2004 Audi A4 Electrical Problems

This took place about a week ago. The car was parked in our driveway when the fire started. My husband had returned home just 15 minutes prior to the fire starting. I noticed there was smoke coming in our living room window. Then I looked at our security camas. And saw smoke pouring out from underneath the hood of my car. We tried to put the fire out with our two hose system set up and it wouldn't go out. So we knew it was electrical. We couldn't get close enough to open the hood so I couldn't pour baking soda on it. Two fire extinguishers later like 10 minutes the firefighters showed up and we're able to put it out. They confirmed that the arch came from the battery terminals /cables. Two of the fireman said they'd never seen anything like this before. Then the car tried to START ITSELF as my husband and the two fireman were standing right in front of the Audi. They had to cut the remaining battery cable that wasn't completely burned through before it stopped. My neighbor has a recording of the whole incident. The engine compartment is destroyed! The engine might be all right but we don't have the finances to do anything but clean up. Oh and for extra fun one of the fireman took an ax the the hood of the A4 cabriolet I have had for maybe a month. Now we have no car and no real means of being able to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11484914

Incident

Sep 7, 2022

PRNDS appeared in red on my dash and then started blinking. Went on line regarding this and read about a TCM switch or a lever switch malfunction.Have an appt with mechanic on 8/26/21. From what I have read we are looking at a cost prohibitive repair of several thousands of dollars. Does Audi have any responsibility? Apparently it is a common complaint with the A4 model. Felt loss of power when decelerating.

NHTSA ID

11430229

Incident

Aug 23, 2021

ELECTRONIC DEFICIENCY OVERRIDING SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER ON THE CAR. WHEN CAR IS FIRST STARTED...THREE LOUD BEEPS OCCUR AND THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS START BLINKING ON AND OFF. FOLLOWING THE THREE LOUD BEEPS BOTH THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER ARE DISABLED. WHEN DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT INDICATE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ODOMETER DOES NOT INDICATE ANY MILEAGE DRIVEN.

NHTSA ID

10743455

Incident

Jun 5, 2015

Mileage

93,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

NHTSA ID

10573084

Incident

Feb 17, 2010

Mileage

34,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 AUDI A4 (1.8, CONVERTIBLE) ON A LOCAL ROAD AT APPROX 30MPH, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR SUDDENLY DROPPED FROM UNDER MY FOOT AND THE CAR ACCELERATED VERY RAPIDLY. IT FELT LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD COME ON BY ITSELF (THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS COMPLETELY OFF AT THE TIME). I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PULLED OVER. WHEN I SHUT THE CAR OFF, THE GAS PEDAL POPPED UP AND FELT NORMAL. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON SEVERAL TIMES, IT CONTINUED TO IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATE ALL THE WAY WITH THE GAS PEDAL DROPPING TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR IS NOW BEING TOWED TO A MECHANIC. HAD I BEEN IN A TIGHTER SITUATION AT THE TIME, IT COULD'VE BEEN UGLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10549744

Incident

Oct 28, 2013

Mileage

41,000 mi

THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE AUDI DEALER HAS A BAD AUTOMATIC TCM TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE THAT CAUSES THE CAR TO SLIP GEARS OR NOT SHIFT DOWN WHEN COMING SLOWING DOWN AND THEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WILL STAY LOCKED IN 3RD GEAR AND WHEN PULLING OUT ON TO THE FREEWAY OR A BUSY STREET IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GET UP TO SPEED. WHEN PARKED ON A SLANTED DRIVEWAY OR STREET THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ENGAGE A GEAR ONCE IT HAS BEEN SELECTED AND THE CAR WILL ROLL DOWN HILL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10427880

Incident

Sep 23, 2011

2004 AUDI A4 1.8T ENGINE SLUDGE--COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. AUDI ABSURDLY REFUSES TO HONOR THEIR OWN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE BASIS THE CAR WAS RUN WITHOUT OIL. THE ENGINE FAILED INTERNALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS AND IS SLUDGE BLOCKING LUBRICATION PORTS TO THE MOVING PARTS, I.E., FAILURE. THIS IS MY EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS, BUT I HAVE VOLUMES OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE, UNBELIEVABLE AS IT IS TO THINK THIS COULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10356718

Incident

Jul 8, 2010

Mileage

99,000 mi

I OWN A 2004 AUDI A4 AND LAST YEAR MY PASSENGERS SIDE HEADLIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER AND WOULD EVEN GO OUT AS I WAS DRIVING! MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD! I AM ON MANY AUDI FORUMS AND THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF THE SAME ISSUE! DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN! AND LAST TIME I WENT TO AUDI TO FIX MY RIGHT (DRIVERS SIDE) HEADLIGHT IT COST ME OVER $1,000 DOLLARS. I JUST DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT RIGHT NOW AND I THINK IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT AUDI CUSTOMERS ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THE NHTSA OR AUDI ARE DOING NOTHING TO SOLVE IT. I KEEP THIS CAR UP IN IMMACULATE CONDITION WITH FOLDER AND FOLDERS OF SERVICE PAGES SO ITS NOT FROM NEGLECT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO TURN MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BACK ON WHEN IT GOES OUT IS TO PULL OVER SHUT MY LIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON THEN IT COMES BACK ON AND WILL EITHER STAY ON FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN START FLICKERING AGAIN AND GO OUT AGAIN. I AM TAKING MY LIFE IN MY HANDS DRIVING THIS CAR AND ITS MY ONLY CAR TO COMMUTE WITH. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE FIXED VERY SOON! *TR

