Problems with 1999 Audi A4 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

My audi, along with thousands of others have had their abs control unit malfunction because of design. this malfunction causes the abs to not work on the affected vehicle. volkswagen, the company that produces audis and vws actually recalled this exact part on their vw vehicles, but for some reason refuses to correct the problem for their audi customers. the cost to replace this control unit is $1,400 - $1,700, and as such i have been driving my vehicle without its abs functioning. below is a description of the recall for this exact part, but on the vw jetta: "2002 volkswagen jetta gls nhtsa recall id number: 02v031000 recall date: jan 31, 2002 component: service brakes, hydraulic:antilock potential units affected: 55000 summary: on some passenger vehicles, short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (abs). consequence: this can result in a fire. remedy: dealers will replace the abs control unit. owner notification began march 8, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. notes: volkswagen of america,inc," please look into this issue and help vw to make the right choice for the safety of their customers and others on the road. thank you for your time and attention to this important matter! *tr

I bought an audi a4 1999 1.8t fwd. the next day i bought it the abs orange light came on & brake light flashing non-stop with three beeps when i start the car its been like that for more than a week. yesterday i took the car to the closest audi dealer and they quote me 1,200 that's a lot since this problems with the abs unit is poor manufacture problem. *tr

1999 audi q4. consumer writes in regards to the repair of abs light/brake light problem *tgw the consumer stated he noticed a solid orange abs light on the dashboard and a red light that was blinking intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for repairs. however, while driving, it was noticed that the abs and brake lights had illuminated again after paying over $2,000 in repairs. another dealer recommended replacing the abs module. the consumer also stated the vehicle had lost power. the dealer informed the consumer it was due to a bad fuel pump. (the consumer wrote in on behalf of his father)*jb

My brake light started beeping and flashing one day while driving. the beeping and flashing continued through the next couple of weeks. i took my car to my mechanic and he said i would have to take it to the dealer because audi won't release their service codes. i called the dealer and asked what was going on. the mechanic asked me "were you driving your car in the rain?" i had quite a few sarcastic responses to the stupid question but i just said, yeah. i assume a car is engineered to be driven in all climates including, rain. a product should be designed to perform its intended use. not the a4. who needs an all wheel drive car if they don't plan on driving it through rain and snow? the mechanic told me that my abs control module needs to be replaced and it would cost me $1500. he told me that my abs and all wheel drive would not work properly until i fix it. i live in colorado and i frequently drive through the snow. i drive through the rocky mountains in icy and dangerous conditions. luckily, it was summer time when my module went out. i take my little sisters, little brothers, and nephews snowboarding. i could have been seriously injured or killed or i could have seriously injured or killed someone else because i was driving a vehicle that i thought had abs, but didn't. there is a slim margin for error when you are driving on snowy curves through the mountains. i could be at the bottom of the cliff by the time i realize my abs wasn't working. or i could slide over a group of pedestrians. even if audi doesn't want to pay for the repairs, they should at least notify their owners that this is a very common problem that drivers should be aware of. i went online and i was not surprised to see that thousands of other people had the same problem. audi did absolutely nothing except offer to repair the broken module for full price. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 audi a4. the vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 99v131001 (service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). after the repair, the contact noticed that insufficient vacuum is provided to the brake booster in cold weather conditions. in addition, he noticed that the abs and brake warning indicators were illuminated on the instrument panel. the dealer stated that he was only entitled to one repair according to the recall law. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 113,000.

The abs module on my vehicle has failed. this problem seems to be quite prevalent amongst audi and vw vehicles. an abs failure could cause accidents and deaths. this module should be recalled. the problem begins with three beeps, a solid yellow abs light and a flashing red brake light. the warning may come on momentarily while i am driving and go away, but in most cases will become more prevalent as time goes on. sometimes the abs and brake light remain on. occasionally the abs activated (in other words abs braking has activated) while the car is in motion. from researching this problem, it seems to be common with audi a4 and vw passat b5 models. the abs warning light will come on each time the vehicle is operated. the sudden abs activation will occur rarely. the consequences of sudden abs activation is obvious; braking when not expecting it can cause tragic results. losing the abs functionality while driving and when it is needed can also cause tragic results. i took my car into the shop. a vag was hooked up and the following code appeared: "01203 - electrical connection between abs and instrument cluster" replacing the electrical connection between the abs and instrument cluster will not solve the problem. the only resolution for this issue is to buy a new abs unit, buy a used abs unit, or have the current control module rebuilt. again, systematic and widespread failures of the abs control module are occurring. numerous owners have filed complaints with regard to this issue. please look into the issue and consider recalling the module before it tragic results do occur. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 audi a4 quatro. the contact bought the vehicle from a private dealer. as he drove the vehicle off the lot, he heard a grinding noise coming from the brakes. he informed the sales associate that there was rust underneath the vehicle, including the brake pads. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and they stated that they would give him another vehicle for an additional $3,000. the other vehicle had a cracked windshield and needed a new fuel pump; therefore, the contact did not want the other vehicle. he kept the audi and took it to an audi dealer for a diagnostic. the results indicated that the bearings were rusted and the vehicle needed an alignment and new brake pads. in addition, the rims were bent. the audi dealer stated that the vehicle should have never been sold in that condition and with those defects. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 142,926 and current mileage was 142,927. updated 03/17/09. *lj the upper and lower control arms were worn. updated 03/18/09. *jb

