2004 Audi S4

HANKOOK TIRES, VENTUS S1 NOBLE 2 SPLITTING OUTSIDE SIDEWALL, CAUSED TO DEPRESSURE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED TO CRACK TIRE ON THE INNER SIDEWALL SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO MANUFACTURER CLAIM BLAME ON MY VEHICLE. THE TIRE MODEL IS UNDER A RECALL, BUT IN DIFFERENT SIZE, BUT IDENTICAL WALLS, MANUFACTURING PROCESS. MY VEHICLE'S TIRE SIZE 235/40/R18. RECALLED: VENTUS S1 NOBLE2 '245/45R18 96W', '245/40R19 94W', '275/35R19 96W PROPER TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED AND CHECKED WEEKLY FOR 3YEARS, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.

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.

XENON HEADLAMPS WIRING ALL CORRODED AND BARE WITH NO INSULATION LEFT. CHECK WITH AUDI AND THEY SAID OUR VEHICLE AND VIN IS NOT PART OF ANY RECALL. YET RCORRD-05V096-4498 IN YOUR DATABASE SHOWS A MOFIFICATION LETTER FROM VW TO INCLUDE OUR VIN. THERE IS NO RECORD ACCORDING TO AUDI SERVICE SHOPS THAT SHOW ANY RECALL WORK DONE TO OUR HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE THAT SHOWS THE DETERIATION OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING AND HEADLAMPS TO OUR 2004 AUDI S4. WOULD APPRECIATE SOME ASSISTANCE TO HAVING OUR HEADLAMPS REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI S4. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO THE HEAD LAMP BULBS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WIRING WAS BURNED AND DAMAGED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

ON SATURDAY MORNING 12/15/2014 START MY CARD AND HEARD A RATTLE NOISE ON THE ENGINE, FIRST TIME IT MAKE THAT NOISE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ON MY WAY TO WORK I STARTED HEARING THE RATTLE NOISE AGAIN BUT THIS TIME IT WAS LOUDER I WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND KEPT MAKING THE RATTLE NOISE ON THE ENGINE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR NOT EVEN A WEEK AGO, AND ALREADY STARTED HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT THE ENGINE MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACE SOON, SINCE THAT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CARS AND THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT GO BAD SOON. *TR

AUDI CLAIMS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ON THOSE VEHICLES ARE LIFETIME AND DOES NOT NEED TO BE SERVICE. UNFORTUNATE THE TIMING CHANGE TENSIONERS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC WHICH THE WEAR OUT AT ABOUT 50K MILES, CAUSING A START UP RATTLE AND EVENTUALLY ENGINE EXPLOSION FROM THE CHAIN COMING OF THE GUIDES AND DESTROYING THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND CAUSING A MASSIVE ACCIDENT AT HIGH SPEED. HUNDREDS OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONE ARE REPORTED ONLINE FROM THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVEN YOUTUBE VIDEOS. NOT TO MENTION THAT EVERY TIME YOU BRING YOUR VEHICLE AND COMPLAINT TO AUDI THE CLAIM THAT THE RATTLE IS NORMAL; JUST TO FIND OUT THAT IS THE FIRST CLUE OF FUTURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED AND BECAME STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO CONFIRMED THERE WAS A PUNCTURED HOSE CAUSING THE STEERING TO FAIL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THAT HE HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE AFTER THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. THE DEALER STATED THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

2004 AUDI S4. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE FAILED WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE, POWER BRAKES AND STEERING LOCKED UP *TGW THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN OR ADJUSTERS. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $24,000 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE LEARNED IT WAS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM FOR HIS MODEL AND YEAR. THE SPECIFIC MECHANICAL FLAW SEEMED TO BE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN COORDINATED THE ACTION BETWEEN THE PISTONS AND THE VALVES. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PLASTIC GUIDES. THE GUIDES PUSHED AGAINST THE CHAIN BY THE ADJUSTERS. *JB

