES PLACED ON THE VEHICLE BY AUDI COILS BAD GAS GAUGE MIS READ
THE IGNITION COIL MADE THE VEHICLE RIDE ROUGH. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CUT OFF. THE DEALER STATED THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE 1 OUT OF 6 COILS. *TS THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE FIVE MILES AND THE A SECOND COIL FAILED. AUDI REPLACED ALL SIX COILS THEN THE REMAINING FIVE WERE "J" COILS. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED REPEATEDLY BY FATHER'S & SONS, BUT THEY HAD NOT COMPLETED THE REPAIR. ALL OF THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD BEEN REPLACED. (SOME TWICE) THE OTHER EMISSION PARTS WERE REPLACED. THE SERVICE DEALER DID NOT GIVE THE CONSUMER THE PAPER WORK BECAUSE AUDI DID NOT PAY THE FULL COST FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *SCC *JB
EMAIL FM ANNE SIGNORILE (NY) RE DEFECTIVE #4 COIL WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT ALL THE COILS BE REPLACED BUT THE DEALER REFUSED. *TS *NLM
FAULTY IGNITION COILS CAUSED VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN/STALL. *AK *JB
THE IGNITION COIL WENT BAD ON THE VEHICLE. *JB
THE IGNITION COIL FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB
IGNITION COIL FAILURE ON MY 2002 AUDI A4 (21K MILES). PER MY DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR, CAR MUST BE TOWED TO A DEALER. LOST SEVERAL HOURS AT WORK AND WAS GIVEN SUBSTANDARD RENTAL CAR, REPAIR WAS NOT COMPLETED ON THE DAY ESTIMATED. PER AUDI OF AMERICA POLICY, ONLY ONE COIL IS REPLACED, WE WILL WAIT FOR ANOTHER COIL TO PROVE FAULTY (WHICH ALMOST EVERYONE ASSUMES WILL HAPPEN, EVEN DEALER), I WILL HAVE TO WAIT AT ROAD SIDE AGAIN, AT WHICH POINT AUDI WILL REPLACE ALL REMAINING COILS. (HOPEFULLY--AUDI'S WEB SITE ALREADY HAS SAID ALL WOULD BE REPLACED WHEN ONE FAILS, BEGINNING IN MARCH, BUT APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT THE POLICY AT MY DEALER.) THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO THOUSANDS OF AUDI CUSTOMERS. *JB
1/10/2003--TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED BECAUSE OF A ROUGH IDLE AND TROUBLE STARTING. THE DEALER FOUND NO INITIAL PROBLEMS. 2/5/2003--RECEIVED NOTICE IN THE MAIL FROM AUDI CONCERNING THE POSSIBILITY OF BAD COIL PACKS ON 2002 A4'S. 2/7/2003--THE CAR STALLED ON US AT NIGHT, IN THE RAIN, IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT TOOK ME AT LEAST A MINUTE TO GET IT RESTARTED--THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT YOU SHOULD TRY TURNING OFF YOUR CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AND WAIT 60 SECONDS BEFORE RESTARTING & TAKING OFF. SEE HOW MAY PEOPLE START HONKING AND/OR ALMOST HIT YOU BEFORE YOU MOVE.... 2/8-2/11/03--THE DEALER CHECKS THE CAR OVER. THEY SAY THE COIL PACKS ARE FINE, BUT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS BAD, SO THEY REPLACED IT. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, SINCE THE CAR STILL IDLES ROUGH, AND STILL HAS TROUBLE STARTING. LUCKILY, IT HASN'T DIED ON US AGAIN (YET). *NLM
DRIVER'S DOOR TWEETER CUTS OUT. 8/30/02--SPEAKER IS REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL NOT FIXED. 9/20/02--RADIO IS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I'VE GIVEN UP ON THE ABILITY OF THIS DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO FIX ANYTHING RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.... *NLM
HOMELINK SYSTEM STOPS WORKING. DEALER REPROGRAMS THE SYSTEM (WHICH I HAD ALREADY DONE 5X), AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. THE VISOR WITH CONTROL BUTTONS IS ORDERED & REPLACED. THE HOMELINK STARTS WORKING AGAIN. 7/2002--HOMELINK STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN--IT IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. 8/2002--HOMELINK TRANSCEIVER IS REPLACED AND IT STARTS WORKING AGAIN. LATER THAT MONTH, IT BEGINS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN. 9/2002--DEALER FINALLY INVESTIGATES FURTHER, AND FINDS CORROSION IN THE WIRING HARNESS/CONNECTORS. THAT SOUNDS VERY STRANGE TO ME. WHAT WAS THE CAR EXPOSED TO DURING PRODUCTION TO CAUSE THAT? WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO FAIL/GIVE US PROBLEMS AS A RESULT? *NLM
