Audi timing belt settlement reached
July 19, 2005
Before a settlement was reached, Audi customers were kept in the dark about their timing belt problems.
Karen Schwartzman’s 1998 Audi A4 “seized up and stopped as she was making a turn across oncoming traffic on a state highway” because the timing belt snapped. She wrote to the company, but an Audi official told her “she would receive no compensation because her car was beyond warranty.” (Incidentally, Audi already knew about the timing belt probem.) Then Karen “sought mediation through the attorney general’s office and contacted the [Boston] Globe.”
Finally, in May, “she received a letter from Audi informing her that her timing belt problem was not isolated.”
”Some Audi owners have reported internal engine damage resulting from a broken timing belt,” said the letter, which outlined a preliminary class-action settlement. ”If the timing belt of your vehicle were to break, the engine will not run and may sustain serious internal damage.”
Audi, without admitting any guilt, agreed to pay for any timing belt-related repairs through 105,000 miles. The settlement also mandated inspections of Audi A4 timing belts at 40,000 and 80,000 miles, but did not cover replacement of a timing belt as part of regular maintenance. The new timing belt warranty transfers to subsequent owners of the vehicles.
Under the settlement, Audi will pay the balance of Schwartzman’s repair bill, something that she said wouldn’t have happened without the class-action lawsuit.
Class actions have come under fire in recent years, largely because they are seen as benefiting attorneys more than victims. In February, President Bush signed a measure that places limits on class-action lawsuits, requiring more of them to be filed in federal rather than state courts and curbing settlements involving coupons for goods and services.
Schwartzman said the Audi case demonstrates that sometimes a class-action lawsuit is a consumer’s best line of defense.
Its nice that audi customers get some resolution, but the vw owners are left out, the 98-99 passat is the same car as the 97-99 A4 with the same bad timing belt tensioner, and also left in the dark. Yet we are screwed
I just had a similar experience with my Audi TT’s timing belt. My dealer denies any problem despite the belt failing 25,000 miles before Audi’s reccomended service. Worse the dealer said I could hold off changing it until my next scheduled service interval!
If you read all the blogs out there, it’s clear Audi has a problem here. I wonder how much money they’re making on this? The value of changing timing belts 50% earlier than recommended plus the money made on cars that experienced timing belt problems is probably a big number and something no one brought up when we bought our car.
My belt failed and it cost $3600 to fix it.
How do I get a refund?
I too had my timing belt break on my 1999 Audi A4 Quattro. It cost me close to $4,000. 14 months later the replaced tensioner started to rattle and I was lucky I got it back in the shop before it cause another failure. Of course the shop said the part was more than a year old and could not be covered… another $600 of engine work!
The timing belt on my 1998 A4 1.8 failed around 70,000 miles. This cost me $3800. Can someone tell me how I try to get a refund? I would really appreciate any information.
Thanks very much.
Kevin
Iam currently waiting for my repair bill from my A4 timimg belt problem. I broke two weeks ago and is going to cost well over 3K to repair. Any suggestions as how to get reimbursed?
Out of pocket expenses related to timing belt tensioner system failure are covered by the terms of the settlement. Therefore, you should send copies of all your receipts and any other related documents to Audi Customer Relations, Attn: A4 Timing Belt, 3800 Hamlin Road, Auburn Hills, MI 48326. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement, Audi must agree to pay, or otherwise act upon your claim within 60 days of receipt. We would also appreciate it if you would send copies of your paperwork to class counsel by pdf attachment to e-mail or by fax: Berger & Montague, Attn: Sheryl Levy, slevy@bm.net or fax to 215-875-5707.
According to the terms of the settlement, out-of-pocket expenses incurred prior to June 1, 2005 will be reimbursed, and claims must be submitted by July 31, 2005. Since that deadline has passed, it is recommended that you act quickly and write a brief letter along with your submission that indicates you did not receive this notice, as well as the circumstances of your particular situation.
If you have any further questions, contact Dan Gsovski (Audi’s attorney) or Ted Millstein or Sheryl Levy of this firm. Berger & Montague, P.C.| 1622 Locust Street | Philadelphia, PA 19103
800-424-6690
My Audi a4 ‘98 broke down on our MOVE to Colorado from texas! The timing belt broke…we ended up having to put in a new engine. We are out $6000!! My husband even called prior to the move and asked about the timing belt and was told we didnt need to change it until 100k. Our motor only had 72K mile! I hope we can get our money also!!!
