Problems with 2006 Audi A4 EXTERIOR LIGHTING

This appears to be a common occurrence with all audi a4's with hid xenon lighting. at approximately 50,000 miles many owners report flickering headlights and then within seconds either left or right or both headlights will stop functioning. this always seems to happen during the first 5 minutes after startup. the appropriate error will come on the audi information system "left headlamp dipped" or right. i have learned that turning the headlamp switch to off and turning the lights on again resets the issue. this may occur up to 5 times or more before the lights work normally. this can be a very dangerous situation at night in poor visibility when both lights go out. my audi dealer "audi of rochester hills" in michigan charged me $80 to inspect the situation and said i would need to spend an additional $650 approx. to fix the problem. to this date i live with the problem and read too many internet blogs about audi a4 owners that spent the $650 to find the problem not resolved. http://www.audizine.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-332613.html i am hoping that my complaint is not the first and the nhstb will do an investigation. *tr

The headlights flicker and turn off. the first time was leaving the driveway,but it happens constantly if driving at night. *tr

The issue initially started with both head lights flickering and the audi dealership stated it may just be an issue with the xenon bulbs. not long after, the passenger side headlight would flicker and go out prompting a "right head light dipped" message. this only seems to happen when the vehicle is in motion regardless of the speed. the only way to get the right head light to work again is to shut the lights off and back on. this is very dangerous especially since i am not able to pull over every time to turn the lights off and on. until about 2 months ago, it was only the passenger side head light but it turns out the driver side light is doing the same. twice now i have had both head lights go out completely while driving on a busy highway. there is a service bulletin tsb 2013829/3 but audi will not do a recall on the head lights. this has become a serious issue as i no longer feel safe to drive my vehicle at night. *tr

The left headlight of my 2006 audi a4 quattro continues to have problems: randomly, the left headlight flickers and then turns itself off. i get an error message that states, "left dipped headlight." if i turn the light switch off and then back on again, the left headlight illuminates again. sometimes, it will stay on for as long as 2 hours. other times, it goes through the above steps within minutes. my local audi dealer claims that they don't know anything about this (despite multiple online forums where hundreds of people all over the world are complaining about the very same problem). this is very unsafe. the cost to troubleshoot this, according to my audi dealer, will run into the hundreds of dollars, at minimum, but again, they claim they have no idea about this. *tr

Intermittent headlight malfunction. over the course of a year of ownership, the headlights have malfunctioned (turned off), with no consistent cause apparent. the specific error message that appears in the driver information screen is left (or 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 approx. 40 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted or clear if the headlight is turned off then back on. it will then be fine for days or weeks at a time. it has been consistently getting more frequent and worse. at times, both headlights will turn off by themselves while driving causing a very dangerous situation and quick action to avoid injury or death. then randomly turn back on. multiple dealerships have 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, or ballast. annecdotal 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

Driver side headlight flickers, then fails. *tr

My concern is with the hid headlights on my 2006 audi a4 2.0. shortly after turning the lights on, the left headlight flickers and then turn off completely. i get an error message left dipped headlight. at first, this problem occurred 2-3 times a week, but now happens every single time i turn on the lights. the only way to fix is for me to turn off the lights for 5 seconds and then turn back on. at times i do this on the highway or on the neighborhood roads. i've brought it to the dealer - new country audi of greenwich but they claim they can't reproduce it. they suggested replacing the headlight ($300+) but offer no guarantee that this will solve the problem. *tr

My left head light turns off by itself and i get the "left dipped headlight" warning. the light comes back on if i turn it off and turn it back on but it'll go out again. i talked to the audi dealer and told me to change the light bulb (which would be around 500 dollars). but the light bulb isn't out. it still turns on. so they told me that i might need to change the whole light assembly which would cost me around 1500-2000 dollars. after doing a few researches on the internet, i saw a lot of people are having the same problem as me and neither of the methods the dealer suggested would solve the problem. please investigate on this. *tr

My headlamps fail while driving. the headlamps, both right and left, will "dip". this will turf the lamps off. when i take it to the dealer they tell me that they can't make it happen so they can't fix it.