Abs module failure @ 108,000 mi. unit rebuilt at approx cost of $1,000. *tr

Abs module failure @ 108,000 mi. unit rebuilt at approx cost of $1,000. *tr

Abs module failed at only 70k miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 audi a4. when applying the brakes at any speeds, the vehicle slows down but does not stop as it should. the contact has had to depress the brake pedal with both feet in order to stop the vehicle. the failure occurs intermittently. the dealer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 99v131001 (service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). the current mileage was 110,000 and failure mileage was 95,000. updated 6/16/08 *cn

Audi a4 abs controller. *tr

Premature abs (antilock braking system) module failure. *tr

This is the second time this has happened in similar circumstances in the last two years to my wife. the temperature was under 4 degrees and extremely windy and snowing. she warmed the car up for 15 minutes before driving it. the engine temperature gauge was a little bit off cold. the heat was on and working fine. the car did not want to go, and hesitated during acceleration. she drove a mile to the interstate with no issues and the car warmed up. once on the interstate, she drove about a half mile accelerating to about 65. when she tried to pass, and began accelerating the throttle froze. the rpms increased quickly and significantly. she tried to brake, but the brake pedal was not effective. she downshifted using the tiptronic, the car went faster. she put it into neutral and the rpms revved out. the car approximately was going 90 miles an hour or greater at the apex of my speed. she got off the interstate by using my e-brake, and turned the car off at the stop light because she feared it would not stay stopped. she drove about a half mile to work using the e-brake and brake to slow down, and nearly hit a tree trying to stop. she turned the car on again after she parked to see if the throttle was still stuck, it was. three hours later i arrived, started the car, and the throttle was no longer stuck. i called the dealer that day, explained the issue, and they wouldn't take the car until 6 days later. they told us that it was the car mat stuck under the pedals, and it was necessary to keep the appointment. i took the car to get looked at anyway, they inspected to find egr valve clogged causing moisture buildup and throttle to ice over. they replaced the egr valve, air pump and vacuum hose and cleaned the throttle body. this totaled $546.30. there is a recall on the a6 throttle body for the same year, engine, transmission and the exact same part number! but audi corporate told us it did not apply because we have the a4 not the a6 and was not concerned or willing to help. *jb

I own a 1999 audi a4 2.8 30v quattro and my abs and brake lights are on and the audi dealer told me that my abs control module needs to be replaced. by reading forums online and consumer sites, i have found out that this is a very common problem to audi's and vw's. my question is: shouldn't audi of america fix this problem for free? *nm

Needed to replace the abs control module when my audi only had 88000 miles. *jb

I own a 1999 audi a4 with approximately 74,000 miles. recently upon start-up the abs indicator light comes on and the brake indicator light flashes. i have taken the car in for service and have been informed that i no longer have anti-lock brakes and that to remedy the situation will cost in excess of $1500. this is completely unacceptable and appears to be due to a audi manufacturing defect (anecdotally, i have heard of hundreds of similar issues with the abs). while the car is operable using standard brakes i believe it is a significant danger should the abs be required. please look into this issue. *jb

