2006 Audi A4 Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
CVT TRANSMISSION TOTAL FAILURE - TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST ADVISES THAT SEVERAL OF THE FIRST CVT TRANSMISSIONS RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC WERE DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, AND HAVE BEEN UPGRADED OVER THE YEARS TO CORRECT FOR THESE EARLY DEFICIENCIES. THE SPECIALIST FURTHER ADVISES THAT AUDI AND SATURN ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THESE DEFECTS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING WHILE TRAVELING ON A MAJOR ROADWAY. ALL OF THE INDICATOR LIGHTS IN THE GEAR SELECTOR STARTED FLASHING SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT IMMOBILE IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POSITION. AUDI QUOTED MORE THAN $8,000 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY A LOCAL TRANSMISSION EXPERT FOR A LITTLE OVER $5,000. IT IS THIS EXPERT WHO ADVISED OF THE LONG-STANDING AND WELL-ESTABLISHED PROBLEMS IN AUDI'S EARLY CVT TRANSMISSIONS, AND SAID DEFINITIVELY THAT AUDI SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HANDLE THIS AS A SAFETY AND DESIGN/MANUAFACTURING DEFECT RECALL.
TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER VALVE BODY DEFECTIVE SEALS LEAKING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR BOX MECHATRONICS UNIT NEEDED BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,200.
PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MARCH 2012. APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS LATER THE "CHECK ENGINE " LIGHT CAME ON . HAD THE CODES CHECKED AND MAIN CODE CAME BACK P0722 WHICH DIRECTED ME TO A "DEALERSHIP ONLY" REPAIR. IT WAS TOLD TO ME THAT THE TCM WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING. I FIND OUT AUDI INITIALLY USED A FAULTY PLASTIC PART THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF WOULD FAIL. I CALLED AUDI USA FOR ASSISTANCE AND THEY WORKED OUT A 15% DISCOUNT WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NO ASSISTANCE FROM AUDI USA. I INFORMED THEM THAT I STILL FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT IF THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH AUDI TRANSMISSIONS THEN THEY SHOULD COVER FULL COST OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR
OUR 2006 AUDI A4 HAS A FAILED MECHATRONICS UNIT AT 85,000 MILES. THE CAR DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY AND EXPERIENCES FLUXUATING RPM WHILE DRIVING. THE COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $5000 ON A $15,000 VEHICLE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT INTO LIMP MODE. NONE OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TRANSMISSION FLUID. WHEN THE DEALER ADDED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO THE VEHICLE THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER REGARDING THE LIMP MODE ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.
PASSING ON FREEWAY HILL. PRESSED ACCELERATOR TO SHIFT AUTO TRANSMISSION INTO LOWER PASSING GEAR. RESULT WAS AS IF I'D SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. WITH ACCELERATOR PLANTED FIRMLY TO THE FIREWALL THE RPMS WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 4K. TRIED EVERY POSSIBLE COMBO (OVER THE COURSE OF A 50 MILE FREEWAY TRIP) WITH AUTO TRANS SELECTOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EXCEPT IN THE "DRIVE" MODE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE LIT. CLEARLY, WHEN THE "DRIVE" MODE AUTOMATICALLY SELECTED A LOWER GEAR, IT WAS AS IF I'D SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER THE CAR SAT FOR A BIT, THERE WAS NOT PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT CAR TO BE TRUSTED. ANOTHER CUTE TRICK: NOW AND THEN IT LOCKS ALL THE DOORS AFTER I'VE EXITED THE CAR AND LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING, WHICH SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE ON THIS VEHICLE. I WILL NEVER AGAIN TRUST THIS CAR TO SAFELY PASS ANOTHER. DEALER INDICATES I COULD BRING THE CAR IN, BUT THAT'S 200 MILES EACH WAY...NO CERTAINTY OF DIAGNOSIS. *TR
TRANSMISSION BURN AT 90 000 MILES. AND THE DEALER TELL ME OF ALL AUDI WITH CVT TRANSMISSION BURN BETWEEN 80,000 TO 90,000 MILES. THAT A REPAIR COST OF 7,000$... *TR
