1999 Audi A6 Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, SMOKE AND FLAMES BEGAN TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OVER AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BURNS TO THE FINGERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THERE WAS NOT A POLICE OR FIRE REPORT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. *TR

SMOKE ERUPTED THROUGH VENT SYSTEM. PULLED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND FAMILY OF 4 EVACUATED. WITHIN 90 SECONDS, THE DASH ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. INTERIOR/DASH ETC. WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. MOTOR COMPARTMENT UNTOUCHED BY FIRE. SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. HAVE PICTURES OF FIRE AND FIRE DEPT RESPONSE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY AUDI A6 AVANT QUATTRO, SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH VENT. I STOPPED THE CAR AS SOON AS I SAFELY COULD AND CALLED 911, AS SOON AS I WAS OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE SMOKE BECAME WORSE AND FLAMES BEGAN ROLLING OUT OF THE DASH AREA. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHICH A NEARBY RESIDENT LUCKILY HAD HANDY. BY VIEWING THIS FIRE AT CLOSE RANGE I AM CERTAIN THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ENGULFED WITHIN MINUTES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT USED A HEAT SENSING TOOL TO DETERMINE THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE OR HOTSPOT WAS VERY NEAR THE FUSE BOX BEHIND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. THEY CUT THE DASH APART TO BE SURE THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY OUT. I HAD NO WARNING OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND AM JUST THANKFUL THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AS QUICKLY AS I DID. *TR

DURING NORMAL USE AND DRIVING ABS, BRAKE LIGHT AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON. ERRATIC AT FIRST THEN STEADY. DIAGNOSIS: ABS CONTROLLER FAILURE. DURING PERIOD OF FAILURE VEHICLE OPERATES BUT WITHOUT AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON CONCERN AFTER CONDUCTING A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH. MECHANIC STATES THIS IS COMMON. *TR

THE CENTER DASHBOARD DIGITAL DISPLAY ON BOTH MY 1998 A4 & 1999 A6 HAS FADING TO THE POINT YOU CAN'T SEE AND READ THE DIGITAL ENGINE ANALYST READ OUTS TO ALERT THE DRIVER ABOUT ENGINE & ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WHICH COULD LEAD TO MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A TOXIC ODOR FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE NOTICED GREEN SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER. THE SMOKE FROM ALL FOUR OF THE VENTS TURNED INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 9,000.

ON MAY 2ND, 2007 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE FOR REPAIR TO BEVERLY HILLS AUDI SERVICE. SPECIFICALLY I INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE THAT PENETRATED MY SINUSES LIKE SULFUR. BEVERLY HILLS AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE SAME SMELL AND BURNING SENSATION DURING THAT WEEK. THEY ADVISED ME THAT CERTAIN PARTS NEEDED TO BE CHANGED AND I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR TOTALING ALMOST $2,000.00. ON MAY 10TH, 2007 I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE AND DROVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. ON MAY 16TH, 2007 I CONTACTED BEVERLY HILLS AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ADVISED MY SERVICE ADVISER THAT I COULD STILL SMELL THE BURNING IN THE CAR AND THAT IT WAS UNBEARABLE. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ON THE WAY THE CAR BEGAN TO BURN A HORRIBLE SMELL AND WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD FROM THE AC VENTS. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO THE LEFT OF THE 405 NORTH FREEWAY AND PUT THE CAR TO A STOP. AT THAT TIME THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY IN FLAMES AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN. I RAN AWAY AND WATCHED THE CAR BLOW UP AND GO INTO COMPLETE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE ARRIVED MINUTES LATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE FROM THE DASHBOARD. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET (NHTSA) IF THEIR HAD BEEN ISSUES WITH AUDI A6 VEHICLES CATCHING ON FIRE AND FOUND THAT THEIR HAD BEEN A RECALL CAMPAIGN INITIATED IN JULY 26TH, 2004. IT STATED THAT IN CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES A FIRE COULD ORIGINATE IN THE LEFT DASHBOARD AREA. I CONTACTED THE BEVERLY HILLS SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED TEN TIMES SINCE THE RECALL WAS INITIATED. RECALL FOR THE AUDI 1999 A6 - RECALL 04V133000. I CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, IF NEEDED. AT THIS TIME I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST VW OF AMERICA, AUDI OF AMERICA, AND BEVERLY HILLS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR

I PARKED AND SHUT OFF MY CAR TO GO IN A STORE LEAVING A FRIEND IN THERE TO WAIT. I WAS IN THE STORE FOR 2 MINS AND MY FRIEND CAME IN AND SAID THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS, AN ABUNDANCE OF SMOKE. I WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE AND WITNESSED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE HOOD OF THE CAR TO SEE IF THE ENGINE WAS CAUSING THE SMOKE. I OPENED THE HOOD TO REALIZE THAT THE SMOKE IN FACT WAS NOT COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I WALKED BACK AROUND TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE VENT AND A MAN WALKED UP TO SAY GET AWAY. IMMEDIATELY I CALLED 911 AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN AS I WAS HYSTERICALLY CRYING. I WENT BACK INTO THE STORE, WHICH WAS RITE AID AND THEY PROCEEDED TO MOVE ANY PERSONS TO THE BACK OF THE STORE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ENGULF IN FLAMES AND CONTINUED TO BURN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FINALLY SHOWED UP. THERE WAS A CAR PARKED NEXT TO ME AND WAS ALSO DAMAGED. *TR