Anna,
I would strongly suggest you follow Eric’s advice. I did and Audi reimbersed me for about $3500.
Good luck.
Kevin
My timing belt on my audi TT just broke on 6/17/06 and i had it towed to the dealership. I have two warranties on it (Certified PreOwned and extended warranty). They are currently looking into it but they say that it might not be covered. I am not willing to pay $6-8k for an new engine after i already paid $2500 for the extended warranty. Please keep me updated
ERIC!!! Thank you for the info. I am getting $6607 back from audi! I followed you instructions and I am getting a full refund, minus a water pump replacent. We are going to sell the thing now before we have more misfortune. We had to send audi several different receipts and they called the mechanic about the whats and whys on his charges. Thanks for the advice. We, by the way, ended up needing a new engine and yup….audi is covering it.
Audi reimbursed me the 3K it cost me to have the engine repaired. Thanks Eric.
I, too, want to thank you, Eric, for your great advice on how to deal with Audi for a refund of timing belt repairs. The timing belt on my ‘99 A4 1.8T broke this afternoon (8/31/06) as I was driving from Connecticut to Boston. The car has 69,846 miles on it. I don’t yet have the estimate for the repairs, but I spoke to three different mechanics, all of whom told me to expect a bill upwards of $3,000, and possibly much more. I’m glad to know that I have some possible recourse with Audi. They’ll hear from me bright and early tomorrow morning!
This is great info, my 2000 TT Quattro died and stranded me in the middle of nowhere yesterday. It’s at the Audi dealer now and I’m hearing an estimate of $6000 for repair thanks to the timing belt breaking. I had asked this very dealer TWICE in the past 6 months whether I should replace the belt and was told I could wait until the recommended interval. I’m at 120,000 kms and the recommended change is 180,000. Does anyone know if Canadians are covered by Audi’s decisions to reimburse? I’ve already contacted Audi Canada this morning and opened a case file.
Has anyone been having problems with their Audi TT transmission, I’ve found several websites regarding simular problems. It’s going to cost me $7,500!
I posted above, on the day that the timing belt in my ‘99 A4 1.8T broke. The engine was trashed with broken pistons and bent valves, and had to be replaced entirely. Following the advice on this website, I submitted copies of my receipts to Audi and after a fair amount of back and forth, they finally reimbursed me for the cost of the engine — $6K. Unfortunately, (and unrelated to the timing belt fiasco) the car also needed a new radiator, water pump, and turbo — at all of 70K miles. Ka-ching, ka-ching, and I didn’t get reimbursed for those.
That said, anyone who experiences these timing belt woes should definitely pursue it with Audi; it’s worth the time and effort.
Have any TT owners been reimbursed by Audi for early timing belt failure and engine damage? If so, how much? What did you do to get them to pay?
My 2001 timing belt just broke at 92K miles and did major engine damage. Does anyone know if Audi will pay some of the cost? I think the class action covered timing belts up to 105k miles.
Bill, Audi should pay some of the cost. Are you in the U.S.? The class action covered U.S. only however even in Canada (where I live), I contacted Audi head office and after about a week of back and forth, they offered to pay for any costs over what I would have paid if I’d had the timing belt replaced (as I had asked the dealer twice if I should).
You should pursue it.
I just bought a Audi 2003 quattro tt roadster with 51000 miles on it. When should i chane the timing belt.
Tony,
I’d replace it in the next 10,000 miles if I were you. See a few posts above for what happened to my TT around 120,000 kms. The dealer told me to change it at 180,000 kms but they’ve since revised it to 100,000 I believe. Meaning around 62,000 miles.
You don’t want it breaking, trust me from personal experience.
I have a 2001 TT and the timing belt broke last week and I only had 78,000 miles on the car. I e-mailed the lawyer that is listed above about the situation to see if I could get compensated from Audi. Is that e-mail current ? Is there any new information about receiving the compensation from Audi. I would highly advise changing the timing belt at most 60,000, you do not want it to break!!
Thanks.
I am currently waiting to hear back from Berger & Montague from the attorney who is handling the Audi lawsuit. My timing belt just broke at 93,000 miles and the Audi mechanic site is stating to change it at around 105,000 miles.
For those who are not aware, Audi lost the lawsuit and was obligated to reimburse owners who paid for engine damage. They further said they would cover the cost of the engine damage but not the timing belt cost itself.