NHTSA ID

10339610

Incident

Dec 1, 2009

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THERE WAS A POP, THEN THE CAR STARTED RUNNING POORLY. I STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED THE GAUGES; THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED THE DEALER WHO SUGGESTED I CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK AND HAVE IT BROUGHT IN. HE SAID THAT THE VEHICLE COULDN'T BE DRIVEN IN THIS CONDITION. HE TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE COIL PACK. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE COIL PACK THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED AT NO CHARGE TO ME, IT HAS RUN FINE SINCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10299932

Incident

Jan 8, 2010

Mileage

59,000 mi

2004 AUDI A4 HAS HAD SEVERAL REPAIR PROBLEMS. CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE PROBLEMS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEMS. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN OVER. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS A BULB. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD NOT GO DOWN. AN ELECTRICAL PART ON THE CONVERTIBLE WAS REPLACED, ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS HAD BURNED OUT AND THE CRANK PULLEY WAS REPLACED.. *JB THE CONVERTIBLE TOP BECAME STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONVERTIBLE TOP REPLACEMENT CAUSED DAMAGED TO THE HEADLINER AS WELL THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW HAD A LEAK. UPDATED 02/07/11

NHTSA ID

10247008

Incident

Sep 13, 2008

Mileage

19,102 mi

VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN IN TRAFFIC DUE TO IGNITION COIL FAILURES. REPLACE 6 IGNITION COILS, VEHICLE RUNS FINE AGAIN. THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT OF THIS GENERATION AUDI A4. *TR

NHTSA ID

10219911

Incident

Jan 18, 2008

Mileage

65,483 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LCD INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ON THIS COMPONENT AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL CLUSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10214386

Incident

Mar 2, 2007

Mileage

70,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 85 IN SOUTH CAROLINA RETURNING TO CHARLOTTE, N.C. WHEN THE ENGINE OF MY 2004 AUDI A4 STARTED SKIPPING SEVERELY. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO MINIMIZE SOMEWHAT. THE FOLLOWING MORNING ON THE WAY TO WORK THE ENGINE STARTED SKIPPING SEVERELY, AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE BUCKING HEAVILY. I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CALLED AUDI OF CHARLOTTE, AND THEY ADVISED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THERE FACILITY IF IT WAS DRIVABLE. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR THERE DRIVING AT 25 MPH WITH THE MOTOR SKIPPING HEAVILY. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE, AND WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $472.04. THIS WAS THE SECOND MAJOR FAILURE OF A COMPONENT OF THIS VEHICLE IN A TIME SPAN OF TWO MONTHS ( FUEL PUMP-6/14/07 ), AND AS A FEMALE DRIVER I AM CONCERNED THAT I'M GOING TO BE LEFT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10211559

Incident

Aug 13, 2007

Mileage

69,250 mi

I OWE A 2004 AUDI A4 CONVERTIBLE. IN LATE FEBRUARY OF 06, I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WHEN I PUT THE GEAR ON D (DRIVE) OR R (REVERSE) AND GAVE GAS; THE CAR DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. DASH BOARD INSTRUMENT WAS NOT RESPONSIVE EITHER. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THIS WAS DUE TO COLD WEATHER. ON MARCH 13, 06, I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS IN A VERY BUSY AREA OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. THE CAR WAS WARM AS IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. I APPROACHED A BUSY INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN THE ROAD WAS CLEARED, I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FORWARD BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALLY FROZEN - IT WOULD NOT MOVE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL. I WAS NOW FACING THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC OF THREE CARS BLOWING THEIR HORNS LIKE CRAZY. I JUST COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR AND WAS TERRIFIED THAT I WOULD BE HIT BY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR. I WAS VERY SCARED AND CALLED THE AUDI OF TYSONS CORNER (HBL) IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA IMMEDIATELY AND TOOK THE CAR IN THAT DAY. THE NEXT DAY (3/14) AFTERNOON, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATING THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I INSISTED THAT THEY RECHECK AS I EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THAT THE LAST INCIDENT WAS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AS I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THEY AGREED AND KEPT THE CAR FOR ANOTHER DAY; HOWEVER, THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED AND SAID THE SAME THING - NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I PICKED THE CAR ON MARCH 16, 06. WHILE WAITING IN THE LOBBY, I SAW ANOTHER AUDI A4 CONVERTIBLE DRIVER. I APPROACHED HER ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND ASKED IF SHE EXPERIENCED THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SHE SAID YES AND THAT IS WHY SHE BROUGHT HER CAR IN ALONG WITH A REGULAR SERVICE CHECK. SHE RECEIVED THE SAME FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDI OF TYSONS - NOTHING WRONG WITH HER CAR EITHER. I HAVE THE NAME, PHONE NUMBER, ETC., OF THE OTHER DRIVER IF NEEDED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10153390

Incident

Mar 13, 2006

VEHICLE HEATED UP UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH OR GREATER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT DAYS AND FOUND THE SAME FLAW AS THE CONSUMER. MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING UNDER NORMAL RANGE, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10088041

Incident

Aug 7, 2003

Mileage

8 mi