2006 Audi A4 Electrical Problems

THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT KEEPS FLICKERING. IT WILL TURN OFF SOMETIMES WHEN USING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE HEADLIGHT WORKS PERFECTLY FINE. WHEN IT FLICKERS, AN INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATES ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIRING PROBLEM. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE CHANGED AND BRAND NEW WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. TWO YEARS LATER, THIS FLICKERING BEGAN. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE FLICKERING OF THE HEADLIGHT IS TO COMPLETELY TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN TURN THEM BACK ON. EVERYTHING IS FINE AFTER THAT. PLEASE RECALL THIS ISSUE. I HAVE READ MANY POSTS ONLINE WITH OTHER AUDI A4 OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES.

NHTSA ID

11100414

Incident

Feb 1, 2018

Mileage

75,000 mi

I HAVE THE A4 W/ 3.1 LITER V6. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE, TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED BUMPY LURCHING START FROM STOP. AUDI DIAGNOSE SAID THAT'S SYMPTOMATIC OF THIS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE COMBINATION. NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT. WITHIN 1ST YEAR, THE CAR WOULD STALL AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, NECESSITATING A RE-START. SOMETIMES UPON START, AND MOST NOTABLY (AND THE EXAMPLE CITED ABOVE) WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED. (I SUSPECT THE STALL PROBLEMS DESCRIBED RELATES TO THE LURCHING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM). ON THIS INCIDENT THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. TOOK TO AUDI, THEY COULDN'T IDENTIFY PROBLEM. I TOOK TO AN INDEPENDENT -- THEY DETERMINED PROBLEM AS FUEL PUMP. REPLACED FUEL PUMP. MOST RECENTLY THE CAR STALLED WHEN INITIATING A LEFT TURN FROM A SLOW 10-15 MPH ROLL. AS I SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR, CAR STALLED IN MIDDLE OF LEFT TURN -- HAD TO RE-START MID-TURN TO RESTORE POWER STEERING AND FINISH TURN (TURN WAS DOWN A SLIGHT INCLINE SO CAR WAS ABLE TO COAST). THIS HAPPENED AROUND 2/15. I TOOK IT TO AUDI, THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY SAID BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE. I CALLED AUDI USA -- THEY OFFERED NO SOLUTION OR DATABASE RESEARCH OF PROBLEM W/ OTHER AUDIES. A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WAS 8/14 WHEN I EXITED FREEWAY AND AS I ROLLED TO A STOP, @10-15 MPH THE CAR STALLED. HAD TO BE RESTARTED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I MAY HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER BUT DON'T RECALL. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY RISK IF THIS OCCURS WITH MY WIFE DRIVING AND AN ONCOMING CAR IS UNABLE TO STOP IF THE VEHICLE STALLS IN SIMILAR MANNER IN THE MIDDLE OF A LEFT TURN. COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

10763136

Incident

Mar 4, 2008

Mileage

12,000 mi

BOTH HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. SOMETIMES IT SAYS RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT AND SOMETIMES LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT AND SOMETIMES BOTH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10659496

Incident

Dec 20, 2013

Mileage

68,000 mi

WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON ONE RANDOMLY TURNS OFF AND THEN I GET A DISPLAY IN THE DASH THAT'S SAYS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED" THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO THE RIGHT SIDE. I HAVE TO TURN THE KNOB KN THE DASHBOARD ON THE OFF POSITION AND TURN THEM BACK ON THE ON POSITION AND THEY START WORKING AGAIN. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND UNSAFE. PLEASE HELP. ALSO MY ENGINE IS BURNING OIL VERY FAST I JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND DROVE THE CAR FOR 80 MILES AND THE DIP STICK ALREADY SHOWS HALF WAY FULL. I HAD THE HEAD GASKET AND VACUUM PUMP GASKET REPLACED BUT IT STILL HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10641913

Incident

Oct 6, 2014

Mileage

94,780 mi

AUGUST 2014, DRIVING AT NIGHT, HIGHWAY SPEEDS (65MPH+) BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED AND WENT OUT, NO ILLUMINATION. TOOK SEVERAL TRIES TO RESET BY LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH. WOULD RESET, THEN FLICKER AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS OUT. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND ABLE TO GET THERE OK. VEHICLE IS IN AT SERVICE FOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10622450

