NHTSA Complaint #10255915 — 2005 AUDI A4

MY 2005 AUDI A4 3.0 QUATTRO HAS 42,000 MILES. WHILE ON VACATION, 300 MILES FROM MY HOME TRAVELING ON PCH IN CALIFORNIA THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. WHILE I WAS GOING UP A SHORT HILL, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED ERRATICALLY, I LOOKED TO SEE THE RPM'S AND THEY FELL TO ZERO. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO RE-START THE CAR. THE CAR WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I CONTACTED AAA AND WAS TOWED TO A SMALL TOWN WHICH WE HAD PASSED 10 MILES EARLIER. THE SHOP DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, BEING NO PRESSURE AND FULL VOLTAGE TO THE FUEL PUMP. $818 LATER, TWO DAYS AND OVER $300 IN RENTAL CAR FEES, HOTEL AND OTHER EXPENSES, MY A4 WAS FIXED. ONCE RESEARCHING ON LINE, THERE WAS A RECALL IN JANUARY 2006 FOR ALL 2003 MODEL YEAR A4, A6 AND PASSATS THAT HAD FAULTY FUEL PUMPS. I HAD THE EXACT SYMPTOMS THAT THESE 2003 OWNERS EXPERIENCED, "SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER." I HAVE CONTACTED AUDI CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY STATE THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, IT WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR REIMBURSEMENT, EVEN THOUGH THE SAME FUEL PUMP WAS BEING USED. I KEPT THE FAULTY FUEL PUMP FOR FUTURE INSPECTION. IF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A BUSY FREEWAY, THERE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN CAR-TO -CAR CONTACT OF SOME SORT. *TR