Flickeringand dipped headlight outages. *tr

Dipped headlight error turns off one or both of the headlights. *tr

This complaint is regarding audi vehicle model a4 from year 2006-2008. the issue is concerning the hid xenon head light that i have on the vehicle and this head light is the original equipment that audi puts in the vehicle, which it flickers at turn off it self when driving and sometimes even when vehicle is not in motion. i think it is very dangerous when the light goes off at night on the highway and it happens very often, like 5 times a night. when the light is off, the vehicle gives a warning so turning it off and on will temporarily put the light on. i figured about the problem and have been to the dealer's service center for three times and mention the issue to them and they just state that there is no problem with headlight. *tr

Problem started some 3-4 months ago, at the beginning my right bi-xenon headlight started just flickering, but now, after they flicker, they turn off. i receive a message on the dash stating "dipped right headlight." after i turn off both headlights on the switch, they work again fine for some period but than again, they start flickering and shutting down again. my both bi-xenon bulbs look fine, and the light is very bright at night so i don't believe it is the bulbs. in addition, i have noticed that they go off more frequently in the winter months and after hitting a bump. the right light seems to be only affected.

Right headlight dipped warning from failure code. after driving initially with lights on, the right light will flicker and then turn off. if one then turns off the lights and turns it back on , the right light will reactivate. but after another 2-3 minutes the right light will flicker and fail again. this is a safety issue and audi refuses to extend warranty on it. *tr

Left and right dipped light indicator even after having them reviewed and adjusted and ultimately replaced. audi warranty would not cover the repair cost due as we were slightly over the 50000 mileage allowance. ended up paying almost $300 for the repair. we continue to have "dipped light" problems. *tr

While driving at night the cars headlights will flicker and then go out. this happens with either the left or right, but i have had both go out while driving. in order to get both headlights on i have to turn the headlights off then turn them back on. *tr

2006 audi a4 dipped headlight / flicker / problem. left or right headlight will dip and minutes later, the other light will go out. audi said that they will not fix the issue because they could not replicate the problem. this has happened late at night and almost resulted in a ticket. turning off the light and turning them back on does not fix the problem. *tr

Head lights flicker and then one or both go out. if you stop the auto and turn everything off and then restart the car and turn the lights on they tend to stay on. absolutely scary on a highway at night. dash warning comes on indicating a dipped headlight occurred. *tr

Headlamp has "dipped" multiple times while driving (day and night) since i have owned the vehicle (now at 77k). there is an audi tsb out for this issue but can never get a certified audi dealership to fix this issue as they cannot make it happen on command when they inspect it. not only is this a known issue but it is an issue that is a safety problem that audi and it's affiliates do not take seriously or show determined interest in fixing. *tr

About 2mins after i turn on the headlights, my left headlight starts to flicker and soon turns off. this is followed by a dashboard indicator light which says "left dipped headlight". i have to turn off my headlights for at least 20sec before my left headlight reliably comes back on. problem is esp pronounced when the ambient temp is below 40. *tr

On my 2006 audi a4 2.0t quattro sedan, the xenon directional low beam headlamps intermittently shut off suddenly and without warning, giving a message of "right dipped headlamp." the lights come on again only after turning the switch to "off" position, waiting ten seconds, then switching them back on. the problem is intermittent but occurs every day. audi dealers have replaced xenon bulbs, igniters and pigtails to lamps, advising that wires become very hot. problem has not been fixed and constitutes great danger on dark roads. this has been recurrent on a regular basis for at least two years without a solution. *tr

2006 audi a4 quattro 3.2l...the headlights flicker and then go off and either "left dipped headlight" or "right dipped headlight" error messages occur. must turn off the lights (obviously very dangerous at night) and turn them back on again for the xenon headlights to work properly. this problem has been recurring for over a year now. my understanding is this is a prevalent problem with these headlights and a recall should be issued to fix the problem. *tr

On our 2006 a4 2.0 quattro after turning on low beam xenon continually flickers and eventually goes out. this is followed a left bulb failure indication. recycling the light switch may or may not solve problem. turning car completely off seems to be a little more effective but all is obviously a major safety issue as well as a violation of traffic laws. i told my audi service guy about this but although audi says to replace bulb (over $200us ) he was sure this would not solve problem. he said he has numerous customers with the problem. i cant believe this is allowed. driving without a headlamp is a traffic violation for a reason. it is a major distraction for driver and i'm sure on coming traffic. *tr