1999 audi a4 abs control module symptoms. abs light on continuously. brake light flashing. upon the first inspection the audi dealership was unable to ascertain the problem. the failure was later diagnosed correctly by the dealership. testing the abs system after the diagnosis, i found that the abs system did not engage. i learn of many cases of this exact failure in audi??s and vw??s with the bosch 5.3 abs control module: one prominent site being http://tech.bentleypublishers.com. the dealership may have misdiagnosed the problem because the control module may be unable to communicate with the car??s computer upon failure. also, it seems that the problem is intermittent for some period before complete failure. the warning lights may disappear prior to complete failure. it seems the failure is occurring at some point beyond 60,000 miles. this would account for the relatively low occurrence, but would portent to the possibility of a much great number of occurrences with time. an unwary driver may not be cognizant of the failure and therefore not exercise the caution necessary to avert a collision. one future issue exacerbates that concern: the abs light and the brake light warning signals disappear under 32 degrees fahrenheit or thereabout. so, as we near winter and the possibility of inclement weather, the chances of a tragedy increase substantially. i have contacted audi with my findings. audi stated they have not seen evidence of mass failures. they stated that they will not act on the information that i have obtained. there are copious postings on the internet identifying individuals who have contacted audi. surprisingly, some of these individuals profess that audi paid for the repair in cases of out-of-warranty, high-mileage vehicles. i believe that an audit of the number of the bosch 5.3 abs control modules being order as replacement parts will illuminate the gravity of this problem. *nm

My abs and brake light came on intermittently a month ago and gradually got more frequent. now they are on almost all the time. when i took it into the shop right after the first incident i was told the instrument cluster would need to be changed which would cost me a bundle (possibly over $2000). my vehicle actually has relatively low miles on it and has been maintained really well so i am very upset that audi will not fix or pay for this. *jb

I am an owner of a 1999 audi a4 quattro with the 2.8 engine; the vin of the vehicle is [xxx]; the vehicle has 101,845 miles. i was having the following issue; at about 100,000 miles the abs and brake warning lights would come on indicating and abs failure. this would occur after the car is completely warmed up. i did some checking and discovered that there is problem with abs control unit. i further investigated this issue and also discovered that this is a known and common problem with 1996-2001 audi a4s. volkswagen jettas and passats of the same year, that utilize the same system, had/have the same problem; it came to my attention that volkswagen conducted a national recall campaign to address this problem. i was wondering why audi has not handled this problem in the same manner. i dont think audi owners should be expected pay to fix a clearly manufacturers defect, and a safety component at that! i contact audi customer service to get a reaction from them; the reference number is [xxx]. i wrote a detailed letter to mr. johan denysschen executive vice president audi north america; he in turn passed the letter to one of the audi regional managers annette johnson. the regional manager had indicated that the issue should be diagnosed by an authorized audi service center (audi dealer). her tone was very helpful; however she has indicated that there have not been enough complaints to constitute a recall. furthermore, they do not consider the abs failure as a safety issue since they regard the system as a driver''s aide. additionally she could not find any records that showed volkswagens being recalled for the same issue. i eventually got a problem fixed at a smaller shop, which cost me around $600.00 dollars. the dealer was going to over charge me on the part by $400.00 and 6.5 hours of labor at $105.00 per hour for a job that actually took only 1.5 hours. *nm updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Abs brake light on 1999) audi a4 1.8t. upon researching on many forums (i.e. audiworld.com) i have noticed several other audi owners have experienced the same problem. apparently, this is attributed to a faulty abs brake computer?*ak

The abs module is causing the panel brake light to blink and the abs light to be on steady. my complaint is that the charge to repair this is estimated at $750 including $250 labor from our local audi dealer. there is no good reason for this fault to occur, and the repair is quite expensive. i am waiting for audi to order a new board, so i am driving with bad abs brakes, and it is almost december. *jb

The abs system of my 1999 audi a4 intermittently fails. i intend to have it repaired as this is a safety issue. repair shop, lusti motors in san diego, indicated that they've repaired other audi's with the same issue recently. the cost of repairs is approximately $2,000. *nm

Abs unit failure, not replaced yet due to high cost of repair

Audi a4 the abs light, brake light and warning buzzer stay on while driving the vehicle. brought car to dealer and was told the abs module is defective. audi said it was not their problem because the brakes still function though not the way they were designed to work. i pray that i do not hurt anyone while i'm relearning to drive my car without the abs system functioning. *nm

Dt: 1999 audi a4 quarto 1.8t. the consumer states the abs control module is defective. when driving the abs light and brake light would come on. this has been happening for the past month. the vehicle wa staken to the dealership and they indicated the abs module had to be replaced. *ak

Dt: the consumer stated that the 1998 audi a 4 was having a problem with the abs control unit. the diagnosis was that there was a communication error between the abs unit and the instrument cluster. the consumer has not had the problem corrected. the parts needed to fix the problem was on back order. the consumer has not ordered any parts to fix the vehicle at this time. the vehicle had a warning light on the instrument panel. it was the warning light and the abs light. the consumer took the vehicle to a repair shop to have it checked. the manufacturer has been contacted and the consumer filed a complaint with volkswagen.*ak