Incident

Aug 8, 2014

Mileage

95,000 mi

WHILST DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN A DOWNPOUR ESP AND EPC LIGHTS LIT UP AND THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE, DISABLING THE MAJORITY OF ENGINE POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED PRIOR ONLY IN WET RAINY CONDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10584695

Incident

Apr 24, 2014

Mileage

98,000 mi

THE LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPS OCCASIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING, RANDOMLY. THEN YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TO HOPEFULLY CORRECT/RESET THE HEADLIGHT. IT'S CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10565102

Incident

Feb 8, 2012

Mileage

50,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON I-45 S TO HOUSTON AND AT 9 PM, I TRIED TURNING MY FRONT FOG LIGHT ON AS IT WAS GETTING FOGGY OCCASIONALLY. I WAS AT 75 MPH SPEED ON RIGHT LANE, ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE MEDIAN AND AFTER PLAYING AROUND SOME KIND OF LIGHT CAME BACK, DROVE TO NEAREST EXIT TO GAS STATION ABOUT A MILE FURTHER AND CHECKED ALL LIGHTS, IT WAS WORKING FINE NOW. I HAVE READ SIMILAR KIND OF COMPLAINT HERE AND NOT SURE IF IT IS GETTING ATTENTION. DOES DEATH HAS TO OCCUR BEFORE NHSTA AND AUDI LISTEN TO THIS PROBLEM. 75 MPH IN INTERSTATE AT NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHTS ON, CAN YOU IMAGINE MY SITUATION. IT CAN EASILY CAUSE DEATH AND DAMAGE. FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS NOT BULB ISSUE, IT IS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10553964

Incident

Nov 26, 2013

Mileage

54,500 mi

THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS KEEP FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING.AUDI: THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE CONDITIONS THAT BOTH OCCUR IN VEHICLES WITH BI-XENON, WITH OR WITHOUT ADAPTIVE LIGHTING (AFS): ONE XENON LIGHT ON EITHER SIDE SPORADICALLY FLICKERS OR FLASHES AND GOES OUT. WHEN HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN OR AT IGNITION CYCLE, THE HEADLAMPS MAY FUNCTION PROPERLY OR EXHIBIT THE SAME BEHAVIOR; ONE XENON LIGHT ON ONE SIDE FAILS PERMANENTLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10545755

Incident

Feb 19, 2013

UPON INITIAL START OF THE VEHICLE, JUST ABOUT EVERY START, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER AND THEN SHUT OFF AND SHOW A LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT ON THE DISPLAY. SHUTTING OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURNING THEM BACK ON ALLOWS THE BULB TO TURN ON AGAIN, BUT THE FLICKERING KEEPS HAPPENING UNTIL THE LIGHT WARMS UP THEN IT STOPS. THE BULB WILL REPEATEDLY FLICKER AND SHUT OFF CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10514179

Incident

Oct 17, 2012

Mileage

85,000 mi

BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF AT ANY TIME. ERROR MESSAGE SAYS LEFT/RIGHT DIPPED HEADLAMP. IT SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN/ENGINEERING FLAW. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THIS COULD RESULT IN DEATH, INJURY, AND MONETARY FINES FROM THE POLICE. THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10501354

Incident

Feb 25, 2013

Mileage

102,437 mi

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND RIGHT HEADLIGHT STARTED FLICKERING, ALMOST LIKE A STROBE LIGHT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT THEN COMES BACK ON BY ITS SELF. THEN GOES BACK OFF AND STAYS OFF SO I PULL OFF THE ROAD. I LOOK AT THE LIGHT AND IT IS STILL OUT. I TURN MY LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON AND IT WORKS LIKE NEW, BUT IT KEEPS HAPPENING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WHAT HAPPENS IF BOTH LIGHT GOES OUT AND THIS HAPPENS, ITS THE MANUFACTURER FAULT NOT MINE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURTS, OR LOSE THEIR LIFE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10466288

Incident

Jul 16, 2012

Mileage

88,434 mi

HID HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. OPERATOR MUST SHUT OFF HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND TURN BACK ON FOR HEADLIGHT TO GO BACK ON. THIS HAPPENED TO THE LEFT HEADLIGHT AT 50,000 AND THE RIGHT AT 90,000 AFTER DEALER PUT IN A WATERPUMP. DEALER DENIED RESPONSIBILITY, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY PRICE FORM REPAIR >$700.00. *TR