The timing belt on my 2001TT broke at about 55,000 miles. The book said chage it at 120,000. I learned about the A4 litigation which, I understand had the same engine. The class action attorneys handling the A4 case said the TTs were not covered. They were not interested in taking my case as a class action. After I threatened to sue Audi myself, they offered to pick up half the cost of the valve job with new head, water pump, tensioners, etc. Of course they would only pay if I bought a new Audi head, not a re-manufactured one. I bit the bullet and went for it, but I never felt confortable in the TT again, especially since I had a myriad of electrical problems (some of which are now the subject of another class action). I traded the car for a 2005 350Z (with a timing chain, not a belt) and I am much happier.
I have an 2001 Audi TT with 87000 miles and the timing belt slipped. A dealership is advising me that it could cost $5000.00. I live in Cincinnati Ohio and does anyone have any advise to get Audi to take care of this situation? Thanks for any help!
Gary. See my comment of April 11th. Check out your local law and determine how to sue them. Gather as much information as you can. If you don’t have a lawyer get one. File a complaint with the Attorney General of your state if you can’t convince them that you know that they know that they had a defect in design and did not notify you to change the belt way in advance of the recommended 120,000 miles recommended by Audi in the manual, if you find this to be the case.
I have a 2002 A4 1.8t with 82.000 miles, I bought the car 2 years ago and Audi sold me the Certified Pre own warranty wich experired on June 13, 2008, I still have 3 more years to go with the payments. On June 16 on my way back home from work my car went dead while driving on the freeway at 85 miles per hr, and guess what? even with Certified Pre owned and the car serviced several times close to up the 75000miles I was never informed by Audi about timing belt issues. I called Audi customer service and I was told that they were very sorry but the warranty had just expired and they could not help me. I took the car to the nearest VW/Audi private shop and they confirmed the timing belt was broken and the total cost to fix the car was about $4500 due to internal engine damage for timing belt feilure. I used to service my car at Prestige Audi in Miami, and even when I took my car for repairs with +/- 70.000 miles was informed about possible issued with the timing belt, and it was never a concern since manual owners recommend timing belt replacement at 100.000 miles.
Do I have any chance with Audi fixing my car?
While traveling I295 one night in my 2002 Audi TT, with a very large tracker trailer on my tail, I lost all power to my car. No warning, nothing, it just stopped. Luckily, there was a left hand shoulder that I was able to glide into, prior to being run over. At first I thought, I accidentally put it in neutral, but after numerous attempts to start the car, it was apparent my perfectly maintained car was dead. I had my car towed about an hour back home to my mechanic. I got the bad news that it was my timing belt and that it had severely damaged my engine. The damage was over $5000. Upon questioning how this could happen, I found out that this has happened to many many Audi owners.
I found that contacting Audi was a complete waste of time. They did say although, that if they were to even consider compensation they wounldnt for me because I don’t use a dealer. Let me say that I have one Audi dealer within 25miles, who I was completely ripped off, they took complete advantage of me during a separate earlier situation and I swore them off. The gentleman I use now came very highly recommended. And has kept my car in outstanding shape. My question to Audi was, if i were going to a dealership, would they have recommended changing or checking my timing belt at 66,000 miles? Of course the answer is no. So WHO I use should not be in question.
Isn’t there anything we can do?
Just after a week of purchase the Reverse Gear and Top Gear stopped working. So, I took it to the dealer, and he had come up with a $900 bill for replacement of Multifunctional Switch. I was not very sad, because it was just an electrical glitch, and did not hurt the Tranny. I also told the dealer to do regular maintenance on the car since it was due at 99k miles. The total expense inclusive of all the jobs was $1,614. I took this risk to avoid any future trouble, and expected this car will ride for at least 6 moths trouble-free. The dealer took a week here to fix it.
Just a week after the episode, the car stopped on a signal, and refused to start. This time, I had to tow the car to the dealer, and he promised to have a free check, since he had recently worked on it. Two days later he comes up with a quote of $5,700, reason: a broken Timing Belt. I do not understand how he calculated that cost.
Do I have Total engine damage: Bent/broken/damaged intake and exhaust valves, gouged cylinders and head, and a bad turbo??
I challenged the dealer on this issue, because he mentioned that the car was in perfect running condition after servicing. He did not even mention about the timing belt replacement. Instead when I got the car back after servicing, it ran rough, and the cruise control wasn’t working. The dealer did not bother my complaints.
