11 of the 242 complaints about the 1999 Audi A4 are about the electrical system — 5% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 98,000 miles.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE CAR IS EXPERIENCING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, AFTER HEAVY ACCELERATION. OVER 10 OCCURRENCES. CANNOT REMEDY BY PULLING BACK THE ACCELERATOR. CAR MUST BE TURNED OFF AND THE ENGINE MUST RECORD 0 RPM TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10445699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BOSCH ABS CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED CAUSING A FLASHING ABS INDICATOR AND A SOLID BRAKE LIGHT. CAUSE IS ELECTRONIC. MANY DOCUMENTED CASES FOUND ON LINE. ABS WILL NOT ENGAGE. AUDI WILL NOT RECALL, BUT VW HAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10395229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT SMOKE HAD BEGUN TO COME FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT. NO FLAMES WERE VISIBLE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 104000.
NHTSA complaint #10344077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTING INTO MANUAL MODE FROM AUTOMATIC. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ADJUST THE SHIFTER TO NORMAL BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE SHIFTER BLIND AND THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 126,963.
NHTSA complaint #10339487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY BRAKE LIGHT STARTED BEEPING AND FLASHING ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING. THE BEEPING AND FLASHING CONTINUED THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE AUDI WON'T RELEASE THEIR SERVICE CODES. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE MECHANIC ASKED ME "WERE YOU DRIVING YOUR CAR IN THE RAIN?" I HAD QUITE A FEW SARCASTIC RESPONSES TO THE STUPID QUESTION BUT I JUST SAID, YEAH. I ASSUME A CAR IS ENGINEERED TO BE DRIVEN IN ALL CLIMATES INCLUDING, RAIN. A PRODUCT SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO PERFORM ITS INTENDED USE. NOT THE A4. WHO NEEDS AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE CAR IF THEY DON'T PLAN ON DRIVING IT THROUGH RAIN AND SNOW? THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY ABS CONTROL MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST ME $1500. HE TOLD ME THAT MY ABS AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY UNTIL I FIX IT. I LIVE IN COLORADO AND I FREQUENTLY DRIVE THROUGH THE SNOW. I DRIVE THROUGH THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS IN ICY AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. LUCKILY, IT WAS SUMMER TIME WHEN MY MODULE WENT OUT. I TAKE MY LITTLE SISTERS, LITTLE BROTHERS, AND NEPHEWS SNOWBOARDING. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED OR I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT I THOUGHT HAD ABS, BUT DIDN'T. THERE IS A SLIM MARGIN FOR ERROR WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON SNOWY CURVES THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. I COULD BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFF BY THE TIME I REALIZE MY ABS WASN'T WORKING. OR I COULD SLIDE OVER A GROUP OF PEDESTRIANS. EVEN IF AUDI DOESN'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, THEY SHOULD AT LEAST NOTIFY THEIR OWNERS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT DRIVERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF. I WENT ONLINE AND I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. AUDI DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCEPT OFFER TO REPAIR THE BROKEN MODULE FOR FULL PRICE.
NHTSA complaint #10316693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
I OWN A 1999 AUDI A4 AND THE LCD IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER HAS FAULTED AND NO LONGER WORKS. IT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO THE DRIVER AND WORKS ABOUT 80% WHEN ITS EXTREMELY COLD. ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP ALL THE INFORMATION IS NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN.
NHTSA complaint #10215735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
TL* - THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NUMBER 06E060000 TO REPLACE WIRING ON HER 1999 AUDI A4. THE VEHICLE HAS AN ODOMETER READING OD APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUDI DEALER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO DO THE RECALL WORK STATING THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE FACTORY WIRING. THE CONTACT STATED SHE PREVIOUSLY ADDED AN AUTOMATIC STARTER TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE DEALER WOULD NOT DISCLOSED WHICH WIRE WAS NOT FACTORY WIRING.
NHTSA complaint #10178404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THIS IS THE 2ND COIL PACK FAILURE I HAVE HAD ON MY 1999 AUDI A4 1.8T. IT WAS FIRST REPLACED BY SOUTHBAY AUDI IN CA IN JUNE OF 2002 AND THEN NOW OCTOBER ON 2004. AFTER READING THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS MADE BY AUDI AND VW OWNERS ON WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SERIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE HWY WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HWY 405 IN CA...IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE ATTENTIVE DRIVER BEHIND ME...THE CARS LOSS OF POWER DUE TO LOSS OF CYLINDER ONE IN MY 4 CYLDR CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT THE COIL PACK WAS BAD DUE TO A MISFIRE IN CYLDR 1. I NOW HAVE TO SPEND OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM THAT IN MY OPINION WAS AN EXISTING PROBLEM FROM THE DAY THE CAR CAME OUT OF THE PRODUCTION PLANT IN GERMANY. KINDLY ADVISE OF MY OPTIONS TO RECOUP MY EXPENSES.
NHTSA complaint #10098418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WE OWN AN AUDI A4 THAT WE HAVE HAD TOO MANY REPAIRS. THE CAR HAS NEEDED A TURBO AT 55,000 MILES, OIL PUMP AT 63,000 MILES, IGNITION COMPUTER AT 68,000 MILES AND RACK AND PINION STEERING AT 73,000 MILES. WE ARE AWARE THAT THE CAR IS AT HIGH MILEAGE, BUT THIS CAR IS SUPPOSE TO GET 200,000 MILES OUT OF IT. THE CAR WAS SERVICED AT DEALERS THE ENTIRE TIME. WE THINK THAT PERHAPS THERE ARE DEFECTS IN THE CAR THAT OTHER DRIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING.
NHTSA complaint #10005491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
THREE FAILURES OF HEADLIGHTS. AFTER 6 MONTHS, DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT BURNT OUT. 6 MONTHS LATER PASSENGER SIDE BURNT OUT. NOW THE DRIVER SIDE HAS BURNT OUT AGAIN, JUST 18 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. HAVE ALSO HAD A FUSE BLOW IN A CELL PHONE CHARGER PLUGGED IN THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER.
NHTSA complaint #745760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRES BREAKING CAUSED AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. BREAKS PULL TO RIGHT WHEN WET/MOIST. DOOR ASSEMBLED WRONG (CAUSED WIND NOISE) HAD TO TAKE IN 4 TIMES TO REPAIR.HOOD/ OIL PUMP BROKE EMPTYING OIL ON DRIVEWAY. FRONT SUSPENSION SQUEAKS AND ABS COMES ON WHEN BACKING UP WHILE BREAKING WITH WHEELS TURNED.
NHTSA complaint #723550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.