10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,387 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #39

Jan 062001

A4

  • miles
Brakes do not resond for a couple of seconds when driving at highway speeds in wet road conditions

- Honeoye Falls, NY, USA

problem #38

Feb 102001

A4 4WD

  • miles
Car always has a delayed response when applying brakes when they are wet.

- Foster City, CA, USA

problem #37

Jan 082001

A4 4WD

  • miles
Cruise control inoperative.during high speed braking car shimmies and hops. Problem began after serviced by Audi as per Audi brake recall. In the last 12 months my Audi has spent 2 months at the dealership for repairs. This vehicle is a lemon.

- Indio, CA, USA

problem #36

Jan 222001

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
When driving in the rain, the brakes do not immediately grab. There is a one half to one second delay before the brakes become effective. It is especially noticable on the highway when you have not touched the brakes in several miles. The rotors obviously get wet and are not able to generate enough heat to slow the car initially. The dealer takes the position that this is normal and, although I know others with this problem who have had their cars inspected by Audi, they have done nothing to address the issue. I believe it to be a glaring safety defect on an otherwise well built and safe car.

- Bridgeville, PA, USA

problem #35

Mar 011998

A4 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
When applying brakes after driving for extended distance, brakes fail on first applying, but return to normal if pumped.

- Leland, IL, USA

problem #34

Jan 092001

A4 4WD

  • miles
Braking is delayed 3-4 seconds in rain and or snow conditions. Additional pressure is required to stop vehicle.

- Framingham, MA, USA

problem #33

Jan 022001

A4

  • miles
While backing out of driveway there were no brakes. Vehicle was towed to automobile shop, and mechanic verified that wheel itself rubbed brake line every time vehicle was turned to left, wearing a hole in line, and causing brake failure.

- Essex Junction, VT, USA

problem #32

Oct 262000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Reduced brake performance when driving in rain or wet condition. Especially when driving for long periods without applying brake (I.e. long distance highway drives) you need to put a lot of pressure on the brake pedal to get sufficient stopping power. It's startling for the driver to have to push the pedal down that far.

- Northville, MI, USA

problem #31

Feb 201998

A4 4WD

  • miles
When braking, brakes would grind and squeek excessively and revealed premature wear.

- Indio, CA, USA

problem #30

Jun 172000

A4 4WD

  • miles
I continue to have problems with the brake system on this auto, even on dry surfaces. It appears that the problem is a misaligned interface between the all-wheel drive (quattro) system and the ABS. The problem is one of software, not hardware, and Audi needs to replace the appropriate chip.

- Bethesda, MD, USA

problem #29

Jun 072000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
My A4 exhibits a severe delay (3-4 secs) in braking force when the brakes get wet (I.e. any time it rains). This is not normal and seems quite hazardous. It only happens when the brakes get wet, which always happens driving in rain (and I don't mean driving through puddles). Dealer's latest story is that Audi is aware of problem but has no fix. Some (not all) owners of this car model have the same complaint.

- West Hartford, CT, USA

problem #28

Aug 022000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Vehicle does not brake properly when brakes are wet. When applying brakes vehicle continues to travel. This problem has been reported to dealership and manufacturer many times. Problem has not been corrected. The problem was corrected on 2000 models by redesigning brakes but no on earlier models.

- Southbury, CT, USA

problem #27

Jun 222000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
After driving on the highway in the rain, when brakes first applied, the car accelerates, then brakes after 1-2 seconds. This is very unnerving and the dealer says Audi knows about this but there is "no advisory or technical bulletin to fix it" please help. Otherwise, this car is one of the best.

- Norwich, CT, USA

problem #26

Jun 142000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Wet braking problem - during rain brake efficiency falls to an unacceptable level. Brake shoes slip on the disc and do not provide sufficient braking. ABS does not activate which means that tires do not even try to lock. This makes me to believe that the problem is really in the shoe/disc engagement.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #25

Jun 032000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Intermittently the brakes don't grab at all, especially in the wet. This happens even after the car has been drive far enough to warm up the brakes.

- Minnetonka, MN, USA

problem #24

May 262000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Major hesitation when brakes are wet. (one to two second delay).

- Moraga, CA, USA

problem #23

May 222000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Wet braking problem.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #22

May 052000

A4 4WD

  • miles
Since I have owned th car, I have experienced a delay or a lack of braking ability when driving in the rain. I have had a few near accidents when I had to brake suddenly and I had no response. Luckily I had quatrro and room to move. Normal driving is O.K. only becauise I know of the problem and give myself time to stop. This should not be the case. I need the brakes to work properly every time and under all conditions. My 87 maxima has beeter brakes now than the Audi. This needs to be solved or I will have to consider selling my vehicle for a safer BMW especially since children are on the way. Not a safe vehicle for them. I hope you can remedy.

- Encinitas, CA, USA

problem #21

May 212000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Wet braking delay; 15 occurrences a guess, but is any heavy rain - when intially hit the brakes in heavy raing, get no braking action, sometimes for over a second. Pedal is firm, feels normal. After about a second, water washed off rotors and braking is normal. Complained to dealer, but they say have to drive car under these conditions before can take action - "haven't heard of any other complaints". difficult to do when am 1 hr away from dealer and have to suddenly take off from work and drive to them, hoping that rain continues. Have driven/owned cars since 1969, had previous 1990 Audi - experienced no such problems on any previous vehicle.

- N. Huntingdon, PA, USA

problem #20

Apr 262000

(reported on)

A4 4WD

  • miles
Every time it rains it is nearly impossible to brake the car, even thought the brakes work properly in the dry. I have had this problem ever since the purchase, but have decided to report it only now. The car seems to actually go faster when initially pressing the brake pedal, and oly after about 2 seconds it starts to show some sign that it is actually braking the car. This makes the car, which is basically new, unsafe to drive in the rain.

- Ithaca, NY, USA

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