NHTSA Complaint #10164093 — 2002 AUDI A4

IN DECEMBER OF 2005 MY RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS ADVISED THAT MY CAR NEEDED AN OIL CHANGE AND TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. INSTEAD OF AUDI REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE ENGINE AT THIS TIME, THEY SIMPLY CHANGED THE OIL. IN JUNE OF 2006 MY RED OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY THE ENGINE IN MY CAR BEGAN MAKING HORRIBLE NOISES AND DRIVING VERY, VERY POORLY. . MY SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED ME AND ASKED ME HOW OFTEN DID I CHANGE AND THE OIL AND WHO CHANGED THE OIL IN MY CAR. I ADVISED THEM THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE EVERY WORKED ON THE CAR. HE CALLED ME BACK AND ADVISED ME THAT AUDI WAS REPLACING THE ENGINE IN MY CAR. I AGAIN WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE SLUDGE PROBLEMS. I WAS MADE TO FEEL THAT I WAS "LUCKY" BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING ME A FAVOR BY REPLACING THE ENGINE. AT THE TIME THAT THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO PAY TO HAVE THE TIMING BELT, TEN ROLLERS RELAY AND THE WATER PUMP REPLACED. A COST TO ME OF OVER $500.00. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE DOING ME A FAVOR BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE LABOR, JUST THE PARTS. IN JULY 2006, I NOTICED THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE NEW ENGINE AND WAS ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO LEAK AND THAT SOMETIMES WHEN AN ENGINE IS REPLACED THERE MIGHT BE AN AIR BUBBLE AND THAT MIGHT CAUSE THE COOLANT LEVEL TO DROP. I AGAIN ADVISED THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE COOLANT WAS ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE AND THAT WITHOUT A LEAK SOMEWHERE IT COULD NOT JUST COME OUT OF THE ENGINE. THEY AGAIN CHECKED IT OVER THE WEEKEND AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY FOUND A COUPLE OF DROPS OF COOLANT BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY DRIVE THE CAR AND SEE IF THERE WAS A LEAK. THEY DID JUST THAT AND FOUND THE LEAK, THE MAJOR LEAK. MY SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT THE PART THAT WAS LEAKING WAS AN OLD PART FROM THE OLD ENGINE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO PAY $375.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. *NM