NHTSA Complaint #10340015 — 2003 AUDI A4

THE HEADLIGHTS ON 2002 THROUGH 2007 (AND POSSIBLY TO CURRENT) AUDI A4'S HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO GO OUT RANDOMLY. OFTEN TIMES IT IS JUST THE SINGLE LEFT HEADLIGHT, OR RIGHT HEADLIGHT, WHICH GOES OUT. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ERROR MESSAGE "LEFT/RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED" ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN LOCATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS CAN OCCUR FROM THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES: -HEAVY OR SUDDEN CHASSIS VIBRATION (SUCH AS HITTING A POTHOLE OR EVEN SOMEONE PHYSICALLY STRIKING THE HEADLIGHT) -COLD WEATHER (EXAMPLES HAVE OCCURRED IN AS LITTLE AS 35 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) -WATER OR MOISTURE IN THE ELECTRICAL WIRING THIS FAILURE CAUSES A SUDDEN LOSS OF HEADLIGHT OUTPUT, ENDANGERING BOTH THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OR OTHER DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS IF THIS OCCURS AT NIGHT OR IN POOR WEATHER. SINCE A COMMON CAUSE IS POOR WEATHER/COLD WEATHER, OFTEN AT ITS WORST AT NIGHT, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK. AUDI OF AMERICA HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AS AN ISSUE DESPITE SPANNING SEVERAL YEARS OF VEHICLES. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HERE HAS REPLACED THE BULBS THREE TIMES (WHICH WERE FINE TO BEGIN WITH), THE HEADLIGHT ONCE, AND RUN SEVERAL ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSTICS - ALL AT OWNERS EXPENSE. THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY BRIEFLY AND THEN COMES BACK. CURRENTLY THE LEFT HEADLIGHT OF MY 2003 AUDI A4 HAS BEEN OUT FOR 4 MONTHS WITHOUT RECOVERING. THERE ARE MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF THIS SAME ISSUE ALL OVER THE INTERNET, A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL PROVIDE MORE EXAMPLES. THERE WAS NO CRASH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FAILURE. *TR