THE IGNITION COILS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL.*JB
IGNITION COIL FAILURE. RECEIVED LETTER FROM AUDI ON MARCH 3, 2003 REGARGING RECOGNIZED IGNITION COIL FAILURES. AUDI INDICATED SIGNIFICANT FAILURES WITH IGNITION COILS AND PROMISED THAT IN THE EVENT OF IGNITION COIL FAILURE ALL REPAIRS WOULD BE FREE. ON MARCH 11, 2002, I WENT TO DEALER FOR A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT 11,000 MILES. I ASKED THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COILS EVEN THOUGH I HAD YET TO EXPERIENCE ANY TROUBLE. I WAS INFORMED THAT AUDI WOULD NOT REPLACE THE COILS UNTIL ACTUAL VEHICLE FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE COILS FAILED AND MY CAR DIED ON THE ROAD IN ZERO DEGREE WEATHER. AFTER A 90 MINUTE WAIT, AUDI ROADSIDE SERVICE ARRIVED AND TOOK MY CAR BY FLAT-BED TO DEALER. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT ONLY THE DEFECTIVE COILS WILL BE REPLACED. MY VEHICLE HAS SIX COILS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT ALL COILS WILL BE REPLACED ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN FOR A SECOND COIL FAILURE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A SECOND COIL FAILURE IS GUARANTEED. THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE APPEAR TO BEAR THIS OUT. THE NHSTB SHOULD DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF THESE DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. AUDI HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE FOR MONTHS AND APPEARS TO BE QUITE CONTENT TO LET ITS CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO BEAR THE RISK OF A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE MUST BE WRITTEN BEFORE THE NHTSA TAKES ACTION? *JB
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, IGNITION COIL, RIGHT FRONT SPEAKER, RADIO, LOCK CONTROL AND KEYLESS ENTRY FAILED. *AK *JB
THE IGNITION COIL, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, RIGHT FRONT SPEAKER, RADIO, RIGHT FRONT DOOR CONTROL WINDOW AND LOCK FAILED.*AK *JB
FIRST IGNITION COIL PACK FAILED ON 3.0 A4 AVANT, I WAS DISTRESSED TO DISCOVER THAT THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT THAT HAS HAPPENED TO A LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH NO PLANS TO REPLACE MORE THAN THE UNITS THAT FAIL WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A $35,000 CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THE CLOCK, IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE TO KNOW THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AT LEAST ANOTHER 5 TIMES. THE DEALER WAS VERY EFFICIENT AND COURTEOUS, BUT THAT DOES NOT CUT IT WITH SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM THAT COULD STRIKE AT ANY TIME. WITH SO MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, AUDI SHOULD BE FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE.
ENGINE COIL?? MY A4 HAS NOW BEEN TOWED FOUR TIMES DO TO MISFIRING. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE COIL NOW FOUR TIMES BUT LAST SAURDAY WAS THE ONE THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK. WHEN YOUR ON THE TOLL IN RUSH HOUR AT 65 MILES AN HOUR WITH NO SHOULDER ITS USUALLY A BAD THING WHEN YOUR CAR STALLS OUT AND BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY.OUT AT 10,000-18,000-20,000-AND NOW IT IS IN A SHOP WHY I DRIVE A RENTED ACCORD(IT GETS BETTER THEY TELL ME THAT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER-MAYBE IN A COUPLE DAYS? DID SOMEBODY SAY LEMON-LAW.
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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