2003 AUDI RS6 Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI RS6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AND WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT AND BACK SHOCKS ABSORBER, THE TUBING AND THE VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI RS6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BOUNCED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER PERTAINING TO THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

DRC UNIT (SHOCK/SUSPENSION UNIT) IN VEHICLE IS PROBLEMATIC AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE THAT AUDI HAS NOT ATTENDED TO. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 AUDI RS6 WITH REPEAT SUSPENSION FAILURES STEMMING FROM AUDI'S DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC). THE SYSTEM FIRST BEGINS LOSING HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, THEN SLOWLY LEAKS THE FLUID OUT OF THE LINKED DAMPER SYSTEM UNTIL THE CAR IS IN EFFECT RIDING ON THE SPRINGS WITH INADEQUATE DAMPER CONTROL. THE END RESULT IS A VERY POOR DRIVING CAR WITH EXCESSIVE BUMP-STEER AND BOUNCE. IF LEFT UNATTENDED, IT RESULTS IN A UNSAFE DRIVING SITUATION DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING OF THE CAR. I HAVE PUT 12,000 MILES IN THE CAR IN ONE YEAR AND HAVE HAD THE SHOCKS AND CENTRAL ACCUMULATOR VALVES CHANGED 3 TIMES. I FULLY EXPECT TO BE BACK INTO THE DEALER IN 5,000 MILES OR LESS, AND I JUST PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALER ON THURSDAY, AUG 14TH. *TR

AUDI RS6 DYNAMIC RESPONSE CONTROL (SUSPENSION/STRUTS/HYDRAULICS) FAILURE AFTER 80 MILES. FAILURE FIRST TIME IN 28K MILE CAR. BASED ON NATIONAL SURVEY, AUDI IS RUNNING A 50% OR GREATER FAILURE RATE IN THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT IN THIS EXPENSIVE CAR AND IS NOT PAYING FOR REPLACEMENTS NOR REDESIGNING. *TR

THE DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC) FAILED IN MY CAR, AND I UNDERSTAND IT FREQUENTLY FAILS IN THIS TYPE OF CAR. IT HAS JUMPY HANDLING AND SIDESTEPPING OVER BUMPS ON THE INTERSTATE. ROUNDING CURVES AT SPEED OVER EXPANSION JOINTS IS PLAIN DANGEROUS WHEN THE DRC FAILS. THE CAR BOUNCES, WHEELS LOSE CONTACT AND CAR SIDESTEPS. OBVIOUSLY THE FACT THAT IT REPEATEDLY FAILS IN THESE CARS IS THE ISSUE. *TR

2003 AUDI RS6. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS HAVE HAD SHOCK ABSORBER FAILURES ON 3 OF THE 4 CORNERS. LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR SHOCK HAVE EACH FAILED ONCE AND THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK HAS FAILED 4 TIMES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ACCUMULATED LESS THAN 16,500 MILES AS OF 6/12/2008. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OF SHOCK ABSORBER FAILURE OCCURRED IN MAR 2008 WITH A RIGHT REAR SHOCK. THE SHOCK AND ASSOCIATED CENTRAL CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED AT AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER. TWO MONTHS LATER THE SAME SHOCK WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH IT'S ASSOCIATED CENTRAL CONTROL VALVE. THIS WAS AFTER ONLY 600 MILES OF DRIVING. WHEN THE SHOCKS DEPRESSURIZE THE CARS HANDLING IS COMPROMISED AND RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. ALTHOUGH IN MY CASE AN ACCIDENT HAS NOT OCCURRED AT THIS...

MY SHOCKS AND CENTRAL CONTROL VALVES LEAK FLUID WHICH CAUSES INSTABILITY IN THE SUSPENSIONS SYSTEM. THE FLUID LEAKS OFF REDUCING THE SYSTEM PRESSURES WITHIN THE SHOCK SYSTEM SUCH THAT STABILITY IS EFFECTED WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, EXCESSIVE LEANING AROUND CORNERS, TRAMMING WHEN ENCOUNTERING GROOVING IN THE ROAD SURFACES, DIRECTIONAL STABILITY WHEN GOING OVER HOLES IN THE ROAD SURFACE IN CORNERS, ETC. ONCE THE SHOCK START LEAKING IT ONLY GETS WORSE AND EFFECTS THE SPRING DAMPENING AND GENERAL STABILITY OF THE CAR. A SIMPLE DROP TEST COMPARISON CAN BE MADE TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECT BETWEEN A CAR WHICH HAS NOT LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM AND ONE WHICH HAS HAD LEAKING SHOCKS FOR AWHILE (I.E. LOWER SYSTEM PRESSURE). THE SHOCK AND VALVES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURE ON BOTH OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, I CONTINUALLY SEE RE-OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM REPORTED ON THE WEB SITES. MY ORIGINAL SHOCKS AND CENTRAL VALVES WERE LEAKING...