I HAVE A 2006 AUDI A4, AUTOMATIC-TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, 2.0 TURBO AND I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE PREVIOUS OWNER PURCHASED THE CAR IN OCT 2005 AND IN LATE 2006, THE TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN AND AUDI HAD REPAIRED IT AT NO CHARGE AT AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON OCT 2007 AND BY MID-2008, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND JOLTED IN A VERY BUSY PARKING LOT WITH MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE BACK. MY HUSBAND DECIDED TO DROP US OFF AND TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME BECAUSE HE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE CAR AS IT JOLTED AND LOUD POPPING MECHANICAL SOUNDS BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE FRONT. HE WAS NEAR OUR HOUSE WHEN THE CAR GAVE UP AND WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. IMAGINE IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY! ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS THAT AUDI WOULD ONLY RECALL THE NEWER CARS WHEN OBVIOUSLY PREVIOUS MODELS HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF GEARBOX IN QUESTION. I WILL BE GETTING THE CAR FIXED AND DEFINITELY WILL BE TRADING THE CAR IN TO GET A NON VW/AUDI CAR. I HONESTLY WISH I COULD JUST TELL THEM TO TRASH IT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE DRIVING THIS CAR, EVEN AFTER I'VE FIXED IT. IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
EXTREME VIBRATIONS ARE OCCURRING WHILE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND IN GEAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT NEW. IT NOW HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES. THE VIBRATION LEVELS VARY AND CAN FLUCTUATE. WHEN VIBRATIONS ARE HIGH THE VIBRATION IS NAUSEATING OCCURS EVERY DAY. DEALER STATES AUDI WILL NOT DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM AS IT MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 AUDI A4 FROM PITTSBURGH TO VA MONDAY 1/18/09. APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE DRIVE, WHILE DESCENDING A HILL ON INTERSTATE 70 I WENT TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE INSTEAD. I HAD BEEN DRIVING IN THE 6TH GEAR OF THE TIPTRONIC MODE. SO I THREW IT OVER TO DRIVE MODE INSTEAD THINKING MAYBE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE OTHER MODE. IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE I COULD HEAR THE ACCELERATION CONTINUING AND WHEN REMOVING MY FOOT FROM BRAKE THE CAR TOOK OFF UNTIL I HIT BRAKE AGAIN. PANICKED I TRIED TO GET OVER FROM THE PASSING LANE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD TO NAVIGATE BETWEEN A CAR I ALMOST HIT AND AN 18 WHEELER. ONCE OVER ON SIDE I THREW ON EMERGENCY BRAKE AND COULD STILL HEAR AND FEEL CAR ACCELERATING. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT COMPLETELY. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND SHAKING. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE FLOOR TO SEE IF SOMETHING HAD OBSTRUCTED THE GAS AREA. ALL MATS WERE IN PLACE AND NOTHING APPEARED UNUSUAL. I THEN CHECKED FOR MY CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE NEVER USED IT IN THIS CAR AND ACTUALLY HAD TO FIND THE LEVER. THOUGHT MAYBE I BUMPED IT WHILE USING THE WIPERS. THE CC IS ON THE OTHER SIDE AND NO WHERE NEAR ANYTHING I WOULD HAVE TOUCHED. I CALLED AUDI ROADSIDE AND THEY TOWED IT TO FREDERICK MD. I CALLED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE THE NEXT MORNING TO ALERT THEM. THEY SEEMED RESPONSIVE AND CONCERNED. THE AUDI DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. THEY SAID THEY TRIED TO REPLICATE IT. I ASKED IF THAT MEANT THEY DROVE IT AT NIGHT FOR 2 HOURS IN 13 DEGREE WEATHER IN THE 6TH GEAR OF TIPTRONIC MODE? THEY SAID NO THEY CONDUCTED COMPUTER TESTS AND FOUND NOTHING. I HAD TO PICK UP MY CAR THAT I AM NOW TERRIFIED TO DRIVE. I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON WHO NOW SEEMS TO NOT BE RETURNING MY CALLS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME & I NEED TO FIND ANSWERS &/OR GET ANOTHER VEHICLE I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR. I READ SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA SITE FOR THIS CAR & YEAR. *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2006 Audi A4 has 11 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.