RoadVitals

1997 Audi Cabriolet

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Oct 1, 2003
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Oct 8, 1997
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Audi Cabriolet, most frequently naming the driver assistance and steering categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 6 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance150.0%
  • Steering150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
97V175000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Oct 8, 1997
39,300 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS CAN ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BY TOUCHING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STEERING WHEEL.
The risk: ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND WIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Oct 1, 2003

WHILE DRIVING THE GAS PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND FAILED TO RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION, WHICH CREATED EXCESSIVE SPEED. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10020012
Incident
May 16, 2003
Steering
Filed Jan 9, 2003

STEERING LINKAGE FAILED. WHILE PULLING OUT ODF A DRIVEWAY, THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND RACK BROKE RENDERING THE CAR UNSTEERABLE. THE STEERING WHEELL SIMPLE SPUN. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT OCCUR AT HIGH SPEED. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT SAID IT WAS " NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE HIGH MILEAGE AND IS MAINTAINED BY AUDI. I HAVE THE BROKEN PART FOR YOUR INSPECTION. IT IS BROKEN IN TWO.

NHTSA ID
10000879
Incident
Dec 27, 2002
Mileage
37,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB-44-08-14

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

AUDI: WHEEL BOLTS REQUIRE TORQUE ADJUSTMENT. TORQUE STICKS AND TORQUE EXTENSION BARS ARE NOT APPROVED BY AUDI OF AMERICA, INC. AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO APPLY TORQUE TO WHEEL BOLTS. ALL AUDI MODELS INCLUDED. *PE

20056243

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

HEADLIGHT AIMING, USING HELLA UNIVERSAL BEAMSETTER. *KB

2012749-2

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:FOG LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:CONCEALMENT DEVICES; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

EXTERIOR LIGHTS, MOSITURE ACCUMULATION. *PE

0604

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

OIL SLUDGE LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION. *KB

0431

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

REPAIRS OF OIL SLUDGE RELATED PROBLEMS. *TT

9711039701X

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

CONDITION WITH VEHICLES CONVERTIBLE TOP OPERATION IS SLOW OR INOPERATIVE. *YC

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Audi Cabriolet by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003500—
2002000—
2001000—
2000100—
1999000—
1998100—
1997Viewing210—
1996820—
1995330—
1994220—
1993010—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.