COMPLETE DE-PRESSURIZED OF THE DRC SYSTEM. SUCH A FAILURE CAUSES THE SUSPENSION TO "BOUNCE" UNSAFELY WHILE ON THE ROAD. *TR

PURCHASED CAR USED AT 48K MILES (2003 AUDI RS6). BY A 52K MILES CHECK UP THE AUDI DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC) SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS DEEMED DEFECTIVE REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. IT WAS REPLACED WITH AN AFTERMARKET COIL OVER SUSPENSION BECAUSE OF FACTORY COST TO REPLACE THE DRC. *TR

A "BANGING" RATTLE FROM UNDER THE CAR WAS MY FIRST AND ONLY SYMPTOM. FAILED TWICE AFTER THAT BUT WITHOUT SYMPTOMS; IT WAS DISCOVERED BY DEALER INSPECTION. MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT FREQUENCY AND COST OF THIS FAILURE & SUBSEQUENT REPAIR(S). *TR

DRC SUSPENSION FAILURE RESULTED IN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR

DANGEROUS NATURE OF THE HANDLING WHILE DRIVING AS THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS FAILED. IT IS OF HIGH CONCERN THE TWITCHY HANDLING AND SIDESTEPPING OVER BUMPS ON THE INTERSTATE. ROUNDING CURVES AT SPEED OVER EXPANSION JOINTS IS PLAIN DANGEROUS WHEN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM (DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL - DRC) FAILS. THE CAR BOUNCES, WHEELS LOSE CONTACT AND CAR SIDESTEPS. *TR

I OWN AN AUDI RS6 AND RECENTLY MY CAR'S SUSPENSION IN PARTICULAR THE SHOCKS FAILED. THE SYSTEM IS CALLED DRC AND USES HYDRAULIC SHOCKS THAT ARE CROSS CONNECTED THROUGH CENTRAL VALVES. WHEN ANY OF THEM LEAK OR FAIL THE OPPOSITE SHOCK WILL HAVE NO OR REDUCED PRESSURE AND FAIL TOO. WHEN THE SHOCKS STARTED TO GO THE CAR WOULD JUMP WHEN TAKING CURVES FOR INSTANCE THAT HAVE EXPANSION JOINTS ON THE INTERSTATE...THE REAR OF THE CAR WOULD HOP SIDEWAYS. THERE IS A VERY UNSTEADY CONDITION WHEN IT STARTS TO FAIL. THERE IS NO REAL WARNING AND NO WAY TO TELL WHEN THE SYSTEM IS FAILING. ONLY ONCE FULL PRESSURE IS LOST AND THE CAR BECOMES VERY TWITCHY IS IT OBVIOUS SOMETHING IS WRONG. THE DESIGN OF THE SHOCKS SEEMS TO BE INADEQUATE TO LAST A NORMAL LIFE AND ANY OF THEM FAILING CAUSES FULL LOSS OF THE SYSTEM ALL FOUR...

AUTOMOBILE IS A TOP OF THE LINE 2003 AUDI RS6. THE SUSPENSION IS KNOWN AS DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC) WHICH HAS LOUD CLUNKING UPON CORNERING AND FEELS QUITE LOOSE. I AM A AUTO ENTHUSIAST AND AMATEUR MECHANIC AND AUDI CLUB MEMBER. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON THESE CARS AND MOST OF THE TIME AUDI MECHANICS ONLY SEEM TO BE ABLE TO TEMPORARILY REPAIR THE CARS, IF OUT OF WARRANTY, IT COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A REPAIR WHICH ONLY SEEMS TO BE TEMPORARY. *TR

