NHTSA Complaint #10255036 — 2003 AUDI A4

I HAVE A 2003 AUDI A4 1.8T, WHICH I BOUGHT AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. I'VE HAD A SLEW OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS LOW-QUALITY VEHICLE FROM THE GET-GO, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY. UPON TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP (AUDI CHANDLER IN CHANDLER, AZ) FOR A SEPARATE PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT A FREE INSPECTION ON MY TIMING BELT SINCE THEY WERE REQUIRED TO DO SO. AND GUESS WHAT? SURPRISE, SURPRISE, MY CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY ONE OF THOSE WITH THE KNOWN FAULTY TIMING BELT. KEEP IN MIND THIS CAR IS UNDER THE "CERTIFIED" PRE-OWNED WARRANTY, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THIS WAS CHALKED TO WEAR AND TEAR. MY CAR ONLY HAD 62K MILES ON IT, AND THE OEM RECOMMENDS INSPECTION AT 80K MILES AND REPLACEMENT AT 108K MILES. TO AVOID A POSSIBLE FUTURE ACCIDENT (I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN), I HAD TO COUGH UP $1000 TO REPLACE THE BELT, TENSIONERS, WATER PUMP, ETC. I SUBMITTED A REIMBURSEMENT FORM FOR MY EXPENSES TO THE FIRM HANDLING THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST AUDI/VOLKSWAGEN ABOUT FAULTY TIMING BELTS. THE SETTLEMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN MADE ON 11/4/08, BUT IT'S NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY 2009, AND NOTHING. I AGREE WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO POSTED ONLINE BEFORE...WHY DO THESE OEM'S HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS BADLY HURT OR DIES UNTIL THEY ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY, DEFECTIVE PIECES OF JUNK THAT ARE WAY OVERPRICED?? PLUS, IF MY CAR WAS TRULY A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE, WOULDN'T AUDI HAVE DISCLOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT WOULD BE FAULTY TO ME? OR, HOW ABOUT REPLACING THE BELT PRIOR TO SELLING IT AGAIN??? NOTHING WAS DISCLOSED TO ME, AND THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS OPENED IN 2002. I AM STILL SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT, BUT KNOWING AUDI'S STANCE ON THEIR DEFECTIVE PARTS, THEY'LL JUST CHALK IT UP TO WEAR AND TEAR AND WISH ME A GOOD DAY. WHAT'S WORSE, AUDI SOLD A MILLION CARS IN 2008, WHICH SET ANOTHER SALES RECORD FOR THEM. HOW CAN WE GET THE WORD OUT TO NOT BUY AUDI AND BUY A QUALITY CAR?????!! *TR