audi s4 2010 Complaints

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

i am writing to complain about a design flaw that has been identified in the waterpump used in the 2010 audi s4 3.0t. several owners have experienced a waterpump failure which results in the vehicle overheating and partial or full loss of power steering. owners who have experienced failure have had their 'black plastic' waterpumps replaced with a revised 'aluminum waterpump'. several owners have complained about this issue on various enthusiast forums, but the manufacturer has failed to acknowledge the problem and issue a recall. it is evident that the waterpump is a ticking time bomb that needs to be replaced so individuals are not 1) left stranded on the side of the road, 2) subject to an automobile accident due to lack of power steering, or 3) at risk due to an overheating vehicle. i personally have not experienced the failure on my vehicle, but i am submitting this complaint in hopes that nhtsa will work with audi to issue a prompt recall for all affected owners. i do have the old revision of the waterpump ('black plastic') on my vehicle and i am worried that i may eventually experience a failure. the following are some posts on various enthusiast boards that highlight the issue: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/382525-another-waterpump-bites-it...?highlight=waterpump http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/317505-b8-s4-water-pump-failure?highlight=waterpump http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/352343-problems-so-far...-today-the-water-pump-blew?highlight=waterpump http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/349318-my-coolant-broke!!?highlight=waterpump http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2789310&highlight=waterpump http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2789742&highlight=waterpump http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2774524&highlight=waterpump http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2773666&highlight=waterpump.

Reported in: ROUND ROCK TX || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUDGAFL1AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

this has been a known issue to many 2010 audi s4 owners. many of them reported a waterpump failure basically under any circumstances, i.e., highway driving, cornering, and low speed driving. 2010 audi s4 produced in 2009 clearly have a defective water pump, which tend to mostly fail prior to 10k miles on the car. many s4 owners and forum members reported many kinds of hazard that this failure can bring, including coolant spilling that can potentially harm the surrounding motorists (slippery surface caused by oily coolant) and the loss of power steering which can be extremely dangerous on highway. my water pump has not failed yet, but from the failure ratio shown on a audi s4 owner forum, it can be clearly seen that most of these water pumps will eventually fail at any mileage. i am seriously worried about endangering others, myself, or my family members because of this potential failure on the water pump of 2009-produced 2010 s4. i would appreciate your concern over this issue.

Reported in: LAWRENCE KS || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2010 audi s4 water pump failure -- this complaint is identical to the previous two complaints surrounding this model's water pump failure. it should be noted that a near full loss of steering directly related to this failure occurred at the same time. in my case the car has been repaired, however like others who have detailed their experiences, audi has not acknowledged this is a systemic issue for this model, nor is the repair satisfactory as the distinct odor of g-12 (g-30 in europe) is present. though this is a safety issue first, it is also a consumer protection matter as the both the dealer and audi of america who i have been in communications with has not been clear about this issue.

Reported in: HOLLYWOOD FL || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUDGAFL4AA

STEERING

2010 audi s4 water pump failure -- this complaint is identical to the previous two complaints surrounding this model's water pump failure. it should be noted that a near full loss of steering directly related to this failure occurred at the same time. in my case the car has been repaired, however like others who have detailed their experiences, audi has not acknowledged this is a systemic issue for this model, nor is the repair satisfactory as the distinct odor of g-12 (g-30 in europe) is present. though this is a safety issue first, it is also a consumer protection matter as the both the dealer and audi of america who i have been in communications with has not been clear about this issue.

Reported in: HOLLYWOOD FL || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUDGAFL4AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2010 audi s4 water pump failure.

Reported in: VIRGINIA BEACH VA || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUDGBFL2AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

my car leaked a large amount of coolant noticed after it had been parked. i managed to drive it to dealer where the water pump was replaced under warranty. i was told that the plastic seal on the pump has failed with other customers and was replaced with a new metal seal.

Reported in: TORONTO 00 || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUFGCFL0AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

while driving home from newark airport on nj turnpike at 1 a.m., the water pump failed on my 2010 audi s4. the coolant warning indicated a problem. i made it to a service area within a few miles. i did not want to stop on the side of the road. i opened the hood and found coolant splattered all over the engine with steam rising up. the car was unsafe to drive and had to be towed to the dealer in edison, nj. the water pump was replaced by a redesigned unit. audi has been aware of the problem and this dealer had over 100 vehicles recently towed in the last week or so. i believe that in canada audi vehicles have been recalled. the water pump should be replaced with the new unit before cars get stranded on the side of the road.

Reported in: MORGANVILLE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUBGAFL7AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

2010 audi s4 with v-6 3.0t engine. returning home after a 7 minute drive, i was 300 ft. from my house when i received an engine message coolant low, turn off engine and check coolant. i stopped in driveway to find my water pump had burst, as with several complaints here. i knew about this problem, as more than 50 other audi s4 owners have experienced it and it is well documented on audi owner's forums. my car is undriveable, and will be towed to dealer tomorrow under warranty. audi of america is aware of this problem and has a campaign to replace the pumps slowly, but refuses to recall despite the possibility of endangering drivers. at the very least, we should be warned of this possibility. it is only through our own research and communication that owners are aware of the problem.