Passenger side head light started flickering and would go dim. control panel in car gives warning the head lamp is dipped. as time went on head light would go out completely. roughly several months later both head lights would flicker for a while and then both go out completely. when the head light switch is turned off and then on the lights will come on. unfortunately this only last a few minutes and they both go out again. i drive on rural roads so there is no street lighting at night and little to no shoulders to pull off the road. losing both head lights is very scary. turn the head light switch off and on while driving at 45 mph every few minutes makes for a long drive home. dealers claim they have no knowledge of the issue. i started off driving a 1963 covair which was supposed to be unsafe at any speed; it never had the headlights go out. can the nhtsa help us all out and get the news out to audi that there is an issue. *tr

Driving while headlights are on , headlights will flicker and then sometimes one side or the other will shut off and a error message " right/left headlight dipped " will appear. occurrence is totally at random. bulbs have been replaced. no change in problem vehicle is a 2006 audi a4 avant. *tr

Left dipped headlamp that audi claims they, "know about but don't have a solution." *tr

Xenon gas headlight goes out. right or left dipped headlight message appears. sometimes it will go out for days. sometimes the light can go days without a problem.

Audi a4 right dipped head light goes off intermittently for rhyme or reason. multiple people report same problem. the dealer changed bulb but with same problem. *tr

Audi headlight shutters and shuts down. indicator states 'right headlight dipped'. failure started as intermittent and is now as often as everyday when headlights are on. nothing has been done to correct the failure. when the light is turned off then on again, the light will work and then will shutter/shut down again. consequence is a missing headlight at night which can cause other vehicles not to see me or lack of lighting in the driving pathway which could result in an accident (pedestrian, other vehicles, bikes, animals, etc..). car was taken into the dealer several times but dealer has claimed that no issue is reported in the cars software and therefore cannot be fixed. *tr

Our audi a4 has an issue with a dipped headlight. the dealer won't correct even though the headlight randomly goes out and has to be turned off and on again to relight. this will happen repeatedly. it isn't the bulb but some sort of igniter or ballast issue we think. this presents a real danger on a dark road as well as an opportunity for a traffic citation. audi quotes us over 300 dollars to replace bulb but that is not the problem. it's been doing this for 2 years now and the bulb would have gone out permanently if that was the issue. *tr

I have a 2006 audi a4 2.0t quattro and there is a serious defect with the xenon hid headlights. the headlights are wonderful, when they work of course. however, at night they flicker at different speeds and sometimes even go out. this is dangerous, and could easily cause an accident due to limited visibility. the worst part is, i've taken it to the dealer and they tell me nothing is wrong with it when clearly there is. audi needs to diagnose this issue immediately. *tr

Flickering of both xenon headlights with no apparent reason. it occurs about every 45 seconds. the dealership has advised to replace the ballast (control unit) for over 1000 usd, whereas in many others' experience, this has not had a positive resolution for the problem. *tr

Audi a4 2006 headlight dips and goes out during driving at night. numerous complaints posted, but no solution has been established by audi. *tr

I was driving my audi a4 a few nights after i purchased the car. after about two miles from my home the audi a4 driver's side headlight started flickering and then went out (very dangerous) so i thought the light had burned out. the next morning i started the car going to look for a bulb to replace the headlight, noticed the light came on while i was in my dark garage. the light only comes back on after i turn the lights off which is also very dangerous. i live in an unincorporated area that's not well lit so i am afraid to drive this car at night. i have contacted audi, but i haven't gotten a response. i took the a4 to an audi dealership in denver and was told audi doesn't know if the issue is the light itself or the ballast/igniter. i've replaced the bulb and the problem still exist so i took the a4 to several independent euro shops and got the same diagnosis, the igniter is a common problem with audi vehicles. i am asking the ntsb to please issue a recall for this vehicle. *tr

The concern is with the hid headlights on my 2006 audi quattro 2.0 a4. shortly after turning the lights on, the headlights flicker and then turn off completely. at first, this problem occurred 2-3 times a week, but today happens every single time i turn on the lights. other than a costly repair that no shop can guarantee...the only way to fix is for me to turn off the lights for 5 seconds and then turn back on. at times i do this on the highway or on the neighborhood roads (when on the highway, i can't pull over for fear that someone will not see me...so i have to do this off/on procedure while moving). at times i have surprised other drivers and nearly been rear ended. *tr

