Table 1 shows two common equipment related problems of the 1999 Audi A4.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Equipment problems | |
| Adaptive Equipment problems |
(1) in may 2002 I purchased a certified pre-owned Audi A4 from the leith Audi in cary, nc. My manufacturer warranty expired earlier this year and I took my car to the dealer on October 8th 2004 for a comprehensive inspection priced at $450. The dealer recommended a few repairs and I did them all at a cost of another ~$1200. I specifically asked the Audi rep if I needed to change my timing belt. The verbal communication from the dealer was that I don't have to worry about that, since the manufacturer recommends a timing belt change at 90,000 miles, mine has only 65,000. The dealer did not provide me with a written summary of the inspection results and the upcoming recommended repairs. (2) a week after this costly comprehensive inspection my car breaks down on the highway due to timing belt failure. The dealer quotes a repair cost of $4000 and claims that they have recommended a timing belt replacement, which is not true. (3) the dealer refuses to take responsibility and repair the car at their expense. I believe that the damage is a result of their failure to inspect the timing belt and recommend replacement only a week before the accident.
My Audi, along with thousands of others have had their abs control unit malfunction because of design. This malfunction causes the abs to not work on the affected vehicle. Volkswagen, the company that produces Audis and vws actually recalled this exact part on their vw vehicles, but for some reason refuses to correct the problem for their Audi customers. The cost to replace this control unit is $1,400 - $1,700, and as such I have been driving my vehicle without its abs functioning. Below is a description of the recall for this exact part, but on the vw jetta: "2002 Volkswagen jetta GLS NHTSA recall id number: 02v031000 recall date: Jan 31, 2002 component: service brakes, hydraulic:antilock potential units affected: 55000 summary: on some passenger vehicles, short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (abs). Consequence: this can result in a fire. Remedy: dealers will replace the abs control unit. Owner notification began March 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Notes: Volkswagen of America,inc," please look into this issue and help vw to make the right choice for the safety of their customers and others on the road. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter!.