2003 AUDI A4 Electrical Systemignition Problems

PURCHASED VEHICLE APRIL 2009 (CARFAX WAS CLEAN) REPLACED IGNITION COIL 2X BY SEPTEMBER 2009 REPLACED CLUTCH, RACK AND PINION, AND COMPUTER MODULE IN OCT 2009 CURRENTLY CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS MALFUNCTIONING I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN A CONSISTENT OPERATING CONDITION FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS AT A TIME. I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $5,000 IN CAR REPAIRS TO DATE. *TR

1. NORMAL DRIVING IN SUBURBAN CONDITIONS - APPROXIMATE SPEED BETWEEN 20MI/HR - 30MI/HR 2. SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENGINE RUNS ROUGH 3. IGNITION COILS REPLACED BY AUDI DEALER. *TR

2003 AUDI A4 WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP. CONSUMER STATES THAT MANUFACTURER TOLD HER THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BECAUSE HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. SHE STATED HER VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE DESIGNATED TIME. *KB THE CONSUMER HAD OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SUCH AS: FAULTY IGNITION COILS, TRANSMISSION AND A RADIATOR REPLACEMENT. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING, THE VALVE AND CAM SEALS WERE LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS AT TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED A LOOSE CONNECTION. *JB

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2003 A4 (1.8T) STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AS I ACCELERATED FROM A COMPLETE STOP. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR LOST MOST ALL OF ITS POWER AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND WOULDN'T GET ABOVE 15 MPH. AND EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, HAVING TO COAX THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF HARM'S WAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED EACH TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT AN IGNITION COIL (OR TWO) HAD BLOWN. ALL 4 COIL PACKS HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN A YEAR AT A COST OF OVER $900. AUDI KNOWS THEY PRODUCED CARS WITH FAULTY IGNITION COILS IN A4 CARS EQUIPPED WITH 1.8 LITER ENGINES IN THE 2001, 2002, AND EARLY PRODUCTION 2003 MODEL YEARS. IN FEBRUARY 2003 THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD...

AUDI A4 6-CYL 3.0L AVANT 2003 MODEL YEAR. COIL PACK #2 FAILED ON SEP 28TH 2007. AUDI HAS HAD A RECALL FOR THE 2003 A4 4-CYL 1.8L ENGINES BUT NOT FOR THE 3.0L ENGINES. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 37K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT'S LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE MORE CP FAILURES, UNTIL I HAVE ALL OF THEM REPLACED. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THE 3.0L ENGINE AS WELL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE LOST POWER, WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC. IGNITION COIL IN CYLINDER #2 FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON 1/24/07 WITH 22,422 MILES ON IT. SIX DAYS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING, IT WAS SHAKING UNBELIEVABLE, WOULD NOT RUN PROPERLY, GO OVER 20 MPH. I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM, THEY REPLACED A COIL PACK. WITHIN A SHORT TIME, ON FEBRUARY 14, 2007, THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME BACK ON. AT THAT POINT I BROUGHT IT TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER. IT NEEDED A TURBO BYPASS VALVE REPLACED. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2007 THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AGAIN. I BROUGHT IT TO THE AUDI DEALER ONCE AGAIN. THEY RESET THE ENGINE CODES AND SAY IT HAS HAD A RANDOM MISFIRE. TODAY, MARCH 11, 2007 THE ENGINE LIGHT IS FLASHING AGAIN, AND WILL NOT DRIVE OVER 20 MPH. I AM HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALER IN THE MORNING, TODAY IS SUNDAY AND THEY ARE NOT OPEN FOR BUSINESS....

THE CAR (AN AUDI A4) STARTED SHAKING AND COULD NOT BE DRIVEN OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR. IT HAD TO BE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND BE TOWED TO A DEALER TO REPLACE 2 SPARK PLUG IGNITION COILS. 4 SPARK PLUG IGNITION COILS HAVE FAILED DURING THE PAST YEAR. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE IS LISTED BELOW. *JB

ON NOVEMBER 14TH MY A4 1.8 STALLED, WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, A COIL WAS REPLACED...WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME IT WOULD THUMP AND JERK UP AROUND 60 MPH. I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT IT COULD AGAIN BE ANOTHER COIL BUT WERE NOT PERMITTED TO REPLACE ALL THE COILS THE DAY BEFORE BECAUSE MANUFACTURER WOULDN'T PAY FOR ANYTHING MORE THAN THE FAULTY COIL...EVEN THOUGH THEY FIGURED MORE MIGHT FAIL...WELL, IT TURNS OUT IT WAS THE "THROTTLE" - THEY RESET IT AND I PICKED UP THE CAR AND STARTED DRIVING HOME WHEN IT THUMPED AND JERKED AGAIN...TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER...THIS ALL HAPPENED ON THE 15TH...IT IS NOW THE 18TH AND AFTER WORKING WITH THEIR ENGINEERS, THEY FEAR THEY MAY NOW NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION...I AM JUST GLAD THAT I HAVE A LOANER CAR AND THAT I HAVE 5K MORE MILES...

ON OCTOBER 11TH MY FUEL FILTER AND PUMP WERE REPLACED AND A ROAD TEST WAS COMPLETED...ON NOVEMBER 14TH (5 WEEKS LATER) MY A4 BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE MIL CAME ON. I PULLED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT INGNITION COIL FAILED AND HAD STARTED TO AFFECT THE SPARK PLUGS AND WAS ONLY RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS AS A RESULT. THEY REPLACED THE COIL AND COMPLETED A ROAD TEST - HOWEVER THEY HAD COMPLETED A ROAD TEST 5 WEEKS AGO TOO - SO I AM FEELING LEST CONFIDENT WHEN I DRIVE...FEARFUL OF DRIVING IN LESS FAMILIAR LOCATIONS OR IN ANY LANE EXCEPT THE SLOW LANE IN CASE I NEED TO PULL OVER. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL, FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THERE HAD BEEN NO PRIOR INCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 20 MPH. THERE WAS THE DISTINCT ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUT NO SMOKE. HE PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A FAULTY IGNITION COIL IN CYLINDER THREE. THIS WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SAME SYMPTOMS LATER RETURNED AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AND HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL IN CYLINDER ONE. HE OFFERED NO EXPLANATION OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. UPDATED 01/19/06. *JB

MY 2003 AUDI A4 FAILED TO START ON DECEMBER 24TH, 2002 AND MAY 2ND, 2003. BOTH TIMES I WAS LEFT STRANDED. THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE STEERING LOCK, IGNITION CYLINDER, AND STEERING COLUMN. AFTER THE PROBLEM OCCURED A SECOND TIME, THEY REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AT 5,000 AND 11,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 2 TIMES.*AK