1999 AUDI QUATTRO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I HAVE A 1999 AUDI A4 QUATRO. I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR JUST OVER 3 YEARS AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH 5 TIMES. THE SWITCH IS POORLY DESIGNED. ELECTRICAL HEAT MELTS A PLASTIC PART IN THE SWITCH CAUSING IT TO FAIL AND THE HEADLIGHTS TO STOP WORKING. THIS IS A DANGER DUE TO THE POTENTIAL OF FIRE AND ALSO THE LOSS OF LIGHTING WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE WEB AND I AM NOT THE ONLY AUDI OWNER WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE AN 99 AUDI A6 QUATTRO AND MY ABS MODULE IS BAD NOW I HAVE BEEN READING ON ALOT OF FORUMS THAT EVERYONE AT ONE TIME IS HAVING TO REPLACE IT, IF TRUE WOULDN'T THE DEALER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING FAULTY MODULES. *NM

1999 AUDI A4 QUATTRO ABS LIGHT /BRAKE LIGHT. ABS LIGHT PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP (NORMALLY) THE ABS UNIT WOULD JUMP IN AND ACT AS IF I WAS SKIDDING, WHEN OBVIOUSLY I WASN'T. AT THIS POINT ABS LIGHT WAS NOT ON. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF THIS FUNNY ABS ACTUATION MAYBE ONCE A WEEK, THE ABS LIGHT DECIDED TO COME ON AND STAY ON ALONG WITH A BLINKING BRAKE LIGHT AND BEEPING. AT TIMES IT WOULD SHUT OFF, BUT WOULD COME BACK ON AT SOME POINT DURING THAT DAY. I HAD THE SPEED SENSOR REPLACED, BUT TO NO AVAIL. NOW IT ALWAYS BLINKS WHEN RUNNING.DIAGNOSTICS SHOW NO PROBLEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MANY POSTINGS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAID THEY COULD REPAIR IT AT A COST OF APPROX. $1600.00 . DEALER SAID EVEN THOUGH IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. I HAVE NOT HAD THE WORK DONE YET BECAUSE OF THE COST. *NM

I WAS PULLING MY AUDI QUATRO A6 (1999 MODEL) INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY LOCAL BARNES & NOBLE LOCATED ON RICHMOND AVENUE IN STATEN ISLAND, NY. I WAS PULLING IN VERY SLOWLY INTO A HANDICAPPED SPACE WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED TO WHAT FELT LIKE 60 MPH. MY FOOT WAS ALREADY ON THE BRAKE WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL IT JUMPED OVER THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL. EVEN THEN, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. THE WITNESS (A STORE EMPLOYEE) WAS FLABERGHASTED. SHE CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID "I JUST WATCHED YOUR CAR GO CRAZY, YOU WERE GOING 5 MILES AN HOUR!" SHE TOLD THE SAME THING TO THE POLICE WHO TOOK THE REPORT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS SHAKEN TO THE CORE. I COULD'VE HIT SOMEONE, OR GOTTEN HURT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR 2.5 YEARS AGO (PRE-OWNED) AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, BUT NOW I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT. WHEN I CAME HOME AND DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR. THAT IS HOW I CAME ACROSS YOUR NAME AND INFORMATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A FORM I NEED TO FILL OUT, OR A STATEMENT I NEED TO SIGN. I AM WILLING TO MAIL YOU MY POLICE STATEMENT AND MORE INFORMATION IF YOU NEED IT. I HOPE THAT MY EXPERIENCE CAN HELP PREVENT FUTURE, SIMILAR ACCIDENTS. *NM

THE ABS BRAKE MODULE ON MY CAR GAVE OUT AND HAS LED TO VERY POOR BRAKING, ALMOST CAUSING 2 ACCIDENTS. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM IN THE 1999 AUDI A4 (I FOUND THIS AT HTTP://AUTOS.MSN.COM/RESEARCH/VIP/RELIABILITY.ASPX?YEAR=1999&MAKE=AUDI&MODEL=A4: "AN OCCASIONAL PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE IS FAILURE OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE (ABS) CONTROL MODULE. FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE MAY RESULT IN ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATION. THE COST TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS ESTIMATED AT $2,228.00)"). *JB