DECEMBER 13, 2007 AUDI OF ROCHESTER HILLS 45441 DEQUINDRE ROAD ROCHESTER HILLS, MICHIGAN 48307 ATTENTION: SERVICE MANAGER SUBJECT: SAFETY CONCERN 1999 AUDI A6 AVANT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: THIS EVENING, SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON THE SEAT HEATER (WHICH AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON THE STEERING WHEEL HEATER) I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR (BURNING PLASTIC) & SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM BEHIND THE HORN/AIRBAG MODULE. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER, BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE STEERING WHEEL FROM CONTINUING TO HEAT-UP AND EMIT SMOKE. I HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS AND OPEN THE SUNROOF (VERY ENJOYABLE IN 30 DEGREE TEMPERATURE!) IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VENTILATE THE CABIN & BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I LOCATED THE FUSE RELATED TO THE STEERING WHEEL HEATER AND REMOVED IT SO THAT I COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO YOUR SHOP. (THE FUSE IS IN THE CENTER CONSOLE.) THIS OBVIOUSLY POSES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RISKS: FIRE HAZARD EMISSION OF TOXIC FUMES IN THE CABIN RISK OF INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT PLEASE HAVE THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATED AND CONTACT ME WITH THE FINDINGS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SINCERELY, KEN GUITY *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LCD SCREEN ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL WAS NOT VISIBLE AND COULD NOT BE READ. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT WOULD NOT REPAIR IT FOR FREE OR DISCLOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 100,000. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/12/07*JB

DRIVERS INFORMATION DISPLAY FAILURE. NO WAY TO ACCESS VEHICLE MAINTAINENCE OR SAFETY INFORMATION. DISPLAY SHOULD TELL YOU WHEN TO REPLAY BRAKES, CRITICAL FAILURE ITEMS ETC. *TR

1999 AUDI A6 QUATTRO WITH GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEMS THAT STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD ENDED**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES NO LONGER FUNCTIONED AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION LIQUID CRYSTAL DID NOT INDICATE READABLE INFORMATION , THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER FUNCTIONED SPORADICALLY. UPDATE *TR

I WAS POURING WINDSHIELD FLUID INTO MY AUDI A6 ONE DAY. I SAT DOWN IN THE CAR TO MOVE IT ONTO THE STREET BECAUSE I WANTED TO WASH IT, I TURNED THE IGNITION ON, AS I GOT IN I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT SO I DROVE IT TO THE STREET. SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CABIN. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AND THE SUNROOF BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE AIR-CONDITIONING OR HEATER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND GOT OUT AND WATCHED THE SMOKE FOR A MINUTE. THE SMOKE THEN TURNED A BLACK-DARK GREY COLOR. THEN CAME FLAMES POURING OUT OF THE VENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. JUST THEN I HEAR THIS PIERCING SCREECH AND POP, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY RUINED INSIDE AND SOOT SPEWED EVERYWHERE AROUND THE CAR I THEN TURNED THE HOSE ON WHICH I ALREADY HAD OUT FROM WHEN I WAS GOING TO WASH MY CAR. I PUT A MAJORITY OF THE FIRE OUT, SO I WALKED OVER TO MY GARAGE AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAYED IT ALL OVER TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OUT. I HOSED MY CAR OUT AND AROUND, SURPRISINGLY THE INTERIOR WAS STILL INTACT BUT JUST A TAD BIT DIRTY, SO I TOOK IT TO MY FRIEND WHO OWNS A DEALER/BODY SHOP AND HE GOT THE CAR FIXED AND ITS JUST LIKE NEW AGAIN. HE WAS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT WIRING AND HEADLIGHTS BUT I WAS JUST HAPPY THAT MY CAR WAS BACK. PLEASE FIX THIS AUDI BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE GET HURT OVER THIS PROBLEM AND BE LESS FORTUNATE THAN I WAS. OUT OF THE WHOLE MESS I HAD TO GET A NEW DASHBOARD, STEERING WHEEL, WINDSHIELD AND WIRING ALSO A PAINT KIT. THE CAR LOOKS STUNNING I ALSO HAD TO GET IT DETAILED AFTER SO THE TOTAL COST TO REPAIR WAS $1967.34 I LOVE THIS CAR OTHERWISE AND I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

1999 AUDI A-6 HAD A RECALL ON HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRES AND DEALER REFUSE TO FIX PROBLEM**CC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VEHICLE HAVING AN AFTER MARKET DEVICE INSTALLED. THE AFTER MARKET ACCESSORIES WERE WIRED INTO THE HEADLIGHTS SYSTEM. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE WE CAUSED THE LIGHTS, TURNSIGNLA, HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS AND HEAT IN THE CAR TO NO WORK. VERY DANGEROUS. THIS WAS CAUSED BY IGNITION SWITCH MELTED WIRES FROM THE HEATED STEERING WHEEL.

