1997 Audi A4 Suspension

THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS IN MY '97 AUDI A4 1.8T QUATTRO WERE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER AS PART OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2004 BY AUDI TO REPLACE A NOTED DEFECTIVE PART. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST AUDI BY SEVERAL OWNERS SPURRED THE VOLUNTARY RECALL. MY LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEED REPLACING AGAIN, BASED ON AN INSPECTION BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. WHEN I CONTACTED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE 2004 CONTROL ARM RECALL HAD A ONE-YEAR WARRANTY AND AFTER THAT TIME I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT COST, WHICH EXCEEDS $2,000 FOR THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS DEFECTIVE PART NEEDS REPLACING AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. NUMEROUS AUDI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED REPEATED LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURE AND NHTSA IS URGED TO CALL A MANDATORY RECALL FOR AUDI TO REPAIR THIS DEFECTIVE PART SO IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED BY OWNERS EVERY FEW YEARS. *TR

FAILING LOWER CONTROL ARMS. *JB

AUDI (97 A4 QUATTRO) HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL RELATED TO CONTROL ARMS - OFFERING FREE REPLACEMENT. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT IF THE CONTROL ARMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED, THEY WILL REIMBURSE ALL COSTS. I HAVE MY CAR MAINTAINED FAITHFULLY, USUALLY BY A DEALER, BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE FORMAL 90K MILE CHECK DONE. SINCE I DID NOT FOLLOW THEIR FORMAL PROCESS, THEY ARE REFUSING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. (THIS IS NOT A "MAINTAINABLE PART", SO THE ONLY FIX, IF INDICATED AT 90K MILES, WOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACEMENT). AUDI'S POSITION SEEMS UNREASONABLE, GIVEN THE "UNREPAIRABILITY FACTOR".

BOTH OF THE VEHICLE'S FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED. *NM THE CONSUMER PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1882 AUDI 4000 AND A 1985 AUDI 4000S QUATTRO. *SC *JB

CONTROL ARMS WENT BAD. THERE'S NOISE WHEN TURNING AND GOING OVER BUMPS. *LA

EVERY 30,000 MILES TO 40,000 MILES THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE FRONT END MADE A CLANKING NOISE, AND THE FRONT WHEELS LOOSENED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS OFFERED 50% OF TOTAL REPAIR COST BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

CONTROL ARM FAILURE, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND VEERING INTO A CURB, DAMAGING THE VEHICLE ($2000+), INSURANCE WOULD NOT COVER THE FAILED PART (ESURANCE). IT WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS GOING ONLY 35 MPH, THAT NO ONE WAS STANDING OR DRIVING WHERE I HIT THAT CURB.*AK

FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS CLUNK AND SQUEAK, THEY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT DUE TO POOR DESIGN.

FRONT CONTROL ARMS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR MAKING CLUNKING NOISE. YOU CAN REPLACE THEM EVERY 6 MONTHS AND PROBLEM STARTS ALL OVER. THIS IS SAFETY DESIGN FLAW THAT AUDI NEEDS TO ASSIST IN REPAIRS OR RECALL.

FRONT CONTROL ARMS

UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS (ALL 4) FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAVE FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACE AGAIN. SQUEEZING/CRUNCHING NOISE AT LOW SPEED AND OVER BUMPS. HAVE BEEN REPLACED- LESS THAN 15K MILES AGO BY AUDI DEALER AND THEY'VE WORN OUT ALREADY. THIS IS A POOR DESIGN AND AUDI NEEDS TO COME THROUGH WITH A SOLUTION FOR ITS CUSTOMERS. THIS IS A SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR REPAIR JOB! *NLM

THERE HAVE BEEN CRACKING NOISES IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING WOULD BE BREAKING, I TOOK THE CAR TO A SERVICE SHOP THAT DOES WORK FOR THE AUDI DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THE CRACKING WAS A PROBLEM ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY AUDI AND A KIT HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED TO FIX IT. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE AUDI, WE WERE ASSURED THAT WE HAD THE SPECIAL AUDI ASSURED FOR PREOWNED VEHICLES. WELL WHEN WE CALLED THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY DENIED EVERYTHING AND PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR AND THEREFORE I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. SINCE WHEN DO AUTO MAKERS ISSUE AN ALERT WITH A FIX IT KIT FOR ALL A4 S FROM 1996 TO 1998 AND CLAIM IT IS THE OWNERS FAULT. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE RUDE TO THE POINT OF SAYING THAT IT ISN'T THEIR PROBLEM. IT IS MINE. I SENT A COMPLAINT TO THE NYS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WITH ASSORTED ATTACHMENTS AND THEY REPLIED ON SEPT 6, 2002 SAID THAT THEY HAD FORWARDED THE INFORMATION ON TO YOU AND TO CONTACT NHTSA IF I HAD NOT HEARD SOMETHING IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. IT HAS BEEN 2 MONTHS AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU. WOULD YOU PLEASE CHECK YOUR RECORDS AND LOCATE THE FORM FROM THE NYS ATTY GENS OFFICE AND GET BACK TO ME WITH SOME INFO. I REALLY THINK AUDI SHOULD PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS SINCE IT IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NOT FROM USE BY THE OWNERS (THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND ME). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED HELP AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. DT

CONSUMER HAS BEEN NOTICING CREAKING NOISES IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THERE WAS A REPAIR KIT PUT TOGETHER FOR VEHICLE OF THE SAME MODEL FOR REPAIR OF THIS CREAKING NOISE. BUT CONSUMER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL COSTS. CONSUMER FEELS THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL OR THE PRE OWNED VEHICLE WARRANTY. *AK

THE CONTROL ARMS ARE PART OF THE SUSPENSION. THE FRONT AXLE HAS 8 CONTROL ARMS IN TOTAL. WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT 6 OF THE CONTROL ARMS WILL COST ME $2000. THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS MALFUNCTION. APPARENTLY THE PART MALFUNCTIONS IS A MYRIAD OF CASES WITH A4 AND THE PART WAS NEVER RECALLED. NOW I HAVE TO REPAIR A PART THAT COSTS 1/7 THE COST OF THE CAR BECAUSE AUDI IS TOO CHEAP TO STAND BY ITS PRODUCT. I DID NOTHING WRONG--WAS NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. SIMPLY PUT BY THE DEALER, "IT JUST HAPPENS." IF YOU INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM YOU WILL NOTICE THERE IS A TREND WITH THIS CONSTANT PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP.*AK

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS FAILED. NLM

LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARMS (2 ON EACH SIDE FOR A TOTAL OF 4) WERE SEVERLY WORN, AND HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME PRIOR TO MY HAVING THE DEFECT INSPECTED. WITH THE CAR ON LIFT, THE BALL JOINT COULD BE PULLED OUT OF IT'S SOCKET WITH LITTLE EFFORT. HAD I HIT A BUMP AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL. I AM CONTACTING AUDI AS WELL, BUT HAVEN'T AS OF THIS WRITING. *AK

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