Power Train Problems of Audi S4 - part 2

Dec 5 2016, while pulling out of my driveway in route to a scheduled service appointment at Audi of asheville, my 2011 Audi S4 lurched and several warnings came up including "dsg failure, no reverse, tpms warning", followed by "you may continue to drive". Within 5 miles and at a speed of approx 35 mph the vehicle suffered a catastrophic loss of drive and came to a stop in a two lane road, the engine was still running, but no connection with the rest of the drive-train was evident. I believe the "mechatronics" control unit failed causing total loss of drive and uncontrolled, unsynced gear changes. I was approx 5 miles from being on an interstate with a 6% grade. Vehicle is one owner, ordered and serviced exclusively by Audi, 70000 miles, not abused. Requires complete transmission replacement, with the noted exception of the transmission there was nothing mechanically wrong with the rest of the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2011 Audi S4 🔎.

My S4 lunges at stops, or it feels like I've been hit from behind. Takeoff from a stop is bouncy, bouncy reversing, especially uphill. If I take my foot off the breaks and hesitate before accelerating, sometimes it¿s smooth. The tac bounces while coasting to a stop, or going down hill with foot off the pedal. These issues have been intermittent the last several years, but are now more profound. I've taken the car to my local dealer several times to no avail. Very frustrating to pay 50k for a car that drives like this, while Audi pretends it's not a problem. Lots of these issues in various forums.

See all problems of the 2010 Audi S4 🔎.

"warning: gearbox malfunction- you can continue driving" appears after about 15 minutes of driving. The car does not malfunction, changes gears without problems, and warning remains on screen. Car has 58k miles and has been well maintained. Took to Audi dealership and advised module g676 is bad. Cost to repair: $5334. 39. There is a TSB for this warning on this issue for several years of Audis. Audi will not cover any of the costs to repair although they realize this is a common failure among this vehicle. This is a manufacturer issue!! why are they not being held accountable?.

Hard clunk when selecting gears from p to r to d. When coming to a stop in traffic the car lurches forward like being rear ended. Sometimes after a complete stop has been made the car will surge forward a considerable amount which may possibly cause me to hit the car in front of me.

At about 49k miles the car would sometimes lurch backwards when in reverse or going from reverse to park. Took into mechanic. No diagnostic codes showed up. Around 60k miles the car overheated. Audi stated it needed a new thermostat which was around $1000. Drove the car across country from CA to CO. Around 62k miles car went into limp mode and would not get out of 1st or 2nd gear. "gearbox malfunction" warning came on. Stated not to go into reverse. Drove home slowly. Next morning all warning lights were off. Took to mechanic. No problems could be found. May 2016 at 69k miles car went into limp mode again. Couldn't get rpms up. Reset codes using diagnostic tool. Drove from utah to CO. Car went into limp mode probably 40 times on I-70. Car would lurch forward. Made it to dealer (prestige in lakewood, CO). Mechatronics found to be faulty and car in need of entirely new transmission. Cost $12,000. Dealership ¿paid¿ $8000. I paid $4000. This seems to be a common problem with this make/model/year.

Dsg mechatronic failure. Was replaced under cpo warranty. However problem persists. While driving car goes into neutral with tpms + gearbox malfunction. This is a known problem with Audi S4 2010 and 2011.

At 57k miles got trans overheating warning while driving on back roads and car started to loose power. After a few secs went away. On way home same thing happened and was able to limp to dealer. Dealer diagnosed w/ bad mechatronics unit which appears to be common problem w/ early b8 dsg transmissions.

Hard clunk when selecting gears from p to r to d. When coming to a stop the car lurches forward almost like being rear ended. Sometimes after a complete stop has been made the car will buck forward slightly.

This vehicle suffers from a faulty mechatronics unit, causing the car to mis-shift and surge while driving, or fail to move forward when stopped in traffic in "d" drive, due to parking brake drive-select malfunctions. In these cases the car must be turned off, in traffic in order to move forward again. This technique has worked so far but I am afraid this will not work eventually, and become a safety issue on the roadway.

Mechatronics issue. Car will surge in stop and go traffic when operating at colder engine temperatures. Common issue amongst the 2010-2012 models.

Dsg transmission is shifting very rough and sometimes slips. Also lurches forward suddenly from a stop causing the car to lunge forward.

See all problems of the 2012 Audi S4 🔎.

Engine - excessive oil consumption (1qt refill is require for every 750miles). Dsg transmission ¿ getting gearbox malfunction, you can continue to drive on dashboard. This is due to p179e - drive range sensor electrical error.

At approx 55k miles, mechatronics unit failed. Extremely rough shifts from 1-2 and 2-1, lurching forward after coming to complete stop. Dealership replaced mecharonics unit. At 74k miles entire dsg gearbox failed, while on highway with virtually no power or ability to accelerate. Luckily traffic was at near stop due to rush hour, was able to make it to next offramp in what they call 'limp mode'. Dealership is replacing entire transmission.