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 AUDI A6 ON THE EXPRESSWAY WITH MY 3 YEAR OLD SON IN HIS BOOSTER SEAT, THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD STARTS TO SMOKE . THEN IN LESS THAN A MINUTE FLAMES WERE COMING OUT, BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, MY DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE,WHILE TAKING MY SON OUT THE AIRBAG BLEW, SCARING HIM EVEN MORE, AND NOT TO MENTION ALL THE TOXIC FUMES WE INHALED. THE INSURANCE TELLS ME THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, AND IF THAT AIRBAG WAS ACTIVATED WHILE I WAS STILL DRIVING, IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. *JB

MY 1999 AUDI A6 AVANT IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE LACK OF TURN SIGNALS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HEATER AND HORN. THE BERNARDSVILLE AUDI DEALERS CLAIMS IT "FRIED SOME WIRES" WHICH TO ME SOUNDS LIKE A SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD. *JB

HEATED STEERING WHEEL BURNS HANDS, SMOKES. DOESN'T VARY WITH SETTINGS. DID NOT ALLOW IT TO GET TO A FIRE CONDITION. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHE SMELLED MELTED PLASTIC, MAYBE AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. WHEN SHE PULLED OVER FIRE AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD VENTS. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS FIRE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

FLAMES STARTED SHOOTING OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE VENT ON 1999 A6 SEDAN.*MR WHILE DRIVING SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT OF THE AC VENTS THEN FLAME STARTING COMING OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE VENTS. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OF AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED A SMALL BURN WHILE PUTTING THE FIRE OUT. THE CONSUMER LOOKED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH (04V13300) BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT THE RECALL. *NM

CENTER DISPLAY FADED OUT AT 55000 MILES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $900. *AK

THE CENTRAL DASH CLUSTER, DRIVERS INFORMATION DISPLAY FADES TO ILLEGIBLE AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF OPERATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-50 MPH CONSUMER TURNED THE HEATER ON AND A DISTINCT SMELL CAME FROM THE DASHBOARD, FOLLOWED BY CONDENSATION SMOKE; FIRST BEING GRAY SMOKE, THEN TURNING TO BLACK SMOKE. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING OUR 1999 AUDI A-6 SEDAN ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY, WE NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL IN THE CAR. SUDDENLY SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT THE AC VENTS THEN FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT THE VENTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *AK I CALLED THE AUDIOF AMERICA HELP LINE ON THE 16TH OF JULY, GAVE A REPORT AND ON JULY 19, SPOKE TO ANETTE JOHNSON WHO TOOK A FULL FEELING VERY UNSATISFIED BY MS. JOHNSONS UNHELPFUL, THOUGH SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE, I DID A WEB SEARCH USING THE TERMS AUDI, FIRE, DASHBOARD AND DISCOVERED THAT ON MARCH 23, 2004 IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT AUDI WAS RECALLING 172,888 VEHICLES BECAUSE A WIRING PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A FIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO US! I THEN WENT TO THE SITE WWW.INTELLICHOICE.COM/REPORTS/VEHICLEREPORT.EFM/VEHICLE_NMB/11642/SECTION/RECALLS THERE I DISCOVERED THAT THEY DISIPLAY ALL CURRENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NHTSA IN THEIR RECALL DATABASE AND YOU HAD NOTED THAT 22 REPORTS HAD BEEN FILED ON FIRES ON THIS VEHICLE. ARE WE THE 23RD OR THE 85TH? I CALLED MS. JOHNSON BACK AND ASKED HER WHY, WHEN I DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT AUDI WAS RECALLING CARS FOR SHE HAD NOT TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL AND OFFERED TO REPAIR OUR CAR SINCE IT FELL UNDER THAT PROBLEM. SHE SAID THAT AUDI HAS NOT RELEASED THIS IFORMATION THAT IT WAS PENDING. YET I TOLD HER YOU HAD ASSIGNED A RECALL NUMBER TO IT (ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE SITE). THAT NUMBER IS 04V133000. I AM APPALLED THAT NEWS OF THIS PROBLEM HIT THE MEDIA ON MARCH 24, 2004 AND WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. A FIRE JUST LIKE THE ONES DESCRIBED IN INTELLICHOICES SITE OCCURRED TO US AND WE CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. YET, THE AUDI REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US THAT OWNERS STILL HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. MY HUSBAND AND I STILL ARE HAVING HORRIFIC FLASHBACKS TO THAT TERRIFYING MOMENT WHEN FLAMES LEPT INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE AUDI NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF CARS LIKE OURS IMMEDIATELY.