I could not deal this bazooka even in my dreams, because
Purchase Cost+$1600 (repair) + $5700 (timing belt) is more than double the KBB of the car.
Just after a week of purchase the Reverse Gear and Top Gear stopped working. So, I took it to the dealer, and he had come up with a $900 bill for replacement of Multifunctional Switch. I was not very sad, because it was just an electrical glitch, and did not hurt the Tranny. I also told the dealer to do regular maintenance on the car since it was due at 99k miles. The total expense inclusive of all the jobs was $1,614. I took this risk to avoid any future trouble, and expected this car will ride for at least 6 moths trouble-free. The dealer took a week here to fix it.
Just a week after the episode, the car stopped on a signal, and refused to start. This time, I had to tow the car to the dealer, and he promised to have a free check, since he had recently worked on it. Two days later he comes up with a quote of $5,700, reason: a broken Timing Belt. I do not understand how he calculated that cost.
Do I have Total engine damage: Bent/broken/damaged intake and exhaust valves, gouged cylinders and head, and a bad turbo??
I challenged the dealer on this issue, because he mentioned that the car was in perfect running condition after servicing. He did not even mention about the timing belt replacement. Instead when I got the car back after servicing, it ran rough, and the cruise control wasn’t working. The dealer did not bother my complaints.
I could not deal this bazooka even in my dreams, because
Purchase Cost+$1600 (repair) + $5700 (timing belt) is more than double the KBB of the car
I am thinking about purchasing a 2000 Audi A6 2.7T but don’t know now since reading all of this feedback! It is preowned with 71,000 miles on it, anyone have any opinion?
Good News!!!!!
US District Court - Central District of California
2000-2003 Audi A4 and Audi TT 1.8 Liter Turbo
Timing Belt Settlement
Covered Engine Damage Claim Form
I received the letter today from the Settlement Administrator.
I purchased a 2000 A4 1.8T New in NOV1999
Timing Belt Failed at 79,000Miles in JULY2003
Manual Recommends Replacment at 90,000Miles
Interference Engine = Engine Replacement
Audi refused to warranty - Would not participate in repair cost
I paid to have the car repaired and traded it in on a Lexus - I will not purchase another Audi anytime in the foreseable future as a result of the way the Audi Dealership (Wagner Audi) and Audi Corporate treat thier customers.
The Claim Form Arrived in the Package and I have noted the information below for others who have not recieved this package to benefit.
Settlement Administrator
PO Box 1937
Faribault MN 55021-7192
Settlement Administrator: 877-465-4899
Doesn’t matter if you own the vehicle today - hopefully you kept your repair receipts!! Good Luck!!
Thank you PSSWPLAW & Alexandra Olsen
Pearson Simon Soter Warshaw Penny LLP
http://www.psswplaw.com/CM/ClassActions/Volkswagen.asp
Hello,
I am the owner of an 2001 A4 1.8T Quattro with approx 64K miles. I just received this letter the other day. So far I have not had any issues with the timing belt, BUT my cam adjuster is starting to go, and is a $1100 fix. Can someone tell me if these two parts have anything in common?
I received another letter not too long ago from Audi about a different settlement…is there anywhere to go to see what is currently pending or had been recalled?
Thanks,
Janel
I have a 2003 Audi TT Coupe that I bought new. I recently received the info concerning the timing belt failure. I took it to the dealership for an “inspection”. The car has only 53K miles. The dealer told me that there was some corrosion and recommended replacement for $1400. He said that if I did not take care of that, Audi would not pay for engine repairs if it fails. Here is the logic: The cause of the engine damage appears to be the premature (not recommended until 100K miles) failure of the timing belt. The settlement should allow replacement, free of charge, for a new belt because that is the cause of the engine damage, should it fail. We are being held up by the dealer bandits for Audi so that they can make more money off of use because of this “settlement”. I tried to discuss this logical argument with the dealer, but, all they could tell me was they they were sorry and that is the way it is. THIS IS A TERRIBLE DEAL FOR AUDI OWNERS. Audi talks a good story, but, the car doesn’t live up to it and neither do they. I’m selling and buying something with a better reputation. Good luck to all you Audi owner……..you may need it!