The abs control module failed on a 1999 audi a4; the dealer tells me it is not covered under warranty, and i must pay $1662.39 plus tax to repair. *ak

Our 1999.5 audi avant quattro vin[xxx] has passed 80,000 miles. the antilock brake system (abs) controller has failed causing intermittent failure of the abs system. the result is inconsistent and dangerous handling of the vehicle in low traction conditions -- the very conditions audi quitter's are purchased for! repair of the system is in excess of 25% of the value of the market car. a search of several internet audi sites revealed that this is a common problem with many current audi models. audi of america refuses to fix this problem under recall. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Audi a4 abs controller failed, causing abs light and system light to stay illuminated. replacement part is $1,000. looking for used. based on research appears to be a common problem with audi's across models. should be reviewed by manufacturer.*ak

The abs and brake light came on at about 86000 miles eventhough the unit has been very seldom have been actuated. it cost me $2000 for an item that has been rarely used or actuated in my car.*ak

The abs system in my vehicle failed out of the blue without any trigger for it. the abs warning light is blinking in the instrument panel. as a result, the abs system is not functioning. i contacted the dealer and the quote to fix the part was about $1500. *jb

Abs control unit fails at 68k, rear brakes tend to lock up. *jb

99v131001/brake booster vacuum valve. the owner is experiencing the same defects that are described in the recall. however, the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. *jb

Failure of abs brake controller-began as brake warning light and abs light flashing occasionally-now lights are on all the time-have been advised that this is common failure on audi and volkswagen-repair requires replacement of abs brake controller-part is $2200.*ak

Failure of abs brake controller-began as brake warning light and abs light flashing-now lights are on all the time-have been advised that this is common failure on audi and volkswagen-repair requires replacement of abs brake controller-part is $2000. *jb

Abs and brake lights on dash remain activated; mechanic says abs computer module is not functioning. very expensive repair - $1500. i have read of other reports of same defect in same model/year but no service bulletin i can find.*ak

Failure of a bosch 5.3 abs hydraulic control unit (part # 8e0 614 111a) in a 1999 audi 1.8 turbo quattro with 53,000 miles.

The engine stalled without warning which caused the brakes and power steering to fail. *jb....*ak

Abs pump failure. at approx. 71000 miles, the abs controller/pump failed on my 1999 audi a4 1.8t quattro. there are many others that i have spoken to and read about who have also had the exact same failure with the same abs pump/controller. http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?threadid=3409&tstart=0 and http://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/1743701.phtml . apparently, audi knows about the problem but is not widespread enough to issue a recall.*ak

When the brake was applied, the vehicle experienced extended stopping distance.*jb

Nar 1/15/2003. the vehicle often failed to stop during wet conditions. when the consumer applied the brakes, there was a delay before the brakes engaged, which has happened twice. it always seems to be a problem with the left rear brake. *jb

The consumer states that the vehicles left rear brakes failed. also states that the vehicle often failed to stop during wet conditions, the consumer will press the brakes and there is a delay before they would engage. this happened twice, and almost ran into an intersection, the left rear brakes squeak constantly upon application. the vehicle was taken to the dealer once to fix and it still squeaks. scc ph

Consumer states that while traveling at highway speed the vehicles brake pedal went to the floor, consumer had to use emergency brake to stop. took to dealer, dealer stated abs pump failed and brake fluid leaked out, causing loss of pedal pressure. please provide any further information. mr

My 1999 audi a4 experiences delayed braking during periods of moderate to heavy rain.*ak

Wet braking problem--i have no brakes (delayed) for the first 2-4 seconds during, or after a rain.*ak

It's the audi wet braking problem. *ak

Under wet road conditions and hard rain, when applying brakes, consumer has to pump brakes a few times before there is any braking action. dealer cannot find problem. *ak *slc

When driving between 50-55 mph and upon depressing brake pedal to make a gradual stop slowly pumping the brakes, brake pedal traveled to the floorboard, causing extended stopping distance. consumer noted that prior to the incident brake light was illuminating on the dashboard. vehicle currently at the dealer awaiting service. please provide any further details.*ak

Brakes take 2-3 seconds to grab during wet conditions. this has happened many times. 2000 models have brake shields that 1999's do not have. dealer says they cannot do anything until audi tells them officially. please investigate. *ak