NHTSA Complaint #10153960 — 1998 AUDI QUATTRO

I PURCHASED AN AUDI A4 1.8T QUATTRO USED WITH 49,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND BEGAN TO NOTICE THE ABS LIGHT ALONG WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT START TO FLICKER OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING AT THE 70,000 MILE RANGE. WITHIN A MONTH OF THE FIRST SIGN OF FAILURE IT WOULD COME ON EARLIER (IN RELATION TO ENGINE START UP) AND MORE OFTEN UP TO THE POINT OF IT FLASHING CONSTANTLY UPON ENGINE START UP. AS A RESULT OF THIS I REALIZED THAT MY CAR'S ABS SYSTEM IS BASICALLY DISABLED AS I NO LONGER FEEL THE BRAKES PULSING DURING RAINY AND WET CONDITION TESTING . I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT ACCUSTOMED TO BRAKING WITH THE SYSTEM UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THE SYSTEM REQUIRES THE USER TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES FIRMLY AND EVENLY AND TO ALSO NOT LET OFF OR PUMP THE BRAKES AS DOING SO WILL NOT LET THE ABS. TO PERFORM AS DESIGNED. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DEFECT ALLOWS THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND THEORETICALLY PUT THE OPERATOR IN DANGER DURING A PANIC STOP SITUATION. I HAVE FILED AN INQUIRY WITH AUDI OF AMERICA AND AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR A REPLY OR MAYBE EVEN A SOLUTION TO RECTIFY THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH LITTLE OR NO COST TO ME AS I FEEL IT MAY RESULT FROM A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH A SPECIFIC PART. (BOSCH A.B.S. MODULE 5.3) I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO TECHNICAL BULLETINS OR RECALL CAMPAIGNS ADDRESSING THIS PARTICULAR PART AND WAS QUOTED A $1,000.00 CHARGE JUST TO PURCHASE THE REPLACEMENT MODULE. *JB