I received an extended timing belt warranty letter from Audi last Friday. The letter told me that my Audi model (A4 1.8T 2002) often has timing belt issues, and to be qualified for this warranty I need to take my car in for a free inspection. On August 11 (Monday) I take my car in (it has 64K miles), and they tell me that timing belt shows some signs of wear, and their recommendation would be a replacement ($1,500). The replacement is not covered by the warranty, and if I refuse the replacement, and my timing belt snaps - they will not cover the damages…… What is this freaking warranty good for then???????????? I took the car home, deciding to wait a bit with the replacement. And guess what happens!!! Today my car starts acting and sounding weird. I get it towed to the shop, and they tell me that my tensioner system failed, and I need to replace the timing belt as well….. Doesn’t it sound a bit suspicious???? Audi is a horrible car. Mine has always been regularly and properly maintained, and I do not drive much….. But it has been giving me nothing but trouble. As soon as the car went out of warranty, virtually every single part of it started failing. I already replaced the steering rack and now I am facing the timing belt replacement costs - all within 6 months timeframe…
My son owns a 1999 A4 and we were driving down to Florida (from NY) on Interstate I95S and he lost power in the car and we crossed over (thankfully we were able to pull over safely). We broke down in North Carolina, AAA has us towed to the nearest repair shop for foreign automobiles. It is going to cost me almost $5000 to get the car fixed, also the timing belt broke and did damage. Well we had to rent a car to drive down the rest of the way to Florida cause my son had to be down to check into school. Now he will have to fly back to North Carolina and get the car when we get called it is ready (also over 1 week to get fixed) and then drive back to Florida.
I am planning on submitting a claim to Audi, by the way the car has about 63K miles on it. Does anyone know if they will also reimburse me for the additional expenses I had for the breakdown (towing, car rental and the airfare back to NC)?
Please let me know if anyone else has had there other expense reimbursed.
Thanks!
In response to Maria Machado on August 24, 2008 –
I too have a ‘99 A4 1.8T. Like your son’s car, the tensioner and timing belt on my car failed at about 69,000 miles, after an inspection and clean bill of health at a local dealer, per Audi’s instructions. I was 100 miles from home when my car died — had to leave the car there and take a train home.
Long story short, the damage was about $6000 and Audi did reimburse me for the repair, as well as train fare home and back to retrieve the car. All of my written correspondence to Audi was copied to my lawyer, with reference to the class action settlement. I did have to keep after Audi to pay up — several letters back and forth — but finally they did.
You may have an easier time with Audi if you get your son’s car to a dealer for the repair, though. The service department at the dealer nearest to where my car died had terrible reviews online, so I had my car fixed at an independent shop. I had to pay the bill, and then submit it to Audi for reimbursement. The Audi customer service rep told me that if I had the car fixed at a dealer, they’d cover the cost directly with no financial output on my part.
Whatever you choose to do, this is a real pain in the you-know-where, isn’t it? Good luck —
Adam R:
Could you please email me who you contacted about your 1999 Audi A4 because I just received an email from the Settlement Administrator for the timing belt settlement cival suit and I was told that it is only for 2000- 2003 Audi A4’s.
Would like to know whom you contacted.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Maria
Information regarding Audi / Volkswagen timing belt issues for 2008:
http://smashgods.com/2008/08/27/audi-volkswagen-timing-belt-slip-spells-class-action-suit/
This is hitting more people than Audi anticipated and they are going to have to take action by 2009.
[…] there were many unlucky members of this particular Audi […]
Some information for Maria Machado:
Maria, I think the Audi warranty extension that covered the ‘99 A4 timing belt and tensioner inspection was called the JK campaign. I don’t recall the dates exactly, but roughly a year or two before the timing belt on my car broke I received a letter from Audi requiring me to take the car to a dealer to have the timing belt and tensioner inspected. I brought the car in with about 58,000 miles on it and the dealer said there was no problem. About 11,000 miles later, wham!
After my timing belt broke, I corresponded with three people at the Audi Customer Care Center — Terry May, Bruce Shellnut (who was a supervisor, if memory serves), and Jeannette Rineheimer. This was in late ‘06, so I can’t guarantee that these folks are still around.
I got my info on how to deal with Audi from an excellent post on this page from Eric Bulock, dated June 5th, 2006. In it he gave the name of the lawyer who, I think, helped craft the settlement with Audi on behalf of model year ‘98 and ‘99 A4 1.8T owners. That lawyer is Sheryl Levy, Esquire, Berger & Montague, P.C. 1622 Locust St. Philadelphia, PA 19103. It was to Ms. Levy that I copied my correspondence with Audi.