NHTSA ID

10450730

Incident

Aug 1, 2008

Mileage

50,000 mi

LEFT & RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT HEADLAMP. HAPPENS DAILY. IT'S A SAFTEY CONCERN WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10443963

Incident

Jul 4, 2011

HEADLAMP HAS "DIPPED" MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING (DAY AND NIGHT) SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE (NOW AT 77K). THERE IS AN AUDI TSB OUT FOR THIS ISSUE BUT CAN NEVER GET A CERTIFIED AUDI DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS ISSUE AS THEY CANNOT MAKE IT HAPPEN ON COMMAND WHEN THEY INSPECT IT. NOT ONLY IS THIS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT IT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT AUDI AND IT'S AFFILIATES DO NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY OR SHOW DETERMINED INTEREST IN FIXING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10439759

Incident

Nov 1, 2010

Mileage

60,000 mi

GET DIPPED HEADLIGHT SIGNAL AND HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF AT RANDOM. LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON IF I TURN THE SWITCH TO OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AS NOTED BY MANY ONLINE AUDI FORUMS. IT IS NOT SAFE TO HAVE YOUR HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF AT RANDOM. *KB

NHTSA ID

10437786

Incident

Nov 26, 2009

Mileage

50,000 mi

OWNER WAS DRIVING, VEHICLE STARTED TO EXHIBIT A SLIGHT BUCKING, SMOKE CAME INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. PULLED OVER AND OBSERVED SMALL FIRE ON TOP OF ENGINE. ANALYSIS REVEALED FIRE ORIGIN AT #1 IGNITION COIL ON TOP FRONT OF ENGINE. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY AND VEHICLE IS REPAIRABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10434871

Incident

Sep 28, 2011

"INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "LEFT (OR RIGHT) HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED APPROX. 40 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED OR CLEAR IF THE HEADLIGHT IS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON. IT WILL THEN BE FINE FOR DAYS OR WEEKS AT A TIME. IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY GETTING MORE FREQUENT AND WORSE. AT TIMES, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND QUICK ACTION TO AVOID INJURY OR DEATH. THEN RANDOMLY TURN BACK ON. MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM ON AT LEAST 3 VISITS, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, OR BALLAST. ANNECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS." *TR

NHTSA ID

10433961

Incident

Mar 21, 2011

Mileage

127,000 mi

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS THE LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AND A "DIPPED HEADLIGHT" WARNING LIGHT SHOWS UP ON THE DASH. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON WILL BRING THEM BACK ON MOMENTARILY UNTIL A VIBRATION KNOCKS THEM OUT AGAIN. IT'S USUALLY ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER BUT SOMETIMES BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. NO FAULT CODES ARE STORED WHEN THIS HAPPENS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10424600

Incident

Jun 24, 2009

Mileage

70,000 mi

LEFT OR RIGHT XENON HID HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND GOES OUT, DASHBOARD WARNING SAYS "XX HEADLIGHT DIPPED" (XX= LEFT OR RIGHT, DEPENDING ON SITUATION). HEADLIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT REIGNITE BY SWITCHING LIGHT SWITCH TO OFF POSITION, THEN BACK ON. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED DOZENS OF TIMES, ONCE BOTH WENT OUT TOGETHER! WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, TECH CAN NEVER FIND THE PROBLEM (NTF). *TR

NHTSA ID

10298440

Incident

Jan 3, 2010

Mileage

38,000 mi

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE IGNITION COIL PACK IN CYLINDER 1 FAILED. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPLACED ONLY THE COIL PACK FOR CYLINDER 1. ONE WEEK LATER, AGAIN UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, IGNITION COIL PACK 2 FAILED. THIS TIME IT FAILED WHILE IN MOTION ON A BUSY FREEWAY IN WASHINGTON DC. THE LOCAL DEALER REPLACED COIL PACK 2, AND PETITIONED AUDI TO REPLACE 3 AND 4. AUDI ACQUIESCED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10220185

Incident

Feb 29, 2008

Mileage

38,100 mi