Four problems related to front suspension lower control arm have been reported for the 1997 Audi A4. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Failing lower control arms.
Both of the vehicle's front lower control arms failed. The consumer previously owned a 1882 Audi 4000 and a 1985 Audi 4000s quattro.
Every 30,000 miles to 40,000 miles the lower control arms failed. When this occurred, the front end made a clanking noise, and the front wheels loosened. Consumer contacted the dealer and the manufacturer, and was offered 50% of total repair cost by the manufacturer.
Left and right lower control arms (2 on each side for a total of 4) were severly worn, and have been for quite some time prior to my having the defect inspected. With the car on lift, the ball joint could be pulled out of it's socket with little effort. Had I hit a bump at a high rate of speed, this could easily cause loss of control. I am contacting Audi as well, but haven't as of this writing.
| Front Suspension Control Arm problems | |
| Front Suspension Lower Control Arm problems | |
| Front Suspension problems | |
| Front Suspension Upper Arm problems | |
| Suspension Noise problems |