If you haven’t already, check our Eric’s June 5, 2006 post. It’s still there, and it’s helpful.
Good luck –
Adam R.
I too have issues with the settlement results. I am the sole owner of a 2001 Audi TT turbo, 44,000 miles. Had it inspected, and of course the dealer says I should have it replaced.
Where is the reasonable part in the settlement that pays for the premature (and apparently required) replacement of the belt? Audi class action says I have to replace it on my dime, and if *after* I replace it, and there is damage, they’ll pay. Help me make sense of that one.
I am now suspicious that some of the other incredibly pricey repairs I have had to have done (such as oxygen sensor replacement, etc.) are faulty audi issues. My car is garaged, I live in a mild climate (seattle), and I have low miles. Anyone else have other pricey repairs we should be bringing up?
thanks
I say what they are doing is fraud. They have admitted the part is defective upon manufacturing and now that thehorse is out of the barn so to speak they want to close the door and have you pay for their error. They changed the maintenece schedule from what is was when you bought the car. Thats misrepresentation of the agreement to buy. Fraud!! I would call the state attorney general wher e you had the car repaired And file a complaint. Send all documentation such as their admittance to the defective part, the change in maitenence schedule that you did not agree to since you were not part of the class action suit and the repair bills for the belt which was repaired way before normal time. You have nothing to loose. If you paid bu credit card, you can also file a complaint with your credit card company and they too will investigate. Good luck
I have a 2002 turbo charged A4 Audi 1.8L. I had purchased the Gold “car protection program” at my NJ Audi dealership through Fidelity on 8/9/06 to the tune of $3700 when the car had 49,000 miles. Vehicle now has 71,000 miles on it. This car has been serviced only at Audi dealerships. We have followed every recommendation and even change the oil at @ 3,000 mile intervals. In mid August, 2008, I had the car into my NJ Audi dealership for service (sunroof was malfunctioning, sound system would not work, etc.) and told them to basically do whatever needed to be done since child was taking the car back to college. I was unaware at that time of the Olsen suit as I received my Audi Extended Warranty letter later in mid September. When I got the notice I called the dealer that had serviced the vehicle in August and asked if the timing belt had been checked. He said, “Probably, because they did the scheduled maintenance on it but don’t worry you have time to get it done if it wasn’t.” The car (now at college in FLA) needed service for a different problem. My daughter took it into her local Audi dealership. The service department informed us that the timing belt should be replaced as it has several cracks in it. If we do not have it replaced to the tune of $1,200. the negotiated extended warranty will be void. By the way I do trust this service department. If the NJ Audi dealership did a scheduled maintenance in August should the timing belt have been included in their inspection? If they didn’t and knew about the new maintenance schedule are they in any way responsible for omitting this? If it was inspected and it passed, then is Audi liable for the costs associated with my October timing belt replacement? To even infuriate me more, the “carefree car protection” plan rep says they will not cover the timing belt, since it did not ACTUALLY fail. So much for practicing preventive maintenance on something that is a safety issue and would save them thousands of dollars should the timing belt actually snap at 60+ MPH on I-95 with a young driver behind the wheel. Oh yeah, by the way, now that Audi has modified the maintenance schedule for the timing belt, even if the timing belt did fail, Fidelity informs me that they would not cover it since (considering the mileage on the car) it is now considered a maintenance item even though when I purchased the contract the timing belt had a life of 105,000 miles. AND I would still have to follow the guidelines of the settlement and replace the timing belt at my own expense.
I am calling the NJ Audi dealership on Monday to see if they DID or DID not do the timing belt inspection in August. Any suggestions on what actions I should take will be greatly appreciated.
Again, I recommend contacting the state attorney general because if you were not part of the class action settlement, then the deal struck can not be applied to you. Audi’s original warranty maintenence said timing belt needed changing at 91000. Now because they found it defective they want you to pay to replace it as soon as 40, 000. When you bought the car, these were the terms you and they agreed to, if they want to change them they should negotiate them with each and every owner. The change should apply to new buyers or if you sell the car after the change is schedule date. You can also find many Lemon Law attorneys online who will evaluate the claim for free and tell you if you have a case. If so, this is how a class action suit gets started like the one that resolved the problem for the last group. I am going both routes. First I will present my case to my state AG as I feel I have sufficient documentation to establish their negligence and fraud. In addition, I will get an evaluation from a lemon law attorney to see how many others of us are out there and if there is enought to bring Audi to their senses quickly.
