2001 Audi A4 Brakes Problems

BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE, COMING OFF FREEWAY, WAS COASTING THRU LIGHT, TRAFFIC STOPPED, BRAKES NO LONGER WORKED, BRAKE PEDAL WAS SUDDENLY FLUSH WITH FLOOR. REARENDED A CAR, CAR STARTED JUMPING FORWARD. HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. CAR WAS TOWED AFTER ACCIDENT, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE, IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO BRAKE PROBLEM. REPAIR SHOP SAID BRAKES FAILED TO VACUUM HOSE BREAKING, NO WARNING PRIOR TO LOSING BRAKES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ECU MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

ABS MODULE FAILURE. *TR

2001 AUDI A4 2.8 ABS BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROLLER FAILURE. *TR

ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED. MODULES ARE DEFECTIVE AND AUDI SHOULD RECALL THEM. ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWS THOUSANDS OF AUDI/VW CAR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. COST TO REPLACE MODULE IS $1500-2000 DOLLARS. VW HAS ISSUED RECALL OF THIS ABS MODULE, BUT AUDI HAS NOT (EVEN THOUGH SAME EXACT PART). NHTSA NEEDS TO PUT PRESSURE ON AUDI TO RECALL THIS COMPONENT, THEY ARE DEFECTIVE, UNSAFE, AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 AUDI A4. HE STATED THAT THE ANTILOCK BREAKS SENSOR ILLUMINATES CONSTANTLY. HE HAD THE GARAGE REPLACED THE BREAK SENSOR TWICE. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DONE ON JANUARY 10, 2010 AND THE SECOND BREAK SENSOR REPLACEMENT WAS FEBRUARY 16, 2010 AND THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,034. HE HAS NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER.

FAILURE OF ABS BRAKE CONTROL UNIT IN AN AUDI 2001 A4 WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH SNOW. IT OCCURRED IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ABS BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING DRIVING ON SNOW AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. $710.00 WAS THE COST OF THE REPAIR FOR A FAULTY UNIT AND A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT AUDI KNOWS ABOUT IT. GOOD THING THAT I WAS GOING REALLY SLOW AND I WAS EXITING THE SLIPPERY FREEWAY AT THE TIME AND I DIDN'T SLIDE. THANK YOU! *TR

1. ONE DAY SUDDENLY MY AUDI 2001 A4 STARTS TO SHOW ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT TO BE FAILING. 2. THE FAILURE WHEN DIAGNOSED SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S ABS CONTROL UNIT, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. 3. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT YET, BECAUSE DEALERS QUOTED A HUGE PRICE OF MORE THAN 1500$ TO FIX THE ABS CONTROL UNIT. *TR

ABS ELECTRICAL MODULE THAT HAS FAILED AND IS APPARENTLY A HUGE PROBLEM, IT AFFECTS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

2001 AUDI A4 WITH ABOUT 105K MILES ON. ABS SENSOR IS FAULTY AND THIS PROBLEM IS VERY WIDESPREAD AMONGST AUDI A4S BUILT AROUND THIS TIME. IT IS A $1500 - $2000 REPAIR FOR A PART THAT REALLY DOESN'T SEEM TO GO BAD WITH THIS FREQUENCY IN OTHER CARS. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE SCORE, SEE THIS SITE. THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY SITES WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AROUND THIS ISSUE: HTTP://AUDI-VW-ABS-RECALL.BLOGSPOT.COM/2005/07/AUDI-AND-VW-PLEASE-RECALL-CARS-BETWEEN.HTML. *TR

I WAS CHASING A BRAKE SQUEAL. WHEN I REMOVED THE FRONT PADS ON OUR AUDI A4, (2001), THREE OF THE FOUR PADS WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THEIR BACKING PLATES. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL ATE PADS; THE CAR HAS TRAVELED ABOUT 38000 MILES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN SUBURBAN TRAFFIC, I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY DRESS WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW FROM ABOUT 30 MPH. UPON SUBSEQUENT STOPS, THERE WAS A METAL ON METAL SOUND. UPON INSPECTION, THE RIGHT FRONT OUTER PAD HAD COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM BACKING PLATE. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY AUDI ONLY 3K MILES EARLIER AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF BRAKE PAD WEAR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR AUDI WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

FRONT BRAKE FAILURE. OUT OF FOUR PAD/SHOES, 3 PADS PHYSICALLY SEPARATED OFF OF THEIR RESPECTIVIE SHOES. ONE OF THE THREE ACTUALLY CAME OUT DURING DRIVING. WHEN THIS OCCURED, I TEMPORARILY LOST BRAKING ABILITY AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY DECELARATION. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS IT BECAME USAFE TO DRIVE. THE REMAINING PAD/SHOE THAT WAS NOT SEPARATED WAS IN REAONABLE CONDITION MEASURING 7.7MM (OUT OF 10MM). THE TWO REMAINING SEPARATED PADS ARE CHIPPED SHOWING MAJOR DELAMINATION AND MAJOR DEGREDATION. REMAINING PADS & SHOES HAVE BEEN SAVED. BRAKE PADS/SHOES & ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY IRA AUDI 97 ANDOVER STREET DANVERS, MA 978-739-8806 THIS APPEARS TO BE A CATASTROPHIC PRODUCT FAILURE ONCE THE PAD LETS LOOSE COMPLETELY. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE, I WAS HEARING A THUNK SOUND WHEN THE CAR WOULD CHANGE FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD MOTION. THIS OCCURED ONLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT.

12/2004, PURCHASED CERTIFIED 2001 AUDI A4 FROM BEECHMONT AUDI IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. CAR HAD A COMPREHENSIVE 300+ POINT INSPECTION PERFORMED BY AUDI AS PER PAPERWORK. 5/20/2001, VEHICLE TAKEN TO BLUEGRASS AUDI IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY FOR A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM. SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO BRINING THE VEHICLE IN, I WAS IN REVERSE LEAVING MY GARAGE WHEN I FOUND THAT I NEEDED TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED WHEN I DROVE FORWARD THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I TRIED BACKING UP AGAIN AND FOUND THE BRAKING TO BE NORMAL. LATER THAT AFTERNOON I WAS GOING TO LUNCH AND WHEN I BACKED UP THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKE ASSIST AGAIN AND I HAD TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE CAR NEEDED A BRAKE FLUSH. THEY PERFORMED THE BRAKE FLUSH, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO AUDI SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH A GROMMET THAT CONNECTS TWO VACUUM HOSES AT THE BULKHEAD. THEY ADDED A CLAMP TO STOP THE AIR FROM ESCAPING THE SYSTEM, BUT THE NEXT DAY IT PROVED NOT TO WORK. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE WITHIN AUDI LIMITS. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE GROMMET. AFTER THE ITEM WAS REPLACED, IT STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS OF 7/4/2005. IN SUMMARY, THE VEHICLE HAS A BRAKE ASSIST PROBLEM IN REVERSE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IN MY UN-SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, THE BRAKE ASSIST FAILS IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING AND NOT RUNNING FOR LESS THAN 2-3 HOURS. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKES OPERATE, BUT MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP. THIS COULD BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ALONG JUST IN CASE THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

I'D LIKE TO FILE A COMPLANT FOR A FAULTY VEHICLE COMPONENT ON MY 2001 AUDI A4 (MILEAGE: 30,000 MILES). THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ARE COMING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. I'VE BEEN READING A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET (THAT'S HOW I FOUND THIS SITE). DEALER SAYS THERE'S A "FAULT CODE IN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE"...AND WANTS $1500 (!) TO REPAIR IT. THE ABS UNIT SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AS FREQUENTLY AS IT SEEMS TO BE IN THIS CAR. FOR A $1500 COMPONENT TO MALFUNCTION WHEN IT'S RARELY ACTUATED IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. THE TSB SHOULD FORCE AUDI TO PERFORM A RECALL AND/OR COMPENSATE CUSTOMERS FOR THIS OUTRAGEOUS PROBLEM.

'01 A4 2.8: (1) DIGITAL DISPLAY IS BLURRY AND CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THE COMPUTER IS DISPLAYING, (2) INTERNAL OIL SEALS HAVE BECOME DEFECTIVE CAUSING A FOUL BURNT-OIL SMELL WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, (3) TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS VERY HARD AND ROUGH, (4) VERY POOR DESIGN BY THE ENGINEERS TO PLACE A CUPHOLDER DIRECTLY OVER THE STEREO AND HEATER INSTRUMENTATION WHICH HAVE CAUSED MY BUTTONS TO STICK. HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS AND SHOPS AND TECHNICIANS HAVE STATED THAT THE SEALS ARE OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW AND SO IS THE DISPLAY PANEL WITH HAS SOME SOFTWARE OR LCD PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. *AK

AUDI HAS FAULTY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROLLER UNITS. THEIR 1998 - 2002 UNITS HAVE A VERY HIGH INCIDENCE OF FAILURE IN THE ELECTRONICS COMPONENT. THEY HAVE DONE A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PART FOR THE VW JETTA, BUT NOT FOR THE AUDI'S. THEY REQUIRE $1,700 TO REPAIR IT, SO MANY PEOPLE LEAVE IT AS IS, WHICH IS UNSAFE. *NM

FAILURE OF ABS CONTROLLER IN 2001 AUDI A4 1.8T. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT ENGINE HEAT MELTS SOLDERING IN UNIT. $1,300 ESTIMATED REPAIR ($1,000 FOR PART ALONE). INTERMITTENT FAILURE LIGHT AND BEEP WHEN DRIVING, ABS NOT ACTIVE WHEN LIGHT IS BLINKING. I'VE READ ON AUDI WEBSITES THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE THAT AUDI OF AMERICA REFUSES TO TAKE STEPS TO RECTIFY EITHER MONETARILY OR THROUGH REDESIGN OF THE CONTROLLER TO PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES.*AK

FRONT BRAKE PADS SEPARATED FROM THEIR BACKING PLATES.*AK

WHILE BRAKING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT/REAR BRAKE PADS FELL OFF. *AK