FaultScore

1999 Audi A4 transmission problems

12 of the 242 complaints about the 1999 Audi A4 are about the transmission — 5% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 126,963 miles.

A

12

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 4 33.3%
Power Train 2 16.7%
Clutch Assembly 2 16.7%
Cooling Unit AND Lines 1 8.3%
Axle Shaft 1 8.3%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 1 8.3%
Seal 1 8.3%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Audi A4 year

1999 12 8.8%
2002 16 11.7%
2003 44 32.1%
2004 12 8.8%
2005 16 11.7%
2006 14 10.2%
2007 11 8.0%
2008 12 8.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 145,000 miles Port Matilda, PA

POWER TRAIN

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.

at 126,963 miles Philadephia, PA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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.

at 76,424 miles Brigham City, UT

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 1999 AUDI A-4 1.8 TURBO WITH 76,000 MILES BROKE AS I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR, LEAVING ME A A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FORTUNATELY, MY CAR WAS NOT HIT BY OTHER CARS. AS A RESULT, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AS WELL AS THE TIMING CHAIN WERE ALL TRASHED. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN AT 90,000 MILES, BUT AUDI OF NORTH AMERICA TOLD ME THAT THEY NOIW RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT AT 70,000 OR 75,000. THEY DID NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ME OR TO THE DEALER WHERE MY CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED (FOLLOWING ALL THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS) AND THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER SAID THAT SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THEY WOULD DO NOTHING.

NHTSA complaint #10116095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Monmouth Junction, NJ

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

RIGHT REAR AXLE BEARING IS FAILING. LOUD GROAN HEARD AT SPEEDS EXCEEDING 30 MPH. DEALER CLAIMS TIRE NOISE IS THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO FIX IT. TWO NON-AUDI SOURCES SUPPORT AXLE BEARING FAILURE (AUTO MECHANIC AND MECHANICAL ENGINEER).

NHTSA complaint #751940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rockville, MD

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO SWITCHING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR, THE VEHICLE LOSES R.P.M.'S AND POWER THEN CATCHES AND CHANGES GEARS. IT IS ONLY IN THIS GEAR SHIFT --3RD TO 4TH. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAY IT IS WITHIN DESIGN PARAMETERS. I TEST DROVE OTHER IDENTICAL CARS AND THIS PROBLEM IS NOT DETECTED. IT IS DANGEROUS TO LOSE SUCH POWER, ESPECIALLY AT OR AROUND HIGHWAY MERGE SPEEDS.

NHTSA complaint #733708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rockville, MD

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

CONSUMER NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER BETWEEN THE 3RD AND 4TH GEARS AND RPM'S DROP. YH

NHTSA complaint #552255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bolton, MA

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, STEPPED ON THE GAS, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, SMOOTHLY. THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED ON THE 2ND TRY. ORIGINAL CLUTCH WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME I PICKED UP THE NEW CAR. DEFECTIVE SLAVE CYLINDER AND LEAKY SHAFT SEAL CAUSED MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKS.

NHTSA complaint #719049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bolton, MA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, STEPPED ON THE GAS, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, SMOOTHLY. THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED ON THE 2ND TRY. ORIGINAL CLUTCH WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME I PICKED UP THE NEW CAR. DEFECTIVE SLAVE CYLINDER AND LEAKY SHAFT SEAL CAUSED MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKS.

NHTSA complaint #719049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bolton, MA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, STEPPED ON THE GAS, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, SMOOTHLY. THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED ON THE 2ND TRY. ORIGINAL CLUTCH WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME I PICKED UP THE NEW CAR. DEFECTIVE SLAVE CYLINDER AND LEAKY SHAFT SEAL CAUSED MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKS.

NHTSA complaint #719049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Allentown, PA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER VEHICLE WOULD BE JERKING & BUCKING LIKE A STICK. TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING INTO ANOTHER GEAR AFTER SLOWING DOWN & THEN SPEEDING UP. VEHICLE BEEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. NOTHING FOUND AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND TEST DRIVE. VEHICLE WAS LEASED. ARBITRATION NOT WORKING. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT DENIED, DESPITE PHYSICAL TEST THAT SHOWS THE ERROR. *AK

NHTSA complaint #856972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairfax, VA

POWER TRAIN

DEFECTIVE SUN ROOF WOULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY AND NOT CLOSE. DLR REPLACED SUN ROOF. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS NOT READNG THE SPEED ACCURATELY. DEALER REPLACE SPEEDOMETER SENSOR AND GEAR. FINALLY, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG. DEALER REPLACE DTHE AIRBAG SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #849249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mentor, OH

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

BY MANUALLY PULLING UP THE CLUTCH, IT WILL ENGAGE. SINCE THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM (SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AT 1500 MILES, AUDI IS REFUSING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I REFUSE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE WHOSE ABILITY TO SHIFT CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME.

NHTSA complaint #708507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1999 Audi A4 problems

← Full 1999 Audi A4 report