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Here is a summary of what and who I have been dealing with when working with Audi of America and Legend Audi of Amityville Long Island, NY for my 2006 Audi S4:
*****Please note, in my opinion Audi makes great cars. Every car company produces a lemon once in a while. The point I am getting across, is about the needless waste of time, energy, and money I have wasted, and Audi not being there to support their product. I would also urge customers to avoid this dealership at all costs.******
**I will try and post copies of the service records shortly**
As you can see from the repair/service invoices, there are several issues at hand here.
MECHANICAL ISSUES:
The most important is the steering and suspension issue, which seems to have gotten progressively worse over time.
This was first reported at around the 4,000 mile mark and after several visits, and claimed repairs, the problem is still existing. Every time I turn the steering wheel there are VERY loud clicking sounds coming from the front of the car. Also, squeaking sounds as the car passes over bumps can be heard very loudly and distinctly, even at driving speeds.
This issues were brought to the attention of 2 dealerships and they could not figure it out. I was told to try and stick with my original dealership, where I bought the car from, for better service.
A huge concern was that of an A-pillar/linkage being broken for a long time and Audi having not repaired it. This significantly affects the handling and safety of the
vehicle. There are obviously more issues which I cannot pinpoint for sure, how can I if Audi cant do it themselves? The suspension still makes awful noises and it is an
embarrassment to drive the car in public. The car also does not handle or perform as it originally did.
I have been making oil changes even earlier than recommended. During my last visit to the dealer, I asked them for another oil change, however I do not think they even did it. The oil level had dropped a bit, and to my understanding the 4.2 V8 is expected to burn a bit of oil I got the car back, the service light was still on and the oil level was still the same.
I paid over $60,000 for a car and feel embarrassed to drive it around, that doesn't make much sense. Not only that, it isn't even performing half as well as it should be. The S4 is marketing as a sports car with excellent ride, handling and power/performance.
After several visits to the dealer, an Audi Engineer was sent down from corporate to inspect the vehicle. It seems as if the local staff at the dealership was not competent enough to notice a broken piece of suspension, when if viewed by a layman, is clearly visible. They did repair the linkage, however the other issues were not addressed. The suspension now is noisier than ever and I'm tired of taking time off from work to make dealer visits and listen to stories about how they promise they will fix it this time. This has occurred more than 3 times and reported, and all under the 18,000 mile mark, so where's the lemon law? Audi doesn't care.
At some point, I had spoken to someone from the service department at Legend Audi, and they told me this (the suspension problem) is common in S4s due to the aluminum construction which makes it susceptible to damage. Wow - imagine if Audi engineers started to design planes! In addition to this, I was told they repaired my sunroof only to drive off the lot and have a piece of the sunroof guide fall right on my head.
I am now also having problems with the fuel pump. The pump is making really loud noise and is audible from afar.
ELECTRICAL ISSUES:
Another major issue is that of the Xenon lighting system. The lights work in such a way that they turn in the direction the steering wheel turns. The system freezes up sometimes and the lights get stuck pointed in a certain direction, not illuminating the road in front of me. They also turn off and flicker randomly, which is dangerous
when on dark roads. This has occurred more than 3 times and reported, and all under the 18,000 mile mark, so where's the lemon law? Audi doesn't care.
The engineer from corporate said this is related to the suspension issue, because some loose parts were banging up against some components of the lighting system. The
engineers name is Ray Drainville.
There were 3 defective speakers in the sound system, and although I have reported it several times, they have yet to replace my subwoofer. It distorts, even at low volume
and low bass levels.
The HVAC system makes random noises and it is very annoying. It sounds as if the internal components that direct the air to the vents keep opening and closing on their
own. This will occur for about 2 minutes and stop.
Mr. Drainville said the xenon light issue is related to the suspension issue, because some loose parts were banging up against some components of the lighting system.
DEALERSHIP ISSUES:
when I purchased the car, I was also offered the option of purchasing wheel + tire protection insurance, the dealer assuring me that I would need it at some point. I was
told that I would be covered for ANY type of damage to wheels or tires for AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED. Sure enough, not too long ago, I ran over a pothole and bent my rim and damaged my tire as well. This would be my 2nd tire claim with this insurance company and my first claim for a bent rim. They have a certain procedure you have to follow to go through the claims process, so being that this was my 3rd time, I knew the drill.
One part of the process is that the dealership has to contact them. I informed the dealership of this and they never contacted them. The insurance company denied my claim because the procedure was not followed on the dealers part. I called up the dealer, emailed them, tried faxing. I always got voicemail. When faxing, their fax was busy 24 hours a day. I actually had to drive out there to let them know of this. So after I told them the story, they denied responsibility, instead, they told me I have been
calling the wrong number and the wrong insurance company!! I now tried the other insurance company and they gave me the money for the tire. This was after an over 2 month long battle, and after a month of them sitting on their ass, I had to chase after them, calling them 3 times a day, sending them 5 emails a day etc.
Now as far as the other recent issue, with the tire/rim damage, this other insurance company tells me that they are not responsible, and I have to work with my regular
auto-insurance company and they will cover anything that my auto-insurance company wont cover. So what gives now? I was lied to again.
Here's an interesting one. After picking up the car from one of my many service visits, I started to hear a new noise. It sounded as if something new was loose under the hood. I reported this and they basically ignored me. I was driving the car with someone, and as I was driving, a shiny metal object fell out underneath the car and a friend who was following me said he saw some kind of tool bouncing around. The noise was so loud, and it did indeed sound as if something fell out of the engine bay and bounced around between undercarriage and the ground. Legend Audi must be pretty well trained when performing service if they are leaving tools in the car. Is there a hidden toolbox I do not know of in S4 engine bays?
A minor issue - I was promised 3 years of free Sirius radio and got only 1 year.
Here's another good one. When I was making service appointment #574834, the service rep asked me if I drive the car fast. I told him, its an S4, and he responded, you are not supposed to be driving fast, its not legal and its not good for the car.
One more thing I forgot. Mr. Drainville, the engineer from corporate, had promised me to keep the car for a few days to drive for himself and find out for himself all issues. This never happened.
Throughout this whole deal, I have contacted Audi of America, have had cases open, I have dealt with an engineer from corporate, I have had an attorney contact them and nothing. They do not see any of the above as an issue.
This whole time I have been making my payments, and driving an S4 which barely drives like a Yugo. At this point, heck, I might be insulting the Yugo.