Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 30, 2018
HANKOOK TIRES, VENTUS S1 NOBLE 2 SPLITTING OUTSIDE SIDEWALL, CAUSED TO DEPRESSURE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED TO CRACK TIRE ON THE INNER SIDEWALL SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO MANUFACTURER CLAIM BLAME ON MY VEHICLE. THE TIRE MODEL IS UNDER A RECALL, BUT IN DIFFERENT SIZE, BUT IDENTICAL WALLS, MANUFACTURING PROCESS. MY VEHICLE'S TIRE SIZE 235/40/R18. RECALLED: VENTUS S1 NOBLE2 '245/45R18 96W', '245/40R19 94W', '275/35R19 96W PROPER TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED AND CHECKED WEEKLY FOR 3YEARS, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.
- NHTSA ID
- 11114564
- Incident
- Jul 28, 2018
- Mileage
- 105,000 mi
AFTER ENGINE COOLS DOWN, TIMING CHAIN RATTLE CAN BE HEARD UPON STARTING THE CAR. CHAIN RATTLE MEANS THAT PLASTIC GUIDES OR ADJUSTERS ARE WORN, AND MIGHT GO ANY SECOND. SPOKE WITH AUDI REP ONLINE, WHICH ADVISES ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL, AND EXPECTED. KNOWING BASICS OF ENGINES AND TRANSMISSION, I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING IS "LIFE TIME" AND IS NOT SERVICEABLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S PLASTIC (WHICH TENDS TO SHRINK AND EXPAND DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURES, AND THEN HAS FRACTURES WHICH SNAPS). TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT LICENSED AUDI SHOPS CONFIRMED THAT THE GUIDES AND ADJUSTERS HAS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO PREVENT CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. CHAIN SKIPPING A TOOTH MIGHT MEAN BENT VALVES, SCORED CYLINDER WALLS AND THE LIST GOES ON. WHAT IS LIFETIME, SHOULD BE COVERED BY AUDI. IF IT'S PROMISED TO BE LIFETIME AND NEEDS NO SERVICE, SHOULDN'T BREAK. IF IT BREAKS THAT ONLY MEANS DESIGN FLAWS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUS IN THIS ENGINE. YES, CAR ISN'T NEW, BUT THE PARTS WERE LIFETIME, SO I'M EXPECTING THEM TO LAST UNTIL ENGINE IS WORN OUT, NOT THE PARTS THAT ARE LIFETIME. IF NHTSA WILL DO FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION. WILL BE OBVIOUS THAT LARGE AMOUNT OF S4'S RANGING FROM 2004 TO 2007 ARE AFFECTED. EVEN 10% IS LARGE NUMBER, CONSIDERED THE COSTS OF FIXING WHAT IS "LIFETIME" ACCORDING TO AUDI, AND WHEN IT FAILS THEY LEAVE THEIR DESIGNS FLAWS FOR YOU TO FIGURE OUT. HOPEFULLY JUSTICE CAN BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT AS TO WHAT AUDI TRIES TO TURN IT'S BACK TO. SYMPTOMS: CHAIN RATTLE UPON START. CHAIN RATTLE DOESN'T GO AWAY WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOSS OF POWER OR CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11036013
- Incident
- Oct 20, 2017
- Mileage
- 102,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed May 17, 2016
XENON HEADLAMPS WIRING ALL CORRODED AND BARE WITH NO INSULATION LEFT. CHECK WITH AUDI AND THEY SAID OUR VEHICLE AND VIN IS NOT PART OF ANY RECALL. YET RCORRD-05V096-4498 IN YOUR DATABASE SHOWS A MOFIFICATION LETTER FROM VW TO INCLUDE OUR VIN. THERE IS NO RECORD ACCORDING TO AUDI SERVICE SHOPS THAT SHOW ANY RECALL WORK DONE TO OUR HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE THAT SHOWS THE DETERIATION OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING AND HEADLAMPS TO OUR 2004 AUDI S4. WOULD APPRECIATE SOME ASSISTANCE TO HAVING OUR HEADLAMPS REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS.
- NHTSA ID
- 10865507
- Incident
- May 15, 2015
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 10, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI S4. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO THE HEAD LAMP BULBS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WIRING WAS BURNED AND DAMAGED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10747523
- Incident
- Jul 15, 2015
- Mileage
- 79,000 mi
ON SATURDAY MORNING 12/15/2014 START MY CARD AND HEARD A RATTLE NOISE ON THE ENGINE, FIRST TIME IT MAKE THAT NOISE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ON MY WAY TO WORK I STARTED HEARING THE RATTLE NOISE AGAIN BUT THIS TIME IT WAS LOUDER I WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND KEPT MAKING THE RATTLE NOISE ON THE ENGINE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR NOT EVEN A WEEK AGO, AND ALREADY STARTED HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT THE ENGINE MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACE SOON, SINCE THAT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CARS AND THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT GO BAD SOON. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10666999
- Incident
- Dec 15, 2014
- Mileage
- 111 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 14, 2014
AUDI CLAIMS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ON THOSE VEHICLES ARE LIFETIME AND DOES NOT NEED TO BE SERVICE. UNFORTUNATE THE TIMING CHANGE TENSIONERS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC WHICH THE WEAR OUT AT ABOUT 50K MILES, CAUSING A START UP RATTLE AND EVENTUALLY ENGINE EXPLOSION FROM THE CHAIN COMING OF THE GUIDES AND DESTROYING THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND CAUSING A MASSIVE ACCIDENT AT HIGH SPEED. HUNDREDS OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONE ARE REPORTED ONLINE FROM THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVEN YOUTUBE VIDEOS. NOT TO MENTION THAT EVERY TIME YOU BRING YOUR VEHICLE AND COMPLAINT TO AUDI THE CLAIM THAT THE RATTLE IS NORMAL; JUST TO FIND OUT THAT IS THE FIRST CLUE OF FUTURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10622265
- Incident
- Oct 3, 2011
- Mileage
- 80,000 mi
BrakesSteering
Filed Mar 16, 2012
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED AND BECAME STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO CONFIRMED THERE WAS A PUNCTURED HOSE CAUSING THE STEERING TO FAIL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THAT HE HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE AFTER THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. THE DEALER STATED THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10451955
- Incident
- Dec 15, 2011
- Mileage
- 112,000 mi
2004 AUDI S4. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE FAILED WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE, POWER BRAKES AND STEERING LOCKED UP *TGW THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN OR ADJUSTERS. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $24,000 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE LEARNED IT WAS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM FOR HIS MODEL AND YEAR. THE SPECIFIC MECHANICAL FLAW SEEMED TO BE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN COORDINATED THE ACTION BETWEEN THE PISTONS AND THE VALVES. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PLASTIC GUIDES. THE GUIDES PUSHED AGAINST THE CHAIN BY THE ADJUSTERS. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10446471
- Incident
- Feb 1, 2012