2014 AUDI A4 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The timing chain and tensioner in my 2014 Audi A4 Quattro (VIN: [XXX] ) failed without warning, causing the engine to suddenly stall and become inoperable while in motion. This presented a serious safety hazard. Although my vehicle is slightly outside the settlement mileage and time limit, timing chains are considered a lifetime component and are not a maintenance item, meaning they are not expected to fail and are not listed as requiring inspection or replacement under any Audi maintenance schedule. This failure was sudden, catastrophic, and safety-related. Audi and Volkswagen have already acknowledged this timing chain defect in federal class-action litigation (Opheim et al. v. Volkswagen Group of America), and my VIN is included in the affected vehicle list. Audi’s own dealership technician confirmed that the timing chain is stretched, the tensioner is fully extended, and the intake camshaft timing is off by a tooth—clearly matching the known defect. The vehicle stalled suddenly while arriving at a repair facility, and it would not restart. Had this occurred on a highway, a collision could have easily resulted. This is a known safety defect, affecting engine timing, power loss, and stall risk. The manufacturer denies responsibility despite known defects, safety implications, and VIN eligibility. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate Audi’s refusal to address a known and documented safety-related defect involving a critical non-maintenance engine component that is expected to last the life of the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Hi My name is [XXX] and I have an 2014 Audi A4 that has been consuming to much oil ever since I bought it . I see the vehicles contained defective pistons that caused excessive oil consumption. Can you please help with this ? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2014 Audi A4. The contact stated while at a stop sign and attempting to proceed, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The contact and her boyfriend shifted into neutral and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road for a while until the vehicle eventually restarted. The Electronic power control (EPC) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the residence where the boyfriend used a diagnostic scanner to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the fuel pump sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was scanned a second time and it was determined that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The diagnostic scan tool was used again to diagnose the vehicle and it was determined that the fuel pressure regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Audi A4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a message advising to stop the vehicle immediately was displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot, where the contact noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and another dealer, Audi North Atlanta (11505 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA 30076), were then notified of the failure, but the contact was not informed that the VIN was included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. The contact later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V229000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact had not received a recall notification in the mail. The contact submitted a claim for reimbursement to the manufacturer, but the reimbursement was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

The third brake light intermittently stops working. Being that it is intermittent, it tells me the led and circuitry are working. Also, a warning alert will illuminate on my dash instrument cluster and not when the light is working again. Upon further searching on-line, there is an issue with a solder joint cracking. I believe this is the case because when i jiggle the connector, the light will illuminate. Since this light is required by law, this is a very important safety issue. And a rather expensive one since the replacement part alone is $150-$200.