1998 Audi A4 engine and engine cooling problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER PLACE OF RESIDENCE. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. A REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 70,000 MILES SHE WAS INELIGIBLE FOR A FREE REMEDY. HOWEVER SHE NOTED THAT THE OWNERS MANUAL STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 90,000. SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT BY A INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,000.”

“DT: THE CONTACT STATED TIMING BELT BROKE AT THE END OF 2001. SHE STATED THAT WHEN THE TIMING BELTS BREAK ON THESE AUDIS AND BEND THE VALVES,E THEY WILL DESTROY THE ENGINE. SHE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE SINCE THEN. SHE HAD THE CAR TOWED IN 2001. THE BILL WAS $4,468.00. THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT AT 80,000 MILES. AN ADVOCATE FOR AUDI IN MICHIGAN TOLD HER ON 9-26-05 THAT THEY SENT HER A LETTER CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WHEN THEY SENT IT. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST AUDI. (9-27-05 THE CONTACT CALLED THE SAME ADVOCATE AND ASKED HER TO CHECK THE REFERENCE NUMBER ON THE CAR, AND THE ADVOCATE TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS ONGOING CAMPAIGN CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT. IT WAS CALLED THE JK CAMPAIGN. THE CONTROL ARM WAS CALLED THE JE CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTERS AND NOTIFIED THE ADVOCATE THAT SHE HAD NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN THE MAINTENANCE BOOK,IT STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHANGED UNTIL 90,000 MILES.*AK”

“THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. THE UPPER, LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS AND THE TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS A SEVERE OIL LEAKAGE OBSERVED COMING FROM THE ENGINE DURING ACCELERATION. OIL WAS FOUND IN THE SPARK PLUG CAVITIES AND THE SPARK PLUG WIRES PROTECTIVE SLEEVE WAS BRITTLE DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *AK *SC *JB”

“I HAVE AN 1998 AUDI A4 TURBO. WHILE DRIVING IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR THE CAR JUST STOPPED. I TOOK IT TO AUDI AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SNAPPED AND BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION PISTONS AND VALVES WERE DAMAGED. THE ESTIMATE OF REAPAIR WAS OVER $6200.00 THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IS FOR 115,000 MILES, THIS OCCURED AT 76,000 MILES. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT AUDI IS NOW RECOMMENDING REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER AT 80,000. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS, THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED NOR PLAN TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR AND THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT. *AK”

“WHILE DRIVING 1998 AUDI 1.8 T ALONG HIGHWAY WHEN TIMING BELT FAILED, WITHOUT WARNING, WRECKING ENGINE. CAR HAD ONLY 58K MILES, AND OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT RECOMMEND REPLACING TIMING BELT UNTIL 90K MILES. THERE IS NO TSB FOR THE BELT BUT AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REQUIRES ALL NEW TIMING BELTS TO BE INSTALLED IN A NEW CONFIGURATION. *AK”

“WITHOUT WARNING, THE TIMING BELT ON MY 1998 AUDI A4 FAILED, RESULTING IN SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE AND LEAVING MY FAMILY STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS. AUDI HAS KNOW ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE TIMING BELT PROBLEM FOR YEARS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOTIFY CUSTOMERS. MAZDA HAD A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THEIR TIMING BELTS (SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 00V134/MAZDA RECALL NO. 92007); WHY HASN'T AUDI RECALLED THE CARS AND FIXED THIS PROBLEM??*AK”