THE DRC FAILS. ORIGINALLY THE CAR FELT SLIPPERY ON OCCASIONS. NOT ALWAYS. DEALER NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. ONCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED THEN THEY SAID THE SHOCKS WERE LEAKING AND THE DRC IS OUT IN THE FRONT AND THE REST OF THEM WILL GO BAD TOO. COST IS AT LEAST $2,900 AND COULD GO UP TO OVER $6,000 IF THEY FIX EVERYTHING, INCLUDING LABOR. *TR

DRC SYSTEM FAILED RESULTING IN A DE-PRESSURIZED SUSPENSION SYSTEM . *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2003 AUDI RS6 IN JAN/04, AND HAVE KEPT IT METICULOUS MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP ACCORDING TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. I HAD A MAJOR SUSPENSION ISSUE WITH ALL SHOCKS GOING OUT AND RELATED PUMPS AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND DETERMINED THAT MANY OTHER AUDI OWNERS (SEEMS LIKE MOST) WITH THIS SAME CAR HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILES 40,000 TO 80,000. AFTER A VERY VOCAL COMPLAINT, AUDI DID SHARE IN THE REPAIR COSTS. HOWEVER; THIS HAS NOW LED AUDI TO OFFER NO OTHER ASSISTANCE WITH OTHER RECENT DEFECTS (SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAKS) THAT POPPED UP SHORTLY AFTER THIS ISSUE. THE SUSPENSION ISSUE IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC EVENT. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY PERSONAL INJURY DUE TO THIS MAJOR ISSUE. HOWEVER; AUDI SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE A...

FAILURE OF THE HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION ("DRC") SYSTEM. *TR

AUDI RS6 SUSPENSION DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC) KNOWN FOR LEAKING, AND CAUSING UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING OVER UNEVEN TERRAIN.*AK

THE DRC (DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL) SUSPENSION ON THE 2003 AUDI RS6 HAS FAILED TWICE. THE ONLY SYMPTOM WAS A BANGING UNDERCARRIAGE RATTLE, BUT OTHERS HAD HANDLING PROBLEMS. DRC FAILURE WAS RAMPANT AS A SUBJECT FOR THREADS ON OWNER FORUMS, AND IT WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN ARTICLE IN THE MARCH ISSUE OF AUTOMETRIX, A BRITISH PUBLICATION, THE FIRST PAGE OF WHICH COULD BE FOUND HERE: HTTP://WWW.RS6.COM/FORUM/ATTACHMENT.PHP? *AKATTACHMENTID=5172&D=1181644759. SINCE THE DRC FAILURES OCCURRED AT 32,000 AND 50,000 MILES I EXPECTED MORE FAILURES IN THE FUTURE. BUT WHILE THE FIRST TWO REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY WHICH HAS EXPIRED. THUS, I FEARED I WILL HAVE TO PAY NEXT TIME, AND THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM MAY BE AS HIGH AS $6500 ACCORDING TO FORUM POSTINGS. AN AFTERMARKET ALTERNATIVE WAS AVAILABLE, PER THE LINKED ARTICLE ABOVE, BUT EVEN IT COSTS ABOUT $4000, AND IT WAS TOO NEW TO DETERMINE ITS...

FAILURE OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM, YIELDING ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF THE VEHICLE OVER BUMPS AND DEPRESSIONS. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SYSTEM CALLED "DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL" (AKA DRC) WHICH IS A FLUID-FILLED SYSTEM TO CONTROL SHOCK ABSORBER MOVEMENTS, BUT THE SHOCKS LEAK THE FLUID RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AS DESIGNED TO PERFORM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SUSPENSION WAS NOT PRESSURIZED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE LEANS DURING TURNS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SUSPENSION, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - *NM

2003 AUDI RS6 - SUSPENSION FAILURE - SYSTEM LEAKED HYDRAULIC FLUID RESULTING IN A VERY UNSTABLE RIDE. REPAIR ATTEMPTED BY AUDI MANY TIMES FROM JAN TO JUNE, AND AFTER TOO MUCH LEG WORK ON MY PART THEY ALMOST FIXED IT. THE CAR IS BETTER, BUT NOT NORMAL, AND THIS HAS AFFECTED MANY RS6'S, AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS SYSTEM FAILURE. *JB