2004 Audi A8l

2004 Audi A8 4-DR. w/SAB

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING AND/OR PARKING AND/OR PUTTING KEY IN IGNITION TO START MY VEHICLE ABS LIGHT; STABILIZATION; AND SPEEDOMETER SEEMS AS THOUGH BEING HACKED...SOMETIMES ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER WHEN TEMPERATURES REACH 100 DEGREES + MY HEATER IS HACKED ON AND MY INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IS LIFE THREATENING HOT!!! HAVE TO OPEN WINDOWS TO 100 DEGREES TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE...MY INTERIOR LIGHTS JUST COME ON AND DRAIN MY BATTERY....AND MY SOUND SYSTEM FLIPS OPEN AND MUSIC PLAYS WHEN IM IN MY HOUSE AND HAS SHUT OFF MY CAR AND WHILE DRIVING MY SOUND SYSTEM COMES ON AND MY RADIO IS REMOTELY CONTROLLED---HACKED BECAUSE MY STATIONS ARE SWITCHED IE. TUNED TO DIFFERENT STATIONS AND MY CDS ARE SCROLLED THROUGH THE TRACKS WITHOUT MY DOING SO....AND MY VEHICLE WAS HACKED FOR IT TO SPEED UP WHEN I WASNT ACCELORATING IN A WALMART PARKING LOT....THAT COULD HAVE INJURED MYSELF OR OTHERS..BUT I HIT THE BRAKES AND CUT MY CAR OFF IN A PARKING SPACE...MY SPEEDOMETER IS ALWAYS BEING HACKED THAT WHEN I DRIVING AT NO MATTER WHAT SPEED....ITS BEING HACKED TO READ 0 MILES AND THREATENS MY ABILITY TO KNOW MY SPEED AND IT SLOWS MY ENGINE PERFORMANCE...MY PARK BRAKE ENGAGES AND I HAVE TO CUT CAR OFF AND THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS WHILE IM DRIVING....MY STEERING ONCE JERKED BUT I MIRACULOUSLY WASNT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC..I DONT KNOW WHO WHAT OR WHY BUT WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE EVEN THE DEALER BOOMER DID ALOT OF SHADY THINGS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO MY VEHICLE.........PLEASE HELP...ALL THE VEHICLES I BUY ARE BEING HACKED AND EVENTUALLY EITHER RECALLED OR CRASHED OR [XXX] NEAR! OR PUT OUT OF ORDER... AND EVERY INSURANCE COMPANY I GET.....MY PREMIUMS GO UP WITHOUT ANY REASON EXCEPT "ITS THE STATE INSURANCE COMMISSION" WHERE I LIVE CHANGING STATE RULES? INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI A8. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A STRONG FUEL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V267000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES

DRIVER SMELLED SMOKE SHORTLY AFTER STARTING HIS VEHICLE AND DRIVING AWAY FROM HIS HOME. THE SMELL WAS OF PLASTIC, AND IT WAS ASSUMED FROM AN ELECTRICAL SHORT/FIRE. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE CAR AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE AREA. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE, HOWEVER THE DRIVER TURNED BACK AND DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. STRONG BURNING PLASTIC SMELL AGAIN AS THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE CABIN WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE. DRIVER OPENED THE TRUNK AS THE BATTERY WAS LOCATED IN THE RIGHT REAR SECTION OF THE TRUNK. SMOKE WAS EMANATING FROM THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. A PLASTIC PANEL WAS REMOVED FOR INSPECTION. LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE BATTERY WAS A PLASTIC MODULE IDENTIFIED AS TRW *334 GNOACDOBNC28U* AND STAMPED MADE IN MALAYSIA??. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MODULE CONTROLS THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE FOR THE CAR. INSPECTING THE UNIT, MULTIPLE WIRE LEADS THAT FEED THE E-BRAKE CONTROL UNIT HAD BURNED THROUGH, AS DID A PORTION OF THE E-BRAKE CONTROL UNIT. THE BODY AREA OF THE CAR NEAR THE UNIT WAS COVERED IN SOOT FROM THE ELECTRICAL FIRE. YEARS PRIOR, THE DRIVER HAD ISSUES WITH THE E-BRAKE, THE E-BRAKES FAILING TO RELEASE PROMPTING THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. AT THAT TIME THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WALKED THE DRIVER INTO THE SERVICE AREA TO SHOW THE DRIVER CORROSION ON THE ELECTRIC CONTACT LEADS FROM THE CONTROL UNIT. THE REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS BATTERY ACID/GASES MAY HAVE RUN DOWN THE BATTERY INTO THE CONTROL UNIT CAUSING THE CORROSION. THE UNIT MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THAT TIME ALONG WITH THE BATTERY. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE OF THE CONTROL UNIT UPON REQUEST. *TR

SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,EQUIPMENT,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

I OWN A 2004 AUDI A8 QUATRO, THIS MORNING THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. THE DRIVER SEAT, STEERING WHEEL, AND THE CAR SUSPENSION ADJUSTED AUTOMATICALLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND IT WENT FROM 40MPH TO 150+ WITHOUT ME HAVING MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. I SLOWLY STARTING PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HOPING THE CAR WOULD NOT FLIP. IT TOOK ABOUT 2 TO 3 MINUTES FOR ME TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR. I PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TURNED IT OFF. I TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL ACCELERATED, IT SOUNDED IT LIKE THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON PARK. *TR

SUSPENSION

TWO AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEMS WENT OUT FOR NO REASON IN MY CAR. MY CAR IS A 2004 A8L WITH 64,000 MILES. THEY WERE LEAKING. THIS WAS $5,000 EXPENSE. I THINK THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. *TR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY CAR SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. RESTARTED CAR AND HAD IT STALL SEVERAL TIMES. CAR HAS BEEN SENT TO BE EVALUATED BY A MECHANIC. *TR

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

2004 AUDI A 8 L GAS PEDAL STICKS IN ACCELERATION MODE. HAS HAPPENED 4-5 TIMES. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT DID NOT RESPOND OR TAKE ACTION. I HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND PUMP PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR HARD. LAST INCIDENT DATE BELOW TIM WALKER *TR

VISIBILITY

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP INTERMITTENTLY. THEY HAVE STOPPED DURING HEAVY RAIN ON AN EXPRESSWAY SEVERAL TIMES RESULTING IN A LOSS OF VISION. THE DEALERS COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT SO THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I CALLED THE AUDI ADVOCATE PHONE LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT AUDI WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THEN I WROTE AUDI AND ASK FOR A REFUND AND THE AUDI ADVOCATE RETURNED THE CALL AND MAINTAINED THE SAME RESPONSE. *TR

VISIBILITY

2004 AUDI A8L, PURCHASED IN 07/2004. FRONT WIPERS "HESITATED" IN THE RAIN A COUPLE OF TIMES. LOCAL DEALER SAID COULD NOT REPRODUCE. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WIPERS COMPLETELY STOPPED, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, LEAVING ME WITHOUT VISIBILITY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. PULLED OVER AND REMOVED/REPLACED FUSED. WIPERS STARTED UP AGAIN. LOCAL DEALER SAID COULDN'T REPRODUCE. WIPERS FAILED TWO MORE TIMES, AND HESITATED NUMEROUS OTHER TIMES, WHEN I FINALLY DECIDED TO NOT DRIVE THE CAR. THROUGHOUT ALL, DEALER CLAIMS HE'S UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, AUDI AMERICA DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENTS FROM WIPER-FAILURE. CAR WAS GARAGED AS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR THE REMAINING 17 MONTHS OF THE LEASE. JUST THIS WEEK I FOUND OUT THAT AUDI GERMANY KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND HAS REDESIGNED THE WIPER-MOTOR BEFORE 02/2004. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE HAVE SURFACED ON THE INTERNET, AND EXCHANGING THE WIPER-MOTOR ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM. AUDI SHOULD RECALL ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE WIPER BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. FURTHERMORE, I REQUEST AUDI REFUND MY LAST 17 LEASE-PAYMENTS AS WELL AS INSURANCE AND REGISTRATION COST FOR THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS GARAGED. *TR

PARKING BRAKE

EMERGENCY BRAKE CONTROL MODULE FAILED. FACTORY HAD A RECALL ON CAR TO REPROGRAM THIS MODULE, DEALER SAID MODULE COULDN'T BE REPROGRAMMED BECAUSE IT HAD FAILED. PARTS AND LABOR WAS $509.00 FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT I CONSIDERED A SAFETY RELATED ITEM AS THIS ALSO ACTS AS EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR VEHICLE. *NM