Audi S4 Complaints
589 consumer complaints on file.
- #11036013October 24, 2017ENGINE
AFTER ENGINE COOLS DOWN, TIMING CHAIN RATTLE CAN BE HEARD UPON STARTING THE CAR. CHAIN RATTLE MEANS THAT PLASTIC GUIDES OR ADJUSTERS ARE WORN, AND MIGHT GO ANY SECOND. SPOKE WITH AUDI REP ONLINE, WHICH ADVISES ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL, AND EXPECTED. KNOWING BASICS OF ENGINES AND TRANSMISSION, I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING IS "LIFE TIME" AND IS NOT SERVICEABLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S PLASTIC (WHICH TENDS TO SHRINK AND EXPAND DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURES, AND THEN HAS FRACTURES WHICH SNAPS). TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT LICENSED AUDI SHOPS CONFIRMED THAT THE GUIDES AND ADJUSTERS HAS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO PREVENT CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. CHAIN SKIPPING A TOOTH MIGHT MEAN BENT VALVES, SCORED CYLINDER WALLS AND THE LIST GOES ON. WHAT IS LIFETIME, SHOULD BE COVERED BY AUDI. IF IT'S PROMISED TO BE LIFETIME AND NEEDS NO SERVICE, SHOULDN'T BREAK. IF IT BREAKS THAT ONLY MEANS DESIGN FLAWS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUS IN THIS ENGINE. YES, CAR ISN'T NEW, BUT THE PARTS WERE LIFETIME, SO I'M EXPECTING THEM TO LAST UNTIL ENGINE IS WORN OUT, NOT THE PARTS THAT ARE LIFETIME. IF NHTSA WILL DO FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION. WILL BE OBVIOUS THAT LARGE AMOUNT OF S4'S RANGING FROM 2004 TO 2007 ARE AFFECTED. EVEN 10% IS LARGE NUMBER, CONSIDERED THE COSTS OF FIXING WHAT IS "LIFETIME" ACCORDING TO AUDI, AND WHEN IT FAILS THEY LEAVE THEIR DESIGNS FLAWS FOR YOU TO FIGURE OUT. HOPEFULLY JUSTICE CAN BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT AS TO WHAT AUDI TRIES TO TURN IT'S BACK TO. SYMPTOMS: CHAIN RATTLE UPON START. CHAIN RATTLE DOESN'T GO AWAY WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOSS OF POWER OR CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11039221October 24, 2017POWER TRAIN
AUDI 7SP DL501 'S-TRONIC' TRANSMISSION FOR: 2010-2015 AUDI S4 AND S5, 2013-2015 AUDI RS5, S6 AND S7. VEHICLES EXPERIENCE MECHATRONIC UNIT FAILURE AND CLUTCH FAULTS. RESULTING IN: SUDDEN SHAKING AND VIOLENT 'JUDDERING,' HESITATION FROM THE CAR WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, A 'SURGE' FORWARD THAT FEELS LIKE THE CAR HAS BEEN REAR-ENDED, AND HARD DOWNSHIFTING OR CLUNKING WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. ALSO CLUNKING AND TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS, DIFFICULTY ENGAGING INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. VEHICLE SHOWING "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING" "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, DO NOT CONTINUE DRIVING" VEHICLE GOING INTO "LIMP MODE" IN ANY DRIVING SITUATION. CLUTCHES NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY, SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS. ISSUES CAN OCCUR WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE, MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, DRIVING UP A HILL, SHIFTING GEARS AT A LOW SPEED. MY EXPERIENCE: WHILE SWITCHING VEHICLES IN DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE WHEN INTO REVERSE AND I BACKED UP, THEN STOPPED, PUT TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE AND AFTER A JOLT FORWARD, VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT STALLED, HOWEVER ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT NO FORWARD GEAR, (EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) VEHICLE THEN ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO PARKED VEHICLE, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC HAD IT JUMPED BACK INTO DRIVE AS 3RD CAR, FATHER, AND GARAGE WERE IN FRONT PATH. 2ND TIME: VEHICLE COULD NOT REVERSE,(EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) RAN INTO PARKING CURB WHILE EXPECTING TO GO BACKWARDS. 3RD TIME: AFTER FINALLY GETTING OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT (RESTARTING CAR FOR THE 4TH TIME AND EPC LIGHTS) PUT INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, THEN TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED,(EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED) LEAVING ME AND VEHICLE VULNERABLE FOR REAR COLLISION,WITH LEG OUT OF THE DOOR I WAS ABLE TO PUSH AND COAST MY VEHICLE OUT OF THE WAY, JUST TO MISS BEING REAR ENDED, AS CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN DRIVE AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS OF CYCLING IGNITION.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11033357October 14, 2017AIR BAGS
