2005 Audi S4

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. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. THE SPECIFIC ERROR MESSAGE THAT APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN IS "LEFT HEADLIGHT DIPPED". THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL. 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 LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN. IT USUALLY OCCURS DURING COLD WEATHER OR ON BUMPY ROADS. 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

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

I JUST PURCHASED A 2005 AUDI S4 WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES. THE CAR IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION AND I AM VERY PLEASED. HOWEVER, BOTH HEADLIGHT UNITS CONTAINED CONSIDERABLE CONDENSATION. IT SERIOUSLY REDUCES MY ABILITY TO CLEARLY SEE AT NIGHT. LAST NIGHT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO USE MY LIGHTS AND I HAD TO KEEP CHECKING TO SEE IF THEY WERE ON. AFTER DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH MY LOCAL AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I WAS TOLD THAT IS NORMAL. THEY SAID TO TAKE IT HOME AND LET IT RUN FOR AN HOUR WITH THE LIGHTS ON. ALSO IF I HAD A HAIR DRYER, THAT MIGHT SPEED UP THE PROCESS. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY A $45,000 - $50,000 CAR AND I AM EXPECTED TO "DRY" THE HEADLIGHTS EVERY TIME IT RAINS? *TR

THE HEADLAMPS FILL WITH CONDENSATION AFTER ANY SMALL FORM OF PRECIPITATION. THE CONDENSATION DOES NOT SUBSIDE AND THEREFORE MAKES THE HEADLIGHTS INEFFECTIVE AT NIGHT OR IN TIMES OF INCLEMENT WEATHER. THIS MAKES DRIVING DANGEROUS UNDER THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED CONDITIONS. AUDI REFUSES TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE SAYING IT IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE BECAUSE OF VENTS IN THE HID HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. THE ILLINOIS VEHICLE CODE STATES THAT A VEHICLE SHALL, "..BE EQUIPPED WITH AT LEAST 2 LAMPS ON THE POWER OR TOWING UNIT, DISPLAYING A WHITE LIGHT VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE OF NOT LESS THAN 1,000 FEET TO THE FRONT OF SUCH VEHICLE..." THE CONDITION OF THESE HEADLAMPS DO NOT ALLOW ME TO COMPLY WITH THIS LAW. MY EMPLOYER ALSO REQUIRES THAT I AM IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL VEHICLE CODES OR I CAN FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION. AGAIN AUDI REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR

2005 AUDI S4 CABRIOLET - REAR WINDOW SEPARATING FROM SOFT CONVERTIBLE TOP. TOP APPEARS TO BE SHRINKING AT THE WINDOW EDGES AS WELL. INDEPENDENT CONVERTIBLE TOP REPAIR FACILITY AS WELL AS LOCAL AUDI DEALER CONFIRM THAT THIS IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE ADHESIVE USED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. AUDI OF AMERICA REFUSES TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE TO DATE. VEHICLE HAS 49,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAS BEEN OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY FOR ONLY A FEW WEEKS. REAR WINDOW WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY COME FULLY LOOSE FROM THE TOP SOON, AND COULD EITHER STRIKE A REAR PASSENGER OR SIMPLY DISLODGE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, POTENTIALLY INJURING OR KILLING PERSONS TRAVELING BEHIND THIS VEHICLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ACCIDENT IS PRESENT HERE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT. A RECALL IS NEEDED HERE TO PREVENT POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE. AUDI IS HANDLING THESE TOP PROBLEMS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, AND IS FIGHTING HARD WITH OWNERS NOT TO PAY AT ALL. AUDI DEALERS ARE QUOTING IN EXCESS OF $6400 TO REPLACE THE TOP, COSTLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT MANY OWNERS FROM SAFELY REPAIRING THE TOP. PER INFORMATION SOURCED FROM AUDIWORLD.COM, MANY OWNERS ARE NOT REPLACING THE TOP DUE TO THE EXORBITANT COST BUT RATHER SIMPLY GLUING OR TAPING THE REAR WINDOW IN PLACE AND HOPING FOR THE BEST. THIS IS AN ISSUE WHICH CLEARLY REQUIRES A RECALL IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR