2005 Audi S4 Lighting Problems

TAKATA RECALL 1. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS. 2. IT THEN TURNS ITSELF OFF 3. THE MESSAGE "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" APPEARS 4. THIS HAPPENS WHILE MY VEHICLE IS PARKED AND IN MOTION SO IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. I HAVE HAD BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR!

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI PACIFIC (20460 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. AUDI PACIFIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

DRIVER HEADLIGHT DIPPED INFO ON DASH. HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF OR FLICKERS TILL IT TURNS OFF AND MUST TURN ALL LIGHTS OFF ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND RESET LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE HEADLIGHT BACK ON. SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT WORK AND FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HEADLIGHT WITH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, POLICE HAVE CITIED ME TWICE FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A FATALITY CRASH INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ON AUDI VEHICLE'S. ALSO THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 0 TO 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOON ON I95 IN MIAMI AS I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AT 0430 A.M. *TR

BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM DEALER, USED, LOW MILEAGE, GREAT CAR. HEADLIGHTS WERE FILLED WITH CONDENSATION. DEALER SAID TO DRY THEM OUT AND RE-SEAL THEM. THAT DIDN'T WORK. THERE IS STILL WATER IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. IT HASN'T RAINED AND HAS NOT BEEN HUMID OUTSIDE. PULLED OVER THE FIRST NIGHT AND TOLD THEY WERE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEEDED TO GET THEM FIXED, LUCKILY JUST A WARNING ISSUED, NO TICKET. I CAN'T SEE AT NIGHT WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION/WATER THAT HAS ACCUMULATED IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THIS SHOULD BE A PROBLEM THAT AUDI RECALLS. IT'S NOT SAFE DUE TO DECREASED VISIBILITY, NO VISIBILITY AT TIMES, AND THE CAR WON'T PASS THE STATE INSPECTION UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP TOTALLY BLEW OFF MY CONCERNS TELLING ME SOME BS STORY ABOUT HOW TO FIX IT MYSELF BECAUSE THEIR LABOR RATES WERE SO HIGH. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND I REALLY HOPE AUDI ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. BOUGHT A CAR AND CAN'T EVEN PASS INSPECTION TO DRIVE IT, WORTHLESS VEHICLE AND MONEY SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. NOT HAPPY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HID HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FLICKER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIP AND AS RESULT, AN ERROR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME DIM WITH LOW VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH HAVING A REFLECTOR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS BEEN OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70000.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAMS ILLUMINATED THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL TURN OFF AND THE CAR WILL WARN OF A INOPERATIVE "DIPPED HEADLIGHT". THE HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF AT TIMES AND THIS CAUSES DISCONCERTING DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER CARS IN THE VICINITY. EVERY TIME THE LIGHT FLICKERS, THE WARNING SYSTEM CHIMES AND ALERTS TO THE MALFUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. OTHER DRIVERS ARE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY SEE YOUR HEADLIGHTS FLASHING AT THEM FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS CYCLED TO "OFF" AND BACK TO "ON", THE HEADLAMP IS RESTORED UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH ONE HEADLAMP FLICKERING OR COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO CYCLE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PROPER ILLUMINATION. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM BRIEFLY OCCUR IN THE RIGHT HEADLAMP. I DRIVE IN FEAR THAT BOTH HEADLAMPS WILL GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO PREDICT WHEN THIS MIGHT HAPPEN. BESIDES THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF BEING TICKETED FOR MALFUNCTIONING LIGHTING, THERE IS A VERY REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THIS MANUFACTURER. THIS COMPLAINT IS WIDESPREAD BY HUNDREDS OF OWNERS ON MANY OWNER INTEREST WEB BOARDS. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CLEARLY DEFINED SOLUTION AND OWNERS CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY CHASING A PROBLEM WHOSE OWNERSHIP SHOULD REST ENTIRELY WITH AUDI OF NORTH AMERICA. I URGE THE NHTSA TO PURSUE A RESOLUTION WITH THE MANUFACTURER FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS DIP AND GO COMPLETELY DARK. TURNED OFF AND AFTER A SHORT TIME PERIOD HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON. *TR

HAPPENS ALL THE TIME "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO ALL THEIR CARS. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE NOT WEAR AND TEAR. HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING REGARDLESS IF YOU REPLACE THEM OR NOT. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY AND THIS ISSUE STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. *TR

HELLO - I HAVE AN AUDI 2005.5 AUDI S4 AVANT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO DIP AND GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. GOOD THING BOTH IT HASN'T HAPPENED TO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I'M ABLE TO TURN OFF AND TURN ON AN GENERALLY THEY WILL COME BACK ON, OTHER TIMES NOT. *KB

I OWN A 2005.5 AUDI S4 B7. THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS BEGINS TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT JUST SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY. I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS COMPLETELY OFF AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON TO MAKE THE LIGHT THAT JUST SHUT OFF GO BACK ON AGAIN. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO DO THIS THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE TIMES THAT BOTH LIGHTS FAILED. MAJOR DRIVING PROBLEM AT NIGHT. ONCE I CYCLE THROUGH THIS THE LIGHT DOES STAY ON FOR THE REST OF MY DRIVING TIME. I HAVE LOOKED ON LINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER AUDI OWNERS. AUDI SAID THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. WELL, IT SEEMS IF IT IS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER AUDI DRIVERS, AUDI SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE LIGHTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF. AFTER RESTARTING, THE HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND OCCURRED WHILE PARKED OR WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURS MOSTLY UNDER DECELERATION BUT CAN FREQUENTLY OCCUR DURING ACCELERATION AND TURNING. HEADLIGHTS RUN NORMALLY UNDER STEADY STATE SPEED OR AT REST. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO ISSUE. INDEPENDENT AUDI SPECIALIST HAS CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND SWAPPED BULBS (LEFT-RIGHT) WITHOUT EFFECT. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER FOUR YEARS AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, TO THE POINT THAT EACH TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN THE LIGHTS NEED TO BE RE-IGNITED A MINIMUM OF 5 TIMES DURING A 30 MINUTE DRIVE. SAFETY ISSUE AS LIGHTS TURN OFF AT NEARLY ALL BRAKING SITUATIONS AND DRIVER MUST DIVERT ATTENTION TO CONTROLS TO RE-ILLUMINATE. *TR

HEADLAMP OR HEADLIGHT DIP PROBLEM ON AUDI S4 WITH HID LIGHTS. CANNOT BE FIXED BY AUDI. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE XENON HEADLIGHTS IN MY S4 GO OUT AS THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE LIGHT MAY FLICKER. THE HEADLIGHT MAY "DIP." THE LIGHT SHUTS OFF AND I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR AND SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON FOR THE LIGHT TO REIGNITE. THE BULB AND CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW TWO YEARS LATER THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING. IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S (BASED ON FORUM DISCUSSION). *TR

2005 AUDI S4 - EXPERIENCING "DIPPED HEADLIGHT" ERROR WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER THEN SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE HEADLIGHT CAN BE TURNED BACK ON ONLY IF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF THEN TURNED BACK ON. THIS CORRECTS THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, WITH THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERING AGAIN THEN SHUTTING OFF. THE PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. TOOK MY CAR TO AUDI DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT FIX IT. I'VE READ THOUSANDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS OF HIS ISSUE ONLINE.

I HAVE A 2005 AUDI S4 AND MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND GO OUT WHILE DRIVING ALMOST EVERY TIME I HAVE THEM ON. SOMETIMES IT IS ONE AND SOMETIMES BOTH AND I GET A MESSAGE ON MY DASH BOARD THAT THE AFFECTED HEADLIGHT IS DIPPED. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON THE AFFECTED HEADLIGHT WILL USUALLY COME BACK ON. SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T WORK AND THE CAR HAS TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE AUDI DEALERSHIP THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

IN THE RAIN/SNOW, CONDENSATION/LARGE WATER DROPLETS/WATER FORMS ON INSIDE OF HEADLIGHT LENS ASSEMBLY REDUCING EFFECTIVENESS OF HEADLIGHT AND REDUCE VISIBILITY IN POOR LIGHTING CONDITION (NIGHT/SNOW/RAIN). WAS TOLD BY AUDI USA/DEALERS THAT THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSE TO FIX DEFECT UNDER CPO WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BY NYS INSPECTION STATION THAT IT MAY NOT PASS SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO DEFECT IN HEADLIGHT BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE CAR WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHT AND DECREASE LIGHTING POWER LEADING TO REDUCE VISIBILITY. OWNER SINCE 1/2010 CPO.

SEVERAL INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONS: HEADLIGHT FLICKERING AS WELL AS HEADLIGHT SHUTTING OFF. HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY POLICE AS A RESULT OF THIS. IT CAN OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES PER TRIP, THEN NOT OCCUR AT ALL FOR SOME TIME. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND SPORADIC. THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM ON AT LEAST 3 VISITS, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, AND REPLACED THE BULB ON ONE OCCASION. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

"INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 7-8 TIMES, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED, THEN BE FINE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM ON AT LEAST 3 VISITS, AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED/GUESSED THAT IT IS THE XENON LIGHT BULB ITSELF, HOWEVER IT HAS CHECKED OUT FINE EACH TIME, AND AS MENTIONED, HAS FUNCTIONED FLAWLESSLY AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE WITH MERELY A RESTART OF THE VEHICLE. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON AT LEAST ONE VISIT. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS." *TR