On the 2006 audi a4, the left headlight will flicker then turn off. i have to turn off the lights, then back on and the light is normal again for a period of time. the problem is intermittent. many others on the web are complaining about this problem and audi has not recalled and does not appear to have a common fix. the most common solution others have experienced is replacing the igniter. *tr

Intermittent headlight malfunction. over the course of 4.5 years of ownership, the left 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 - as many states will issue a traffic violation for driving with a non-functioning headlight. it has happened about 60-70 times, the headlight flickers, then goes out, but will come back on when the car is restarted. seems to be worse when it is cold out. 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

Headlight malfunction. 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. annecdotal 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

Dipping passenger headlight. *tr

Right or left headlight turns off at random times and the driver information display shows a "headlight dipped" warning. brought this to the notice of the audi dealer, who insisted that the bulb is not covered under warranty after the first 12 months and further noted that the problem could not be recreated and no code was stored. this is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by audi. *tr

Intermittent headlight malfunction. over the course of a year and a half 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

Audi a4 b7 bi-xenon headlights fail during driving at night. error message "headlight dipped" is shown in the display. no fault code is generated. had the chance to shoot a video of the failed light on the 1st of march 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ai0xdbic-a problem is occurring since october 2009. was reported to audi, but audi did not address the issue at that time since there was no fault code saved in the system. *tr

Left headlight will intermittently flicker for no apparent reason and then completely go out. problem is random, however has been happening for months. the only way to reignite the headlight is by turning the headlight switch to the off position and back to the on position. audi dealer has replaced headlight bulb (at a cost), however the problem has continued. *tr

Car: 2006 audi a4 avant. safety issue: headlights flicker and turn off while driving. lights must be turned off and then back on in order to reilluminate. the flicker is very common and is an annoyance. the shutting off happens periodically. this is a dangerous situation that can happen at high speed or in a corner. *tr

I have a 2006 audi a4, and the dipped headlight (mostly on the left side, but occasionally on the right side) flickers, then goes off while the car is being driven. if the headlight switch is turned off and then back on the light will come back on. sometimes it stays on for as long as i drive the car, and other times it will repeat the flicker, and then go off again after a few minutes. the car has been taken to an audi dealer for repair, and they were unable to fix the problem. they changed the light bulbs, but it did not fix the problem. this has happened repeatedly since 2007. i asked the dealer about this again recently, and they have not offered a solution. the problem has occurred in warm weather, cold weather, dry, wet, snow, or rain. it appears to happen when i slow to a stop, make a turn, or even change lanes. it has even occurred when driving along a straight stretch of road without out stops. *tr

Intermittent headlight malfunction. over the course of a year and a half 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

Audi a4 2006 repeated "dipped headlamp". brought to audi many times for repair where the computer was reflashed without success. finally had to replace igniter and bulb for $1800 even though car was still under warranty. now happening again on the other side (other headlamp). this is a common issue with many audi owner and should have a audi recall about this. *tr

Left headlight flickers and then goes out randomly on my 2006 audi a4 while i am driving. this happens almost daily. the consequence is that you are driving without a headlight. to correct the problem, you have to turn the headlight switch off and then back on again. to do this, you have to stop the car so when you turn the headlights off to reset the left light, you won't be driving without headlight. sometimes the light will go out again within a few minutes and sometimes it is ok.

For the past 12 mounts my audi a4 is having a constant dipped headlight warning while driving at night. most occurrences are with the left headlight but there are times where both headlights have gone out completely putting me in a very dangerous situation and i have had a couple of close and deadly accidents. i want audi to take responsibility for this issue and cover all associated cost to resolve this problem. *tr

Shortly after purchasing my certified pre-owned 2006 audi a4 2.0 the left headlight flickered and turned off, resulting in a dashboard error message "left headlight dipped". this continued and frequently continues to occur to this day. when it does occur i have to turn off the headlights and then turn them back on; leaving me in the dark while driving at night. i had the audi service center check out the issue. they said the hid bulb needs to be changed and it would be $400. i could not afford this and did not have it changed. i've read hundreds of complaints online describing this very same issue. many stating that replacing the bulbs do not always solve the problem and much more costly repairs are needed. audi of america has let its' customers down on this one. this is a serious safety issue that the dot and nhtsa need to address. *tr