NHTSA Complaint #10679550 — 2009 AUDI A4

THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WOULD EMPTY RESULTING IN THE COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON. THE CAR WOULDN'T DRIVE PAST AROUND 45MPH. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS ON THE GROUND AT THE TIME. THE AUDI DEALERSHIP STATED THEY FOUND AIR IN THE SYSTEM, BUT NO LEAKS. THEY PRESSURE TESTED THE COOLING SYSTEM AND PULLED VACUUM ON COOLING SYSTEM, FOUND BOTH OK. DRAINED ALL COOLANT AND REPLACED WITH NEW COOLANT AND EVACUATED ALL AIR BUBBLES. THEY REPLACED COOLANT RESERVOIR CAP WITH OEM CAP. THEY FOUND THE CAR WORKING TO AUDI STANDARDS. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR A COUPLE DAYS THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE AUDI DEALERSHIP CHECKED FOR CODES (NOTE THAT THE PREVIOUS INVOICE DIDN'T INDICATE WHETHER THEY CHECKED FOR CODES OR NOT). THEY FOUND CODE FOR COOLANT TEMP SENSOR, TEST DROVE THE CAR, CHECKED TEMP OF COOLANT HOSES & FOUND ONLY TOP RADIATOR HOSE GETTING HOT. THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP/COOLANT TEMP SENSOR/THERMOSTAT HOUSING ASSEMBLY (ALL ONE PART). THEY FILLED AND BLED COOLING SYSTEM. THEY TEST DROVE, RECHECKED AND FOUND THE CAR WORKING TO AUDI STANDARDS. (SIDENOTE: WE PAID FOR A REPLACEMENT WATER PUMP ASSEMBLY IN 2013, BUT WE WERE OUTSIDE THE 12,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THAT SERVICE. STILL, THIS PART SHOULDN'T BE SO POORLY DESIGNED TO NEED REPLACEMENT AGAIN SO SOON.) THE PROBLEM RETURNED, BUT THIS TIME THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND WE HAD TO TOW THE CAR BACK TO THE AUDIT DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE NOW SAYING THE COOLANT ISSUE IS DUE TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET (BUT WHY DIDN'T THEY FIND THIS BEFORE?). EACH TIME, MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR AND WE COULD'VE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO A SLOWED OR STOPPED VEHICLE. MY TRUST IN AUDI DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS COMPLETELY GONE SINCE THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING TO FIX A PROBLEM WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. MY CONFIDENCE IN AUDI CORPORATE'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS DIMINISHED BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY ROBOTIC IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THE MATTER. WE WON'T PURCHASE AN AUDI EVER AGAIN. *TR