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 2001 Audi S4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKAGE INTO ENGINE OIL. THIS IS CAUSING ACCELERATED WEAR OF COMPONENTS LUBRICATED BY THE ENGINE OIL. UNLESS CORRECTED, THIS CONTAMINATION WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF THE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND TESTED BY AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER WITH NO CAUSE IDENTIFIED OR SOLUTION PROPOSED. AUDI OF AMERICA IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *JB
COOLANT IN OIL. CAN'T TRACE IT DOWN, HAVE HAD 5 REAR MAIN SEALS REPLACED, HAD THE EXTERNAL OIL FILTER PARTS REPLACED AND STILL COOLANT IS FINDING IT'S WAY INTO THE MOTOR, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO PREMATURELY WEAR. AUDI KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE THEY HAVE BROUGHT ENGINES BACK TO GERMANY FOR REVIEW, BUT HAVE YET COME OUT WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. WHAT CAN WE FIX TO STOP THIS. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A RECALL, HECK MOST PEOPLE I KNOW WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT AUDI MESSED UP AND HOW WE CAN FIX IT. AT THIS POINT THE FIX IS UNKNOWN, STOP LEAK IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM BUT THAT'S A BANDAID AND GUNKS UP THE MOTOR. AUDI AND AUDI OF AMERICA NEED TO STEP UP AND AT LEAST MAKE THE FLAW KNOWN SO THAT IF THERE IS A FIX WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. IF THERE IS NO FIX, THEN I CAN UNDERSTAND AUDI HIDING THE ISSUE, SINCE IT WOULD MEAN IT'S A MACHINING DEFECT, CASTING DEFECT AND IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE EVERY 2.7T ENGINE OR HEAD ON THE ROAD (BUT THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD ABOUT STEPPING UP TO OTHER FAILURES (TURBOS! ABS CONTROLLERS, DASH DISPLAY PIXELS (GAUGE CLUSTER, CAN BUS), ROCKING FRONT SEATS ETC. MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR SOME PRESSURE TO BE APPLIED TO THEM. JUST TELL US!! *JB
(1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: NONE--I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING A COOLANT LEAK SINCE DAY ONE. ONLY RECENTLY HAS IT GOTTEN WORSE AND NOW I SEE THAT THERE IS WATER IN MY COOLANT. (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES - COOLANT IN OIL CAUSES PREMATURE DAMAGE OF ENGINE COMPONENTS (BEARINGS, TURBOS). NEW ENGINE COSTS EXCEED $15,000. NEW TURBOS COSTS EXCEED $5,000. THIS PROBLEM IS POSTED ALL OVER AUDIWORLD.COM. MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE OIL CHECKED AND DETERMINE THAT HIGH LEVELS OF COPPER (CAUSED BY COOLANT) WERE IN THE OIL AND WOULD RESULT IN NEAR-TERM ENGINE/TURBO FAILURE. (3) WHAT WAS DONE TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM: (A) COOLANT SYSTEM CHECKED THREE TIMES BY AUDI SERVICE AT MY COST AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. COSTS SO FAR EXCEED DOLLARS WITH NO FIX IN SIGHT; (B) WATER-PUMP REPLACED ; (C) SECONDARY WATER-PUMP REPLACED I AM ABOUT TO PAY $2000 TO GET THE HEAD-GASKETS REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS A MAYBE FIX SINCE THE PROBLEM CANNOT GET DIAGNOSED. MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED ON AUDIWORLD THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME JOB COMPLETED WITH NO BENEFITS TO THE PROBLEM.
COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE OIL AT UNDETERMINED LOCATION. NO CAUSE IDENTIFIED NOR SOLUTION PROPOSED. COOLANT LEVELS IN OIL HIGH ENOUGH TO LEAD TO SIGNIFICANTLY PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. NO RECOURSE PROVIDED BY AUDI OF AMERICA. ENGINE REPLACEMENT ONLY OPTION AT PRESENT. *NM
INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK , SLOW LEAK DEVELOPED AND COOLANT CONTAMINATES THE OIL .. TOTALLY DESTROYING THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPONENTS! *NM
I HAVE A 2001 AUDI S4. THERE IS A VACUUM LINE BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND FIREWALL THAT HAS A CHECK VALVE ON IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CHECK VALVE IS PRONE TO FAIL (TALKED TO OTHERS ON AN AUDI WEBSITE THAT HAD THIS PART FAIL ALSO) AND WHEN IT DOES, IT FAILS W/O NOTICE AND CAUSES THE CAR TO LOSE ITS POWER BRAKES. I THINK THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME, MINE FAILED IN A PARKING LOT AS I WAS PARKING, BUT WHAT IF I OR SOMEONE HAD THIS PART FAIL AT SAY 50-60 MPH AND THEY HAD TO STOP THE CAR? THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO. I FIXED MINE BY BY-PASSING THIS CHECK VALVE. I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. *JB
PLEASE REFER TO ODI NUMBER 10159801 1. SLOW COOLANT LEAK AND ENGINE OIL CONTAMINATION 2. LOW OIL LIGHT AS WELL AS LOW COOLANT INDICATOR LIGHT, THIS CAUSES WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE WITH ENGINE TO THE EXTENT THAT CAN DAMAGE MAJOR COMPONENTS WITHIN THE ENGINE. 3. AUDI DEALER HAS DIAGNOSE AND RUN TEST TO DETERMINE THIS PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT FOUND FAULT. THE SYMPTOMS STILL PERSISTS BUT ARE NOT ACKNOWLEDGE AS A PROBLEM THE AUDI OF AMERICA. *NM
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKAGE INTO ENGINE OIL. THIS IS CAUSING ACCELERATED WEAR OF COMPONENTS LUBRICATED BY THE ENGINE OIL. UNLESS CORRECTED, THIS CONTAMINATION WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF THE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND TESTED BY AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER WITH NO CAUSE OR SOLUTION IDENTIFIED. AUDI OF AMERICA IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *NM
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKAGE INTO ENGINE OIL. THIS IS CAUSING ACCELERATED WEAR OF COMPONENTS LUBRICATED BY THE ENGINE OIL. UNLESS CORRECTED, THIS CONTAMINATION WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF THE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND TESTED BY AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER WITH NO CAUSE IDENTIFIED OR SOLUTION PROPOSED. AUDI OF AMERICA IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *JB
DT: THERE WAS A CAM ADJUSTER FROM WHERE THE OIL LEAK WAS COMING FROM. NOTICED THIS ON AUGUST 8, 2003. THEN, ON JULY 24, 2004 TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR AN OIL CHANGE A ND THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS ANOTHER OIL LEAK. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN NOVEMBER 2005, AND THE CONSUMER MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE GASKETS TO BE REPLACED A MONTH BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE GASKETS THE CAM SHAFTS HAD TO BE REMOVED. THE GASKETS WERE REPLACED,, AND CAM SHAFT REINSTALLED, THEN GAVE IT A TUNE UP. ALSO, PUT IN TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPARK PLUGS; ONE SET WAS PLATINUM AND CONVENTIONAL. A WEEK LATER, IT WAS READY FOR PICK UP. THE EXHAUST SOUNDED DIFFERENT WHEN VEHICLE PICKED UP. ON JANUARY 31, 2005 TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE WAS ON. AT THAT POINT MECHANIC DETERMINED O2 SENSORS CAUSED THE LIGHT TO COME ON, AND THE EXHAUST SOUNDED DIFFERENTLY. THEN, THREE MONTHS LATER, THE EXHAUST CAM SHAFT THAT BROKE IT BENT VALVES IN CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSED IT TO CRACK. *AK
CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH BLOWN TURBOS. AUDI HAS MADE ENGINEERING CHANGES TO THE TUBROS WITHOUT NOTIFIYING CUSTOMERS OF IMPENDING FAILURES. THEY ARE ALSO VOIDING CUSTOMER WARRANTIES BLAMING FAILURES ON AFTERMAKET EQUIPMENT WITHOUT VERIFYING THE AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT INDEED CAUSED THE FAILURE. I AM CONCEERNED THAT I HAVE KNOWN DEFECTIVE PARTS IN MY VEHICLE THAT MAY FAIL AT ANY TIME.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .