39 problems related to brake electric antilock have been reported for the 1998 Audi A4. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Abs computer out. From people I have talked to it's a frequent problem in these cars. It is quite expensive to replace.
Audi A4 abs malfunction. 1998 2. 8 liter quattro.
Car experiences diminished braking abilities under wet/cold conditions. If roads are wet, even if above freezing conditions, braking suddenly to avoid other traffic results in near crashes or dangerous swerving to avoid accident. This is not due to poor road conditions but directly related to the Audi's braking abilities in wet conditions. Very dangerous and unpredictable. Have recently traded in vehicle and incurred large financial loss due to this and other serious problems.
Car always has a delayed response when applying brakes when they are wet.
Braking is delayed 3-4 seconds in rain and or snow conditions. Additional pressure is required to stop vehicle.
Cruise control inoperative. During high speed braking car shimmies and hops. Problem began after serviced by Audi as per Audi brake recall. In the last 12 months my Audi has spent 2 months at the dealership for repairs. This vehicle is a lemon.
Brakes do not resond for a couple of seconds when driving at highway speeds in wet road conditions.
I continue to have problems with the brake system on this auto, even on dry surfaces. It appears that the problem is a misaligned interface between the all-wheel drive (quattro) system and the abs. The problem is one of software, not hardware, and Audi needs to replace the appropriate chip.
Since I have owned th car, I have experienced a delay or a lack of braking ability when driving in the rain. I have had a few near accidents when I had to brake suddenly and I had no response. Luckily I had quatrro and room to move. Normal driving is o. K. Only becauise I know of the problem and give myself time to stop. This should not be the case. I need the brakes to work properly every time and under all conditions. My 87 maxima has beeter brakes now than the Audi. This needs to be solved or I will have to consider selling my vehicle for a safer BMW especially since children are on the way. Not a safe vehicle for them. I hope you can remedy.
In wet weather the brakes need to be applied much harder otherwise no slowing occurs.
When traveling at speed of 50 mph or greater in very heavy rain, there is an initial delay while braking (0. 5 sec-1 sec) when brakes don't have an effect. Pushed the pedal and nothing happened for the initial delay. Then, abruptly the car brakes. Also, there is a lack of splash shields on the front rotors on the model year 98 (model year 2000 has it). The rotors have water on them and it takes a while for that to be evacuated.
Everytime it rains the brakes seems to have a . 5 sec to 1 second delay before it works. Audi please recall this brake system as it might cause accidents.
Brakes hesitate when consumer applies brakes & the pedal goes all the way to the floor. Brakes will not work in the cold weather.
On June 17, 1999 I simultaneously lost control of both the steering wheel and the brakes. The weheel was locked and the brakes would not pump. The trip instrument panel showed the battery sign and the warning "check". The car came to a stop uphill, and resumed normal (?) operation after I turned on the engine again.
Audi of America has launched a recall campaign, labelled ku, for its defective brakes. I received a formal notification on October 10, 1999. Hoever, since then I have been unable to have this recall performed at any Audi dealer. Since the recall represents a serious defect and potential hazard, I seek the NHTSA's involvement to have the recall performed on my vehicle as soon as possible.
My Audi has wonderful brakes in dry road conditions. However initial braking in wet conditions results in a few seconds of diminished braking capacity which almost resulted in an accident. . Read more...
Brakes do not respond properly for 10-15 feet when it is raining, the water that gets on the brakes effects their gripping efficiency. It's very bad.
Wet braking performance greatly diminished due to wet rotors, requires higher brake effort and stopping time/distance.
Abs system was unable to stop the car for 30 feet, while I kept pressing the brakes, as required, and felt the vibration. Seven feet before I was about to hit the car in front of me, I re-applied the brakes ( removed my foot and braked again) and then the car stopped within inches from the rear of the car ahead of me. Road conditions were slippery. This is the second time that this Audi a-4 model does not stop at all when brakes are applied consistently, as requires under the abs system.
The brake pedal would go to the floor with very little braking. You could pump-up the pedal, but if you applied steady pressure it would go to the floor. At a light, if you kept the automatic transmission in drive, the pdeal would go to towards the floor until the car started to move forward at idle. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. The problem has not reoccurred.
In snow and sometimes rain and when going over railroad tracks the brakes do not respond and you feel like you have absolutley no brakes.
Problem is major braking delay in rain (worse with heavy rain). When push on pedal, get no braking action for 1-3 seconds, then brakes act normal. Pedal feels firm/normal. Seems like there is water sheeting on the rotors; brakes have to wipe water off before get any braking. This is the absolute worst case of this phenomena I have felt in 30 years, 750,000 miles of driving. Dealer informed at routine service, could find nothing wrong.
After driving in rain, foot will sink on brake pedal as if hydraulic fluid is gone and stopping force is gone until re-applying foot to brake pedal 2nd-3rd time.
When braking,brakes would grind and squeek excessively and revealed premature wear.
Brakes do not appear to work at all for 1-2 seconds after application. Then they work with reduced efficiency and finally (after heating up) work normally. If one side dries more quickly on applying brakes, car pulls side-to-side lightly but noticably. I must apply my brakes regularly to dry them when it rains and have irritated drivers behind me who believe I am "playing games" with them.
The brakes on my car are very suspect in rain or snow conditions. I dread a panic stop. I must pre-apply brake pressure in plenty of time to be able to stop when I need to when it is wet outside. I don't mean after driving through a puddle. I'm talking just general wet road conditions.
Intermittently the brakes don't grab at all, especially in the wet. This happens even after the car has been drive far enough to warm up the brakes.
If brakes are cold (not used for more than 15 minutes on a freeway) and the weather is cold and wet, the brakes will not grip for the first one to two seconds. At best, only one or two may slightly grip making the car swerve to one side. Checking the Audiworld. Com web site forums shows that this is a common and serious safety problem.
Brakes appear inactive for approx 1sec during heavy rain.
When driving in the rain, the brakes do not immediately grab. There is a one half to one second delay before the brakes become effective. It is especially noticable on the highway when you have not touched the brakes in several miles. The rotors obviously get wet and are not able to generate enough heat to slow the car initially. The dealer takes the position that this is normal and, although I know others with this problem who have had their cars inspected by Audi, they have done nothing to address the issue. I believe it to be a glaring safety defect on an otherwise well built and safe car.
Reduced brake performance when driving in rain or wet condition. Especially when driving for long periods without applying brake (I. E. Long distance highway drives) you need to put a lot of pressure on the brake pedal to get sufficient stopping power. It's startling for the driver to have to push the pedal down that far.
Vehicle does not brake properly when brakes are wet. When applying brakes vehicle continues to travel. This problem has been reported to dealership and manufacturer many times. Problem has not been corrected. The problem was corrected on 2000 models by redesigning brakes but no on earlier models.
After driving on the highway in the rain, when brakes first applied, the car accelerates, then brakes after 1-2 seconds. This is very unnerving and the dealer says Audi knows about this but there is "no advisory or technical bulletin to fix it" please help. Otherwise, this car is one of the best.
Wet braking problem - during rain brake efficiency falls to an unacceptable level. Brake shoes slip on the disc and do not provide sufficient braking. Abs does not activate which means that tires do not even try to lock. This makes me to believe that the problem is really in the shoe/disc engagement.
My A4 exhibits a severe delay (3-4 secs) in braking force when the brakes get wet (I. E. Any time it rains). This is not normal and seems quite hazardous. It only happens when the brakes get wet, which always happens driving in rain (and I don't mean driving through puddles). Dealer's latest story is that Audi is aware of problem but has no fix. Some (not all) owners of this car model have the same complaint.