After turning my car on a gearbox malfunction warning appeared but said I could continue driving. After driving the message and service light eventually went off with everything going back to normal. The car appears to have a very common mechatronic unit issue that is part of the faulty dsg that Audi has put in the b8 S4 model.

Rough/clunking shifting in stop and go traffic. Car will lurch forward, or lack power when accelerating.

Symptomatic dsg engagement issues. Braking down to 0 mph from gears above 1st will hold the gear until the last second before total stop where it feels the car is rear ended and loud bang in the transmission. Moving from reverse to drive and back can sometimes cause loud bang in transmission. Upshifting from 1st to 2nd sometimes has trouble getting into gear.

The s-tronic/dsg transmission is having issues downshifting. It will rev up high when coming to a stop as well. There is also a harsh clunk when shifting from neutral-drive-park. Audi recommended replacing the mechatronics unit in the transmission. The mechatronics circuit board has already been replaced at owners cost and now they want me to replace the entire mechatronic unit at my cost ($3800+). This is a common issue with these cars and there needs to be a recall for these transmissions. It is known that these transmissions are faulty and Audi does not want to take responsibility for these issues.

Jerky dsg transmission shifts, whether downshifting or up shift. Going slow or fast, this only happens once trans is up to temp, I'm pretty sure my mechatronics unit is failing.

I have just recently purchased this car from an older man who was very kind to the car. I have had this vehicle for the whole two months when I entered my garage to leave for the day I received a"gear box malfunction, you may continue driving: limited functionality code" I have done my hours of research and have found out this is a simply a problem lot of people are having. This is something Audi is selling on their ccars knowing these have issues!!!!! I want to take further action, Audi should step up and repair all the broken units they have been selling. These units have given 95 percent of Audi owners problems. Really makes me feel like I'll never buy another.

I was driving and came up to stop light. Car flashed up warning saying gearbox malfunction limited functonality. Car would not change up or down smoothly or quickly. Loss of power on every shift for over a second. Had Audi of stevens creek change dsg fluid a couple of week prior.

Very abruptly shifts up or down launching the car forward without warning.

Audi recently replaced my 2nd thermostat (1st was 11/2012 and the 2nd was 11/24/2014), not under warranty, and returned my car to me after holding onto my car for two weeks. I was told that my vehicle checked out okay via a diagnostic and mechanics review. I drove my S4 for two days and while driving, I received an indicator warning that read, gearbox malfunction reverse not available, you can still drive. I then noticed that the car began to violently buck when I accelerated. The car surged forward while driving in traffic which was alarming to both my 10yr old daughter and I. Other cars had to drive around us and one vehicle almost hit my car in the rear. I continued to drive at a limited speed and immediately, the tpms warning indicator lit up and the car lost speed. The car would barely move at 10 mph and I limped back to a relatives underground parking garage. Once I parked I could not get the car to reverse out of the parking space. I called Audi and they stated that I would have to tow the vehicle to the nearest Audi service center. The vehicle was towed to Audi and I am waiting to hear the results of their findings. I have already invested over $1,750 in vehicle repairs (thermostat and rear brakes/rotors). I do not want to continue to invest money into this vehicle pit. Audi needs to recall these faulty parts (thermostat and mechatronic) and stand behind their product. I've seen numerous complaints in forums and on this site referencing these same issues.

I own a 2012 Audi S4 with a 7 speed dsg transmission and notice hard shifting in 1-2 and 2-1 and also into reverse and drive. I have read about this being a mechtronics unit or whole replacement of the transmisison can be needed. After bringing the car into Audi 4 times with these issues they finally said that I need to replace the tcu and update software on the ecu. I asked if this will fix the issue and they said that this repair will be the first in an order of parts to be replaced to hopefully fix the problem. Next would be the mechtronics or the entire transmission. I bought the car with 29k miles and 8 months left on the factory warranty from a local small dealership. After purchasing the car and going to the dealer with these issue 4 times. . Now they tell me Audi voided the power train warranty of the car at 5k miles due to a ecu tune. So they are denying the claim. I talked to a local tuner to see if the car had a tune on the ecu. . They said no. . I also called several nationwide tuners to ask them if my cars VIN was on record of getting a tune and they said no. So since it was before I bought the car I do not know what company or for how long it was tuned for. The local dealer never told me while bringing the car in for transmission issues that I did not have a power train warranty until a major cost was involved. They know there are problems with these transmssion hence the updated tcu and software update to the ecu as well as the updated part# of the mechtronics unit they would replace it with. This should be something Audi should cover up to 100k with a tune ecu or not. A ecu tune has no control over the transmission tcu or the parts in the trans.

While driving in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic the 2010 Audi S4 with the dsg s-tronic transmission becomes very jerky, causing it to surge when starting and stopping or driving at low speeds. As a result it is hard to control, especially in tight traffic, parking areas, or around pedestrians. Additionally, when coming to a complete stop when in this condition the shift from 2nd gear to first happen in such a way the it give the feeling that the car has been rear ended.

