1999 Audi A6 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

MY 1999 AUDI A6 2.8 HAS ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1996 TO 2001 AUDI'S AND VW'S LACK OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROL MAKES MY VEHICLE UNSAFE. AUDI IS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS A LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.

I HAVE A 1999 AUDI A6 QUATTRO -- ABS UNIT LIGHT FLASHES, DIAGNOSED AS A DEFECTIVE CONTROL UNIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI AND VW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1999 AUDI A6, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I HAD A FULL LOSS OF MY ABS BRAKES ON ICY WINTER ROADS. I EVENTUALLY SLID OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A FENCE. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY CAR HAD FAILED, AND I'VE READ POSTS OF SEVERAL HUNDREDS OTHER HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN MY CAR IT IS A CONSTANT ERROR, AND NO-ONE BUT AUDI CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. I ALSO CONTACTED AUDI, WHICH CLAIMS THAT THE ABS SYSTEM DISABLING IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN THERE'S A CHANCE THAT YOUR ABS (SOMETHING YOU'VE RELIED ON FOR YEARS) SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN BECAUSE OF A WAY TOO COMMON ERROR, IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS LUCKY I ONLY GOT SOME DENTS TO MY CAR, BUT IF AUDI HAD RECALLED THESE I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO GET REPAIRS DONE TO MY CAR. UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS SAFETY CONCERN IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND AUDI WILL DO A RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATES THAT THE ABS IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. SHE STATED THAT THE AXLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS REPLACED SIX TIMES IN THREE MONTHS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AXLE IS TOO SHORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARTS HAVE BECOME VERY COSTLY. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

ABS FAILURE. FLASHING LIGHT,ABS(ORANGE) AND BRAKE LIGHT(RED)FOLLOWED BY ABOUT THREE HIGH PITCHED BEEPS. AFTER DOING ALOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE,FOUND OUT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF BOSCH ABS SYSTEM ,AUDIS, VW'S AND OTHERS FITTED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM. *TR

ABS LIGHT STAYS ON.. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID FAULTY CONTROL MODULE..$@$1000.00 TO REPAIR... WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 AUDI A6 AVANT...ALSO WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS ON ANY OTHER AUTOMOBILE...CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY AUDI OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM..WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR AUDI'S FAULTY COMPONENTS? *JB

FAILURE OF CONTROL UNIT FOR ABS BRAKES. *NM

ABS MODULE FAILED. BRAKES STILL WORKED. BUT NO ABS. MECHANIC SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS FAILURE OFTEN. *JB

IT HAS BECOME WELL KNOWN THAT THE BOSCH 5.3 ABS CONTROL MODULE ON AUDI CARS AND OTHER MAKES ARE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THIS FACT. THE CONTROL MODULE ON MY 1999 AUDI A6 RECENTLY MALFUNCTIONED REPEATEDLY, MEANING THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO PROTECTION OF THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED. *NM

ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE, ABS DOES NOT OPERATE. *JB

INTERMITTENT ABS LIGHT DISPLAYED ON DRIVER'S DISPLAY. PROBLEM IS NOW CONTINUOUS. AUDI DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND DETERMINED THAT ABS CONTROL MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. RELAYED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ITEM AND UNFORTUNATELY THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT IS NEARLY $1000. RESEARCH ON INTERNET CONFIRMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ITEM FOR LATE 90'S AND EARLY 00'S AUDI A6 MODELS. IS THERE ANY INFORMATION ON A POSSIBLE RECALL FOR THIS COMPONENT? *JB

DURING NORMAL USE AND DRIVING ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. ERRATIC AT FIRST THEN STEADY. DIAGNOSIS: ABS CONTROLLER FAILURE. DURING PERIOD OF FAILURE VEHICLE OPERATES BUT WITHOUT AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE ABS CONTROLLER.

TWO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF MY CAR ON HIGHWAY CAME TO A STOP; I APPLIED BRAKES, PRESSING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED - THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE, DESPITE THERE BEING LOOSE SAND AND SALT ON THE ROAD SURFACE. I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLES RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO MY CAR (OVER $10,000 TO REPAIR) AND THE CAR I HIT (UNKNOWN COST COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY). MY CAR SPENT 2 MONTHS IN THE SHOP HAVING THE ACCIDENT DAMAGE REPAIRED. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, I TESTED THE BRAKES AND THEY WERE VERY "SOFT" - I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR TO STOP, EVEN THOUGH I WAS GOING NO MORE THAN 10 MPH. THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE THAT TIME EITHER. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO FIX THE BRAKES. THEY KEPT IT ALL DAY AND TOLD ME THAT NOTHING NEEDED TO BE DONE. HOWEVER, WHEN I TESTED THE BRAKES AGAIN, IN THE SAME SPOT I HAD TESTED THEM BEFORE, THE BRAKES WORKED WELL AND THE ABS ENGAGED. ON OCTOBER 31, 2003, THE DEALERSHIP (BERNARDI AUDI, 521 WORCESTER ROAD, NATICK MA; 508-651-9980) SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED THE FONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS.*AK

(1) ABS/BRAKE LIGHT INDICATORS APPEARED ON THE DASH. THE AMBER (ABS LIGHT) STAYS ON WHILE THE RED BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDS FOR 3 SECONDS, BUT THE LIGHTS STAY ON. THIS INDICATES THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS MALFUNCTIONING, THUS LOOSING ABS ABILITIES. (2) AFTER RESEARCHING THROUGH AUDI FORUMS (AUDIWORLD.COM OR AUDIFORUMS.COM), I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN AUDI'S (1997-2001), INCLUDING A4'S, A6'S AND VW PASSATS. IT IS SPECULATED THAT WATER OR MOISTURE SEEKS INTO THE MODULE COMPUTER BOARD, THUS SHORTS IT OUT. IT WAS CONFIRMED BY MY AUDI DEALER THAT MY ABS UNIT IS DEFECTIVE. I RECEIVED A $2,400 ESTIMATE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. (3) NOTHING, TOO EXPENSIVE- MY BIGGER ISSUE HERE IS SAFETY- MOST AUDI/VW OWNERS AREN'T AWARE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING/FREQUENT PROBLEM IN THEIR CARS, BECAUSE IT'S USUALLY CAUGHT UNDER WARRANTY. IF YOU?RE LIKE ME AND HAVE AN EXPIRED WARRANTY YOU ARE PAYING THROUGH THE NOSE. I CALLED AUDI OF AMERICA TO ALERT THEM ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND ASKED THEM TO RECALL IT NATIONALLY- THEY SAID NO BECAUSE MY CAR IS OLDER. TO THAT POINT, WHY DID THEY RECALL THE THROTTLE BODY, LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND A PLASTIC WIRE PROTECTOR ON 12/15/04 IF MY CAR IS SO-CALLED "OLDER?" AGAIN THEY CAN'T JUSTIFY IT. THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD COST THEM TOO MUCH MONEY! I AM HOPING THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T GET INJURED BECAUSE OF MONEY OR IT TAKES AN ACCIDENT TO GET THIS (ABS MODULE) DEFECT RECALLED, THEN I AM SURE AUDI WILL END UP PAYING 10X MORE. PLEASE MAKE THIS RECALL HAPPEN AS WELL AS ASK AUDI TO INFORM THEIR OWNERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN SNOWY WEATHER ABS FAILED, AND CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE SNOW WITH MY ENTIRE FAMILY AT ABOUT 35 MPH I HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. THE ABS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. I ASKED AUDI OF NORTH AMERICA TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE SINCE MY CAR WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND HAD 83,000 MILES, HOWEVER, THEY DECLINED. *JB

BRAKES FAILED DUE TO BRAKE PEDAL MOUNTING BRACKET. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION AND FATALITY. *AK

EXTREME BRAKE DELAY IN WET BRAKING - THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED. *AK

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BOTH TIMES DRIVER DID NOT HAVE FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL AND BOTH TIMES NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. *AK

RECALL # 99V1314000 VW/BRAKE BOOSTER; OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN SEPTEMBER. DEALER WAS CONTACTED IN OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1999. DEALER STATED THAT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. ALSO, BRAKES WOUD MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING IN TEMPERATURES OF MINUS 4 DEGREES. OWNER IS HAVING VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK *ML

RECEIVED RECALL 99V131000 IN THE MAIL. CONTACTED DEALER FOR APPOINTMENT. WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. WOULD NOTIFY WHEN PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. OWNER IS STILL WAITING SINCE SEPTEMBER. *AK

RECALL REPAIR (99V-131) NOT ABLE TO BE COMPLETED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. *MJS