NHTSA Complaint #10214099 — 2003 AUDI A4

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2003 A4 (1.8T) STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AS I ACCELERATED FROM A COMPLETE STOP. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR LOST MOST ALL OF ITS POWER AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND WOULDN'T GET ABOVE 15 MPH. AND EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, HAVING TO COAX THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF HARM'S WAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED EACH TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT AN IGNITION COIL (OR TWO) HAD BLOWN. ALL 4 COIL PACKS HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN A YEAR AT A COST OF OVER $900. AUDI KNOWS THEY PRODUCED CARS WITH FAULTY IGNITION COILS IN A4 CARS EQUIPPED WITH 1.8 LITER ENGINES IN THE 2001, 2002, AND EARLY PRODUCTION 2003 MODEL YEARS. IN FEBRUARY 2003 THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THESE COILS FREE OF CHARGE TO THE VEHICLE OWNERS. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS AN EARLY PRODUCTION 2003 MODEL, AUDI USA TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS PRODUCED VERY SOON AFTER THE RANGE OF CARS COVERED IN THE REPLACEMENT. MEANING THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF ALL REPAIRS. I DO NOT BELIEVE AUDI IS CERTAIN THEIR REPLACEMENT ACTION COVERED ALL DEFECTIVE COILS, ESPECIALLY AS MY CAR WAS PRODUCED IN THE SAME TIME FRAME AS THOSE THAT WERE PART OF THE REPLACEMENT. FAULTY IGNITION COILS EXIST IN A FAR GREATER NUMBER OF CARS THAN WHAT AUDI RECOGNIZES AND COVERS IN THEIR 2003 REPLACEMENT ACTION. *TR