While driving, a sudden brake followed by a quick acceleration leads to bucking with acceleration and the engine remaining revved up. With braking, the car lunges forward. The only way to change it is by shutting the car off entirely. Has occurred at least 7 times in passed 2. 5 years. Research indicates a faulty mechatronics unit, but 2 NY dealerships continue to state no issue.

See all problems of the 2014 Audi S4 🔎.

Transmission shifts clunk when coming to a stop from 3, 2, to 1, and shifts noisily and abruptly particularly in stop and go traffic, or in extreme temperatures ie middle of summer on a hot day.

This vehicle is known for having a faulty mechatronics unit. The mechatronics unit does not work correctly, and causes jerking and instability to the dsg transmission. I have almost rear ended other vehicles at red lights because the transmission will jerk forward unexpectedly and lunge me forward toward the vehicle ahead. This is not only an issue that a prestigious name like Audi should not have, but it is a huge safety issue. Audi of America is aware of this problem, but chooses to ignore it for the sake of not having to cover repairs for all the vehicles reporting this issue. A simple google search will yield results of just how common and widespread this issue is.

See all problems of the 2013 Audi S4 🔎.

While driving in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic the 2010 Audi S4 with the dsg s-tronic transmission becomes very jerky, causing it to surge when starting and stopping or driving at low speeds. As a result it is hard to control, especially in tight traffic, parking areas, or around pedestrians. Additionally, hen coming to a complete stop when in this condition the shift from 2nd gear to first happen in such a way the it give the feeling that the car has been rear ended.

Pulled out of parking lot and received a gearbox malfunction warning along with a tpms malfunction. Warning on dash indicated that I could continue driving. I drove vehicle for approximately another mile and while going thru a roundabout, the car shut off. I was able to pull over to the side of the road and get the vehicle started again. I continued the rest of the way home for about 2 more miles. The mechatronic unit was determined to be faulty and was replaced.

Vehicle would exhibit strange shifting behavior in low gears. When upshifting or downshifting from 1-2-3 and vice versa the transmission would sometimes hesitate or shift inappropriately. Audi dealership updated software and checked the problem numerous times. They could not find any problems not any error codes. Problem would come and go usually when it was hot outside. A little over a year (sept 2015) car has again been oddly shifting in low gears and even revving to high rpms before downshifting in automatic mode. Car finally threw and error code saying gearbox malfunction and car went into limp mode. The transmission could not find the right gears to shift. Car has been exhibiting symptoms of mechatronic unit failure for over a year now.

I currently drive a 2011 Audi S4 dsg automatic vehicle. The car bucks intermittently when going from stop to 1st-2nd-3rd gear or vice versa. It usually occurs in slow traffic and when the car/transmission has been on for awhile. The car was taken to Audi for repair and the software and adaptability was updated. This helped smooth out the shifts but the car still continued to buck at times (especially in dynamic mode), the car was taken back to Audi again, but the technicians did not find any problems when driving the car. The problem seems to be a faulty mechatronic unit which is known to fail in early 2010-2011 S4's. Multiple people have gone through the same problems until this unit was replaced. Audi of America has been contacted and did not offer any solution at this time.

I was driving on a normal stretch of flat highway approximately 65mph and the dash lit up like a christmas tree out of the blue. Car indicated reverse gear not available, transmission warning lights, and tire pressure monitor system problem all at the same time. Car went in to a "limp mode" and it only shifted in even number gears, and felt like the car was dangerously unstable due to erratic missed shifting. The car had recently been in prior for a service check and had no codes or check engine light problems at all! after a little research it is a well documented problem that the mechatronics fails on this vehicle rather often. That was the problem. Cost of repair was near 3300$. I was approximately 4k miles out of warranty when this occurred, after numerous persistent exchanges with Audi of America they finally decided to cover the failure as I was considering seeking legal action. ( I had the part in hand and could submit it to failure analysis engineering for cause). On an poll on a popular Audi website, approximately 15% of these mechatronics have failed. The design issue is a circuit card embedded in hot transmission fluid that affects the hydraulic control of the transmission. If the transmission is damaged it can be over a +10k$ repair.

Dsg transmission (auto) is jerky. Does not engage smoothly and is very erratic. Can slam into the next gear.

While traveling at approximately 40 mph, a warning message came up do the dashboard saying "gearbox malfunction, reverse gear not available, you can still drive". At the same time, the tpms warning indicator came on. The car began to loose speed and wouldn't respond to the throttle, after a few seconds it would surge forward, and then loose speed again. This repeated a few times, until I came to a stop at an intersection. At the intersection, I turned off the ignition and restarted the car. The car behaved normally for about 25 minutes of driving. Then on the freeway at about 65 mph the problem recurred. I was able to limp to the nearest Audi dealership, where the car is now being evaluated. I'm very concerned about this issue, because at times I was unable to maintain the same speed as the flow of traffic and an accident could have occurred.

Dsg transmission started to shift poorly. Shifts would "slip" between gears and sometimes it would down shift very hard. This occured mostly in urban driving, stop and go.