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. IT HAS BEEN AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG TIME SINCE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL AND AUDI STILL DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FIX.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11032341October 9, 2017POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION ERROR, AT FIRST SAYS YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING IN LIMP MODE BUT SHORTLY AFTER SAYS PUT CAR INTO PARK. GOT STUCK ON THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES IN A SINGLE 10 MILE TRIP.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11023449September 14, 2017ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARSHLY AND MAKES NOISE DURING SHIFTS. WAS TOLD THE MECHATRONICS NEED REPLACEMENT. SOMETIMES WHEN ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL JOLT AS IF IT IT LOSES POWER MOMENTARILY. WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC IN COULD BE DANGEROUS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11023457September 14, 2017STEERING
I WAS ON MY WAY TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SANTA CRUZ, CA AND SO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EARLY TRAFFIC AT A LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN I HEARD A VERY STRANGE RUMBLE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER CAR AS MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR A 95,000 MILE SERVICE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. HOWEVER, PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING A BICYCLIST AND TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN STOPPED STEERING AND DIED. AT THAT POINT IT WAS BLOCKING TWO CARS IN A DRIVEWAY, BUT I COULD NOT STEER IT AT ALL. THIS WAS ON THE STREET DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DEL MAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I CALLED FARMERS INSURANCE AND MONTEREY PENINSULA AUDI WHERE IT WAS TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN HAD CRACKED AND THE FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY TO BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS IN ROUTINE SERVICES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11022732September 11, 2017POWER TRAIN
VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION BECAME NON-OPERATIONAL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DUE TO MULTIPLE FAILED SENSORS IN THE "S TRONIC TRANSMISSION INTEGRATED SENSORS" MODULE. EARLY SENSOR FAILURE HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE AS AUDI ISSUED TSB 35 12 08 2032211/1 ON DECEMBER 21, 2012 (ONLY 3 YEARS AFTER ORIGINAL MODEL PRODUCTION BEGAN) OUTLINING THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE CAUSES AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11021011September 1, 2017POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ON, SHIFT HARD
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11019396August 24, 2017STEERING
SERIOUS STEERING ISSUE GOING ON. ENTERED HIGHWAY IN COMFORT MODE, ACCELERATED AND SWITCHED LANES TO PASSING LANE WHEN SUDDENLY THE STEERING HAD A TORMENTED MOMENT AND DECIDED TO STEER ITSELF FROM THE 12:00 O'CLOCK TO 3:00 O'CLOCK POSITION, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I HAD A CAR ON THE RIGHT OF ME AND MY CAR TRIED TO DRIVE ITSELF INTO THEIR LANE. THE STEERING ALSO HAS NOTCHINESS GOING ON, AND HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, BUT ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS ISSUE IS LIFE-THREATENING AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11015337August 15, 2017POWER TRAIN
DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS (~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~70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE JUST GAVE UP ALL POWER AND INSTANTLY DROPPED TO ABOUT 55-60 MPH ,IN MORNING COMMUTER TRAFFIC, DUE TO BEING IN A STEEP CANYON. IT TOOK A MOMENT BEFORE THE CAR FOUND A GEAR AND GAINED POWER AGAIN. I LIMPED THE CAR TO WORK AND PARKED SOMEWHERE WHERE I CAN EASILY MOVE THE CAR IF THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL STUCK WITHOUT HALF OF THE GEARS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11011000July 27, 2017AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL, NHTSA RECALL # 17V-032, MANUFACTURER RECALL # 69P6 IT HAS BEEN OVER 6 MONTHS SINCE THE RECALL WAS INITIATED AND AUDI HAS NOT YET PROCURED THE NECESSARY RECALL REPAIR ITEMS, HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY RECALL REPAIR SCHEDULE, AND HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY UPDATED COMMUNICATION WITH VEHICLE OWNER. BOTH AUDI AND NHTSA SHOULD ENSURE THAT MORE RESOURCES ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THIS PROBLEM, PERHAPS SUSPEND AIRBAG INSTALLATIONS IN NEW VEHICLES UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ALL RECALL VEHICLES HAVE BEEN FIXED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11003525July 6, 2017POWER TRAIN
PREMATURE TRANSMISSION MECHATRONIC FAILURE. CAR UNABLE TO REVERSE DURING A 3 POINT TURN IN A ROADWAY ACROSS TRAIN TRACKS. SINCE NEW THE CAR HAD A CLUNKY TRANSMISSION. IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE BUT WHEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALER IT WAS ALWAYS, "OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS" THIS IS THE 2ND AUDI IN A ROW THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN MULTIPLE TIMES FOR A PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS ISN'T A PROBLEM AND IS "OPERATING IN SPECS OF THE MANUFACTURER".
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11002423June 29, 2017AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL. NOTIFIED 1 YEAR AGO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED TO HAVE THE AIR BAG REPLACED. CALLED FOR AN UPDATE A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS FOR MY VEHICLE YET.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10995256June 14, 2017POWER TRAIN
DSG TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING VERY ROUGH AND SOMETIMES SLIPS. ALSO LURCHES FORWARD SUDDENLY FROM A STOP CAUSING THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10985840May 15, 2017AIR BAGS
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V032000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE A RENTAL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 08/24/17*LJ *CN
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10985522May 13, 2017POWER TRAIN
MY S4 THREW THE "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION, REVERSE DISABLED" AS WELL AS A TPMS ERROR CODE WHILE IN TRAFFIC, AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE. VERY DANGEROUS, AND INCONVENIENT. LIMPED HOME AT VERY SLOW SPEED WHILE TRANSMISSION CLUNKED AND STRUGGLED TO CHANGE GEARS. THE CODE HAS GONE AWAY SINCE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND NOW IT LUNGES FORWARD WHEN YOU'RE COMING TO A STOP, WHICH MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. TAKING OFF FROM A STOP IS BOUNCY AND SUPER JERKY. IF I HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, IT WILL SOMETIMES GO SMOOTHLY. THE ENGINE RPM'S SURGE WHILE COASTING TO A STOP, OR GOING DOWN, HILL ESPECIALLY WITH FOOT OFF THE PEDAL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10980159April 24, 2017AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY DON'T HAVE PARTS AVAILABLE AND WILL CALL ME WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. WHEN I ASKED IF THEY PROVIDE A LOANER VEHICLE UNTIL REPAIR IS PERFORMED, THEY SAID THEY DON'T HAVE A LOANER PROGRAM AVAILABLE EITHER.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10978959April 17, 2017POWER TRAIN