The final settlement reasonableness/approval hearing was scheduled for 11/3/08. That’s nearly two weeks ago. The “www.timingbeltsettlement.com” web site hasn’t been updated. Anyone have any idea what’s going on?
Check the site again, the date hasn’t been updated but there is new info. The settlement was not approved.
Attention all 2001 Audi TT or Audi A4 owners only, The letter that we recieved from Audi of America for the extended warranty did not tell us that 2001 Audi models equipped with 1.8L Turbo engines have extended warranty up to 120,000 miles. Please check for yourself . GO TO : www.timingbeltsettlement.com
When you get to web site, click on the left where it says frequently asked questions-Audi
Then go to # 4 where it says: WHAT ARE THE BENFITS OF THE SETTLEMENT?
Then go down to: Extended Warranty Progam
Read it , and then you will see where the 120,000 miles warranty is. And that’s the only place you will find it.
There is no mention of it in the Audi warranty letter.
does anybody knows anything about audi A4 tiptronic transmition, my failed at 108000 and was replaced. audi dont have any maintenance program for them, and that they where good for only 100000 miles.
thanks
Bojan sell your audi A4 right now dealers are practically giving away cars!!!!!!!!
We have a 2003 Audi TT that has 80,000 miles on it. It has been immaculately maintained with all of the service records available. Last week, while in traffic, the car just stopped and needed to be towed to our mechanic who, on inspection, said that it was a timing issue.
Audi of America was contacted and the representative said that, given the circumstances, the car was under the extended warranty of this lawsuit and the cost of repair would be covered if the diagnosis and work were to be done at an Audi dealership. Therefore, we had the car then towed once more to an Audi dealership.
The car was then inspected (took three additional days for this) by the dealership who said that the engine head was gone. But, lo and behold, the mechanics stated that the timing belt was not broken an therefore the damage was not covered. Given that we had read the lawsuit guidelines, we had to inform them that the lawsuit covered the timing system, including the tensioners and accessory parts, that the timing system can fail without the belt breaking. We requested that they actually test the timing of the car, in addition to mere inspection of the belt.
Well, they came back to say that the timing was indeed off and that the timing belt had slipped. However, they maintain that the engined head seized due to low oil and that that event cause the timing belt to slip. Now, since this car has been meticulously kept, oil (synthetic) changed regularly, the car was going all of 5 -10 miles an hour before is “seized”, and none of the warning lights were on at the time, we told Audi of America that the circumstances stated by the mechanics did not occur. Now they are doing further testing of the engine (at our cost) to determine the cause.
We would prefer that all this work were performed by our own mechanic whom we trust, but it is being done by the dealership who did not even understand the details of the lawsuit. They seem to go out of their way to say that the cause is not the timing, but the cam shaft. And, oh by the way, they said off-hand…there was another instance a week prior to us, where they diagnosed an engine head had seized on a TT, still under the timing belt warranty, and the belt was not broken and the customer had to pay out of pocket for the service. Hope that customer is looking further into the issue!
There is also another pending complaint with VW and Audi regarding problems with oil sludge back-up such that there is not enough oil to the engine, causing it to seize. Does anyone know more about this? I have been wondering if they are trying to pin the car’s issues on this problem…don’t think that is applies to TT’s, though.
Don’t know how this will turn out, but it seems to me that it is somewhat a conflict of interest that the dealership needs to make this diagnosis.
Celia, re: engine sludge: When I was negotiating with Audi and my local dealer, they demanded my maintenance records. When I asked why since it was a timing belt issue, the response was that if the car was not maintained, engine sludge could buld up and somehow affect the timing belt. I produced my records since I used other services and did not pay Audi’s outrageous prices for oil changes and the issue went away. I agree that Audi’s tactics appeared to try to avoid responsibility anyway it could.
I took my 2002 Audi TT Coupe into the dealership because the check engine light was on. When I received the bill, I noticed that there was a ‘recall’ listed on the document and that the timing belt had ‘been inspected’ and ‘damage found’. I was urged to have the belt replaced ASAP because stress lines were evident on it. The estimate was $1300. I went to a mechanic I’ve used often and they performed the work for $800. I asked to receive the timing belt back as I knew there were issues (the Class Action). When they returned the belt to me, it had NO DAMAGE…furthermore, my mechanic pointed out that there was no way they would have been able to see the damage without getting into the 5 hour job to replace it. The dealership lies again!!!