I OWN A 2004, AUDI, S4 WHICH I PURCHASED USED FROM MY BROTHER, WHO BOUGHT IT NEW. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM HIM WITH 45,000 MILES ON IT. AT 55,000 MILES THE CAR HAD CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. 5,000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD! THE MECHANIC THAT IS REPAIRING THE DAMAGE SAID IF ONE MORE COMPONENT WOULD HAVE BROKE IT COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH. THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED. I CONTACTED AUDI OF U.S.A. TO,1. ALERT THEM OF THIS PROBLEM AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE, 2. BECAUSE THE CAR IS ONLY 5,000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY AND IT HAD SUCH MASSIVE FAILURE I BELIEVE IT ONLY REASONABLE TO ASK FOR SOME HELP IN THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE REPAIR COST ARE GOING TO BE BETWEEN 4,000 AND 5,000 DOLLARS. 3. I WORK IN QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR A COMPANY AND I REALLY WANTED TO SPEAK WITH THEIR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ALERT THEM TO THIS BIG PROBLEM. IT IS CRUCIAL THEY (AUDI) UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. THE REPS AT AUDI OF U.S.A. THAT I SPOKE WITH WOULD NOT HELP (EXCEPT TO LISTEN, THEY ARE GOOD AT THAT), AND WERE NOT COOPERATING WITH ME IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING DESPERATELY TO ALERT THEIR QUALITY PEOPLE OF THIS FAILURE THAT OCCURRED TO MY CAR. I BELIEVE I WAS COMPLETELY IGNORED AND I NEED TO FIND OUT HOW I CAN EFFECTIVELY REPORT THIS. NOT ONLY TO AUDI BUT ALSO OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME VEHICLE. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. *TR

2004 AUDI S4 CONVERTIBLE - 40K - REAR WINDOW OF CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS SEPARATED FROM TOP - APPEARS TO BE GLUE, ATTACHMENT METHOD FAILURE. CALLED AUDI OF AMERICA REQUESTING ASSISTANCE, V. NICE - WANTED TO INITIATE CONVERSATION / INSPECTION 'AT DEALER LEVEL'. LOCAL DEALER LOOKS AT IT AND QUOTE $4350 TO REPLACE ENTIRE ROOF. DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN AUDI OF AMERICA AND DEALER APPARENTLY ENSURE WHERE 'LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION' TO ASSIST IS DISCUSSED. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED A NEW S4 AT THIS DEALER IN 2000 AND TRIED TO PURCHASE S4 CONVERTIBLE FROM THEM IN 2007. WE HAD OWNED 10 (TEN) VWS PRIOR. FURTHER, ASST SVC MGR AT AUDI OF TYSONS CORNER ADVISED THAT I SHOULD HAVE GARAGED MY VEHICLE, PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE FAILURE OF ADHERING PROPERTY, BUT CLEARLY NOT MAINTAINED PROPERLY BY ME. MY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE WAS REFUSED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE OF 'DEALER LOYALTY'. AUDI OF AMERICA SAID THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP EITHER. I SEE ON THIS SITE THAT MANY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEMS WITH 03 CONVERTIBLE PRODUCTS AND PRIOR TO READING THOUGHT THAT THIS ISSUE IS SOMEWHAT IF NOT ENTIRELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AUDI - AFTER ALL - SHOULD WE ANTICIPATE REPLACING AN ENTIRE ROOF FOR ALMOST $5000 AT ONLY SIX YEARS ???? AS A HUMOROUS ENDNOTE - THE DEALER CALLED ME TODAY - WE HAD LOOKED AT CARS WHILE THERE - THEY WANT ME TO COME BY - TEST DRIVE AND BUY :-) *TR

IN JANUARY 2009 I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON MY 2004 AUDI S4. I USED THE CAR JACK THAT COMES WITH THE CAR. AFTER LIFTING THE CAR UP ON THE PROPER POSITION (AS EXPLAINED IN THE AUDI USERS MANUAL) THE CAR JACK BROKE APART UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR. THE GROUND IN MY GARAGE IS EVEN AND MADE OUT OF CONCRETE AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN P AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS FULLY APPLIED SO THAT MOVEMENT OF THE CAR WHILE LIFTED WAS IMPOSSIBLE. THE AUDI DEALER I COMPLAINED TO REPLACED THE CAR JACK AND FIXED THE DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT LOWER SIDE OF MY CAR WITHOUT ANY CHARGES. TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD A FLAT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY CAR AGAIN COMING UP INTERSTATE I 55 FROM CAPE GIRARDEAU MO. WHEN USING THE NEW CAR JACK (SAME MODEL) THAT THE AUDI DEALER HAD GIVEN ME AFTER THE PRIOR INCIDENT. AND AS YOU PROBABLY GUESSED THE SAME HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT. AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR, I SELECTED PARK ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSACTION AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY CAR BRAKE. AFTER LOOSENING UP THE BOLTS I PLACED THE CAR JACK AS EXPLAINED IN AUDIS USER MANUAL UNDER THE CAR ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE AND LIFTED THE CAR UP. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OF THE TIRE WHEN THE JACK SUDDENLY GAVE IN AS DONE IN THE FIRST SITUATION EXPLAINED ABOVE. FORTUNATELY THE CAR DROPPED WITH THE ROTOR ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE RIM OF THE TIRE I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OF. I HAD TO CALL A FRIEND WHO WAS BRINGING ME A DIFFERENT CAR JACK SO I COULD PUT ON THE SPARE TIRE. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THE RIGHT ROTOR WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED AFTER DROPPING ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE RIM. NOBODY WAS HURT BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR JACK IS DANGEROUS AS IT DOESNT SEEM TO BE MADE TO CARRY THE WEIGHT OF MY CAR. I WORKED FOR BMW AS A LICENSED CAR MECHANIC IN THE PAST AS WELL WAS A MAINTENANCE CREW CHIEF WORKING ON FIGHTER JETS WELL CAPABLE OF CHANGING A TIRE; IF THIS HAPPENS TO ME THEN I BELIEVE IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME TO ANYBODY USING THIS CAR JACK

