1996 AUDI A4 Suspensionfrontcontrol Arm Problems

1996 AUDI A4 - AUDI A4 FRONT CONTROL ARMS ALL FAIL AT AROUND 100,000 MILES. ALL 8 OF MINE WERE REPLACED. AUDI SENT OUT A TSB FOR 2 OF THE 8 CONTROL ARMS AND ARE JERKING PEOPLE AROUND WITH THE REIMBURSEMENT. THEY WANT PEOPLE TO PROVE THAT ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS DONE, YET THE PARTS IN QUESTION ARE NOT REPAIRABLE OR SERVICEABLE. ACCORDING TO MY AUDI DEALER, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER, EVEN WITH THE LATEST MODELS. THESE COST BETWEEN $300 - $500 EACH TO REPLACE FOR A TOTAL OF $3000 FOR ALL 8. THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM COLLECTING ON THIS AND THIS SHOULD COVER ALL 8, SINCE ALL 8 FAIL INSTEAD OF ONLY 2. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE LETTER AND PAPERWORK THAT I PROVIDED TO THEM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OVER 6 MONTHS AGO. EVERY AUDI A4...

FRONT END CONTROL ARMS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THEM ON THE FRONT END AT LEAST ONCE. I NOW HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I AM CONCERNED WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I DON'T REPLACE IT. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR ALL OWNERS, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.*AK

MY AUDI A4 HAD 3 TIMES REPLACED FRONT CONTROL ARMS , WHEN TAKEN TO MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS , DEALER POINTED TO DESIGN PROBLEM. *AK

ACCORDING TO MY DEALER, THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS OF MY A4 IS WORN OUT AT JUST 59000 MILES. FROM AUDIWORLD.COM, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER A4 OWNERS (REGARDLESS OF THEIR CARS' MODEL YEAR) WHO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR CONTROL ARMS REPEATEDLY (SOME FAILED WITHIN 15000MILES). IT SEEMS THAT MANY DEALERS TOLD MANY OWNERS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE IS A PART SHORTAGE BECAUSE OF THIS. SOME OUT-OF-WARRANTY OWNERS CLAIM THAT AUDI HAS EITHER PROVIDED THE PARTS FREE, OR AT HALF PRICE, WHICH MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT AUDI REALIZES THAT THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT. MANY OWNERS BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING CONTROL WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME YET, BUT I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES HAVE FAILED AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

OVER THIS PAST YEAR, I HAVE REPLACED 3 CONTROL ARMS, DEALER POINTS TO DESIGN FLAW. *AK

MANY OTHER AUDI A-4 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT PREMATURE WEAR OF TIE RODS AND CONTROL ARMS IN VERMONT. AUDI OF AMERICA AND LOCAL DEALER REFUSED TO COVER PROBLEM ALTHOUGH VOLUNTARY RECALL IN EFFECT FOR NEWER AUDIS. *AK

WHEN HITTING A BUMP VEHICLE'S CONTROL ARM MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND CAUSES A SLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL . DLR HAS REPLACED BROKEN CONTROL ARM BEFORE. PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. *AK

(1) SUSPENSION: FRONT END GROANS AND CREAKS OVER BUMPS (EVEN SMALL BUMPS), AS WELL AS WHEN PEOPLE ENTER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE, EXTENT OF DANGER UNKNOWN -- AUDI HAS "DIAGNOSED" IT AS A "CONTROL ARM" PROBLEM; (2) SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY OPENS ON ITS OWN WHILE VEHICLE IN OPERATION WITH NO HUMAN INVOLVEMENT, CAUSING MAJOR DISTRACTION AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION -- AUDI HAS DIAGNOSEDIT AS AN ELECTRICAL "SWITCH" PROBLEM. AUDI SERVICE REPS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THESE TWO DEFECTS OCCURRING ON MY CAR ARE REOCCURRING PROBLEMS IN A4S, AND NOT JUST ON THE 1996 MODEL YEAR, BUT ON SUBSEQUENT YEARS (1997, 1998 AND 1999) AS WELL. DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS, AUDI REFUSES TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTING THE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY ARISE ON VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY (LIKE MINE). *AK