NHTSA Complaint #10137462 — 2000 AUDI TT

2000 AUDI TT QUATTRO COUPE. TIMING BELT FAILED AT 83918 MILES. (STRIPPED TIMING BELT). FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING UP LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON IN UTAH ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE CANYON. THE CAR LOST POWER ABRUPTLY AND DUE TO SMALL SHOULDER ON THE ROAD, WE WERE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OFF ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CARS FOLLOWING UP THE CANYON. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON HAZARD LIGHTS AS CAR NO LONGER HAD FORWARD MOMENTUM AND PROCEEDED TO BACK SLOWLY DOWN THE CANYON TO A SECTION OF ROAD THAT HAD A WIDER SHOULDER WHERE WE PULLED OFF. AUDI RECOMMENDS THAT THE TIMING BELT BE REPLACED AT 90,000 MILES. MY CAR HAD 83918. DUE TO THE TIMING BELT FAILURE, THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE WERE BENT, AND THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS SCORED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TOTAL COST WAS $3464.82. TO CORRECT THE DAMAGE A NEW HEAD, VALVES, TENSIONERS, AND TIMING BELT WAS INSTALLED BY THE AUDI DEALER. VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY, OR SERVICE BULLETIN. AS I HAVE READ THROUGH INTERNET FORUMS, THIS SEEMS NOT TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *JB