Reported in: WAKE FOREST NC || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUBGAFL7AA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

on dec 8, my audi s4, model year 2010, built end 2009, 11,000 miles, stranded with a leaking coolant system "out of the blue", during moderate highway driving. warning system indicated to turn off engine and check coolant. not necessarily safe in the middle of the night on a 8 lane highway. audi service diagnosed and replaced a defect water pump with an "updated model" (metal body, replacing the "plastic body model"), and refers to this a design flaw. this issue is well known to audi for the late-2009 built 2010 s4s, but also for q5 and a6 models. yet audi does not inform the owners, while they receive promotional materials on a regular basis. audi service was well prepared and reports that they can hardly meet demand of new water pumps with incoming cases. the water pump failure seems to be promoted by cold weather (<-5c). anecdotal evidence from the towing company confirms that 2010 audi's are prone to being towed this early 2010/2011 winter. considering the potential safety and engine damage impact of a sudden loss of engine cooling, it is irresponsible to not inform owners so they can watch their coolant level and seek replacement of the water pump.

Reported in: CHICAGO IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

2010 audi s4. consumer states vehicle has a major design flaw in the water pump. *tgw audi issued a service advisory to replace the water pump due to a high potential for water pump failure. the consumer was informed three weeks later by the dealer, that audi removed the advisory due to lack of supply and that the water pump would only be replaced if the vehicle broke down. *jb

Reported in: JERSEY CITY NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUDGAFLXAA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2010 audi s4 in the san fran bay area, after a weekend drive to the snow, found a pool of coolant under car and just med it to the dealer before warning light came on. dealer told me it was common. no recall to be expected, isn't this illegal? i make pharmaceuticals and if i don't perform a recall this is an illegal action.

Reported in: OAKLAND CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

my coolant pump blew around 10k miles. i live in boston. it was cold that morning - single digits. i started the car and heard a flapping noise. i ignored it and drove to get coffee. when the car warmed up, the flapping noise went away so i started out to my destination. about 5 miles down the road, the coolant warning light came on to shut down the engine. i pulled off the highway and turned off the engine. there was smoke coming from the engine compartment and the inside was wet. i called aaa and they towed the car to the audi dealership. after researching the problem, i learned that many others are having a similar experience. count me among those that are upset that audi is not fixing this before it happens. it doesn't have to be a public recall but a simple call from my dealership asking me to come in so they can fix a potentially faulty part. *ln

Reported in: LEXINGTON MA || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGBFL8AA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

condensation build-up in headlight housing on various audi vehicles that does not dissipate regardless of weather or duration of hid lights being on.

Reported in: SANTA MONICA CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

the transmission begins to jerk and slam causing the vehicle to accelerate just prior to stopping in stop/go traffic. noticed that this happens only after driving in stop/go situations and usually around 5mph. also clanks/jerks while in reverse. dealer keeps saying they cannot reproduce.

Reported in: GAITHERSBURG MD || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGAFLXAA

POWER TRAIN

mechatronics unit failed in the vehicle automatic transmission. transmission failure message listed on car dashboard. car would not shift out of 1st gear and there was no reverse gear. car had to be towed to the dealership for repair. multiple web forum posts stated the audi b8 models suffered this failure frequently.

Reported in: GROTON MA || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGAFL3AA

POWER TRAIN

mechatronics unit failure in dsg transmission. hard shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st while stopping. (vehicle makes loud drivetrain bang noise, shakes and stops abruptly when slowing down and trying to come to a stop, almost as if you slowed down to 5-10mph and then slammed on the brakes.)

Reported in: SAVANNAH GA || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGBFL6AA

POWER TRAIN

pulled out of parking lot and received a gearbox malfunction warning along with a tpms malfunction. warning on dash indicated that i could continue driving. i drove vehicle for approximately another mile and while going thru a roundabout, the car shut off. i was able to pull over to the side of the road and get the vehicle started again. i continued the rest of the way home for about 2 more miles. the mechatronic unit was determined to be faulty and was replaced.

Reported in: NOBLESVILLE IN || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGAFLXAA

POWER TRAIN

while driving in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic the 2010 audi s4 with the dsg s-tronic transmission becomes very jerky, causing it to surge when starting and stopping or driving at low speeds. as a result it is hard to control, especially in tight traffic, parking areas, or around pedestrians. additionally, hen coming to a complete stop when in this condition the shift from 2nd gear to first happen in such a way the it give the feeling that the car has been rear ended.

Reported in: HARRISBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUKGAFL9AA

POWER TRAIN

dsg transmission (auto) is jerky. does not engage smoothly and is very erratic. can slam into the next gear.

Reported in: MURFREESBORO TN || Crash: N || VIN #: WAUBGAFL7AA