A GEARBOX MALFUNCTION (WITH CODES P179E AND P179F) MAY CAUSE THE CAR ENTER ONE OF THE "LIMP MODE" STATES, WHICH CAN CUT ENGINE POWER FROM THE TRANSMISSION. A MESSAGE ON THE DASH MAY SAY "GEARBOX MALFUNCTION" WITH A MESSAGE IF THE CAR IS DRIVEABLE OR MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE REPAIR SHOP. IN SOME CASES, THIS LOSS OF POWER CAN MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT TO PULL OVER SAFELY, AS THE STALL CAN HAPPEN IN AN INTERSECTION, OR IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. AUDI HAS RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM IN THE FORM OF A TSB (2032211), HOWEVER, ALL CARS WITH THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION MAY EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR ISSUE, AT ANY TIME, DESPITE FOLLOWING MANUFACTURER SERVICE INTERVALS. THE ISSUE MAY APPEAR TO BE INTERMITTENT AND MAY NOT ENTER FULL LIMP MODE UNTIL MANY MILES LATER. MY INITIAL ENCOUNTER WITH QUESTIONABLE TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOR WAS ABOUT 10-15K MILES PRIOR. THIS PARTICULAR CASE DOCUMENTED WAS THE WORST SCENARIO, BUT SIMILAR SCENARIOS (COMING OFF THE FREEWAY AND STALLING SHORTLY AFTER STOPPING, OR NOT BEING ABLE TO ENGINE BRAKE PROPERLY DUE TO TRANSMISSION REFUSING TO SHIFT) HAVE ALSO BEEN EXPERIENCED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10971673April 10, 2017ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
GEARBOX MALFUNCTION WARNING AND THE TPMS MALFUNCTION CAME ON AT SAME TIME. CONTINUED TO DRIVE IN LIMP MODE FOR ABOUT 1 MILE AND THE CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. START THE CAR BACK UP AND STILL SHOWING WARNINGS. GET IT HOME AND ATTEMPT TO PUT INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR WON'T ENGAGE. I JUST HAPPENED TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND ALL LIGHTS WERE GONE. CAR WENT INTO ALL GEARS, DROVE FINE, AND GOT IT TO THE DEALER. TWO HOURS LATER I GET IN TO GO TO THE STORE AND AS SOON AS I SHIFT INTO D, THE TPMS AND GEARBOX MALFUNCTION LIGHT FLASH UP TELLING ME I HAVE NO REVERSE AND I'M STILL GOOD TO DRIVE. SO I DECIDE TO DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. AS SOON AS THE CAR WENT TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND IT SKIPPED, REVVED IN NEUTRAL FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS THEN DROPPED HARD INTO 3RD GEAR. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR AND DROVE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO PROBLEM - NO ERROR MESSAGE, NO FAULTY SHIFTING, NO JERKING OR ANYTHING. SO I DECIDED TO RUN TO THE STORE ABOUT 4 MILES AWAY AND SEE HOW IT HELP UP. I MADE IT TO THE STORE AND HALFWAY BACK BEFORE BOOM - IT HAPPENED AGAIN. CAR WILL START IN 1ST GEAR FINE, WENT SHIFTING INTO 2ND IT SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL FOR ABOUT 2-3SEC THEN DROPS ABRUPTLY INTO 3RD, WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPEED IT DOES THE SAME THING TRYING TO SHIFT INTO 4TH - SKIPS AND DROPS INTO 5TH, SAME THING INTO 6TH - SLIPS OUT OF 5TH AND DROPS HARD INTO 7TH. SLOWING DOWN WAS NOT A HUGE PROBLEM AS LONG AS YOU HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM TO TAKE IT EASY. IF YOU SLOWED TO FAST THE GEARS WOULDN'T KEEP UP AND IT WOULD JERK VERY HARD. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER SINCE IT IS A SYSTEM FACTORY FAILURE WITH THE DSG UNIT SIMPLE AS THAT. REASON WHY I AM CONTACTING THIS AGENCY AS THE CAR SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT/KILLED THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10971272April 8, 2017ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHEN DRIVING IN REGULAR DRIVE BOX INDICATOR COMES ON. SAYING GEARBOX MALFUNCTION LIMITED FUNCTION. I ONLY HAVE 63125 MILES AND KEEP MY CAR MAINTENANCE.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0