ENGINE FAILURE GOING 45MPH DUE TO BROKEN VALVE SPRING. FAULTY PART DOCUMENTED IN 5/2005 USA TODAY BUT AUDI WILL NOT REPAIR. *TR

CAR ENGINE WAS MISFIRING - WAS INFORMED A FAULTY COIL PACK WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. ONE WEEK LATER THE MISFIRES STARTED AGAIN. TWO MORE COIL PACKS WERE REPLACED. 2 WEEKS LATER ANOTHER MISFIRING EPISODE. CAR DIED AT INTERSECTION SO WAS TOWED IN FOR INSPECTION. CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER/CAM GUIDES HAD FAILED. PARTS WERE REPLACED FOR 5K AND THEN 2 WEEKS LATER CYLINDER 3 FAILED WHEN VALVE AND PISTON INTERACTED - CAR DIED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR ENGINE IS GOING TO NEED TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, 10261281, AND 10294798. MY SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN NOV OF 2009 ON THE BANK 1 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 1 - LESS THAN ONE YEAR FROM THE SAME FAILURE ON BANK 2 (SEE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #10294798). THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION THE ENGINE APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ANOTHER ~$4,500. *TR

SEE THE NHTSA ODI COMPLAINTS: 10267048, 10263937, 10262201, 10261864, AND 10261281 MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE "CAM CHAIN TENSIONER" COMPONENTS WAS IN DEC OF 2008 ON THE BANK 2 CAM. FAULT CODE "SET POINT NOT REACHED (OVER-RETARDED)." WITH MISFIRES TO ALL CYLINDERS ON BANK 2 - ALL BUT RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY I CONTACTED AUDI TO NO AVAIL. I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED IN AUDI FOR ENGINEERING SUCH SHODDY DESIGN, AND NOT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT. IN FACT CRISWELL AUDI CHARGED $300 FOR AN ECU UPDATE THAT DID NOTHING. ALTHOUGH THE S4 IS A LOW VOLUME CAR THE 4.2L ENGINE IS USED IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; AND IF THIS COMPLAINT VENUE ANY INDICATION IT APPEARS TO SUFFER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FAILURES. THE COST TO DROP THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REPAIR WAS ~$4,500. *TR

WHILE IN RAIN ALL WINDOWS FOGGING UP FROM INSIDE, UNABLE TO DEFOG, THE A/C WILL NOT TURN ON, CHECKED FOR LEAKS - NO LEAKS OBSERVED, SPORADICALLY THE A/C TURNS ON AND OFF, VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN CARS FROM THIS YEAR, MAY CAUSE DAMAGE AND INJURY. *TR

2004 S4 WIPERS STOP WORKING (STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD) IN RAIN, MOTOR WORKS SEEMS AS SOMETHING SIZED, IN SOME SITUATIONS MAY CAUSE BIG DAMAGE AND INJURY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 S4 WHICH CRUNCHES WHEN SHIFTING INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. AUDI REPLACED THE SYNCHROS BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME ITS NORMAL. THE CRUNCHES OCCURS EVERYTIME I DRIVE IT AND ALSO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GET INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLES RPMS WILL SOMETIMES STICK, KEEPING THE VEHICLE MOVING WHEN NOT UNDER ACCELERATION.

AT 44,000 MILES MY CAR HAS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I STATED ABOVE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE ENGINE REVVING UP. THE TRANSMISSION CAN ALSO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS UNDER HARD BRAKING WHICH ALL OF YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE IN GEAR YOU SLOW DOWN BETTER IF ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU POP OUT OF GEAR YOU CAR DOES NOT HAVE AS MUCH HOLDING YOU BACK. *TR

REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE HAS INTERIOR DEFECTS AFTER 33,000 MILES. CAR IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY DUE TO YEAR OF VEHICLE. THE FEMALE RECEPTOR OF THE BUCKLE HAS SOME OF THE INNER MECHANISM HANGING OUTSIDE OF THE LIP OF THE BUCKLE, MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER BUCKLE NEXT TO IT WHICH IS IN NORMAL WORKING ORDER. *TR