NHTSA Complaint #10137816 — 1998 AUDI A4

DT: THE CONTACT STATED TIMING BELT BROKE AT THE END OF 2001. SHE STATED THAT WHEN THE TIMING BELTS BREAK ON THESE AUDIS AND BEND THE VALVES,E THEY WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SHE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE SINCE THEN. SHE HAD THE CAR TOWED IN 2001. THE BILL WAS $4,468.00. THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT AT 80,000 MILES. AN ADVOCATE FOR AUDI IN MICHIGAN TOLD HER ON 9-26-05 THAT THEY SENT HER A LETTER CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WHEN THEY SENT IT. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST AUDI. (9-27-05 THE CONTACT CALLED THE SAME ADVOCATE AND ASKED HER TO CHECK THE REFERENCE NUMBER ON THE CAR, AND THE ADVOCATE TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS ONGOING CAMPAIGN CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. IT WAS CALLED THE JK CAMPAIGN. THE CONTROL ARM WAS CALLED THE JE CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTERS AND NOTIFIED THE ADVOCATE THAT SHE HAD NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN THE MAINTENANCE BOOK,IT STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHANGED UNTIL 90,000 MILES.*AK