1998 Audi A4 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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.*AK

WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS, THE BRAKES RESPOND VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN WHEN DRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BRAKES HAVEN'T BEEN APPLIED FOR A WHILE. THE BRAKE PEDAL REQUIRES MUCH GREATER FORCE TO DECELERATE AT THE DESIRED RATE COMPARED TO WHAT THE OPERATOR EXPECTS BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING THE CAR PREVIOUSLY. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE MOST OBVIOUS WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN. I'M GUESSING A LAYER OF WATER BUILDS UP ON THE DISCS OR PADS (OR BOTH), AND WHEN EXITING THE HIGHWAY AND APPLYING THE BRAKES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THERE IS NO BRAKING AT ALL! THE FEW TIMES MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN THE CAR IN THE RAIN ON THE HIGHWAY SHE HAS COMPLAINED LOUDLY TO ME. THE PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO HIGHWAY DRIVING, HOWEVER. EVEN NORMAL DRIVING AROUND TOWN CAN RESULT IN THE FEELING OF SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BRAKING. IF I DRAG THE BRAKES A LITTLE USING MY LEFT FOOT TO KEEP THE DISCS HEATED UP AND CLEAR OF WATER THEN WHEN I NEED THE BRAKES THEY SEEM TO BE FINE. THE PROBLEM NEVER SHOWS UP WHEN IT'S DRY OUTSIDE. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERTING AND MAKES ME AFRAID OF GETTING INTO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE I NEED TO DECCELERATE QUICKLY AND SIMPLY CAN'T DO IT. AS IT IS NOW I HAVE TO PLAN WAY AHEAD KNOWING THAT I MAY NOT HAVE THE BRAKING POWER I THINK I SHOULD HAVE. I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS KIND OF REDUCED BRAKING POWER IN THE RAIN IN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED OR DRIVEN. *AK

BRAKES NOISEY AND SHOWING EXCESSIVE WEAR.

WHEN BRAKING,BRAKES WOULD GRIND AND SQUEEK EXCESSIVELY AND REVEALED PREMATURE WEAR.

ABS SYSTEM FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS. *MJS

THERE IS A 2 SEC. DELAY FOR BRAKE RESPONSE WHEN WET. MUCH WORSE THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE DRIVEN. THIS WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS. VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP IN PUBLISHED DISTANCE WHEN BRAKES ARE WET. NEW BRAKE PAD MATERIAL IS REQUIRED . THERE ARE ALREADY MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM IN YOUR DATA BASE.

DURING WET WEATHER, THE BRAKES TAKES SEVERAL SECONDS TO CATCH AFTER THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS SINCE THIS BEHAVIOR IS NOT NORMAL NOR EXPECTED. DRY WEATHER BRAKING IS JUST FINE. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE CONTACTED AUDI OF AMERICA AND MY DEALER. THEY DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM YET. I NEED HELP!!

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. *AK

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.

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.*AK

BRAKES INEFFECTIVE FOR 1-2 SECONDS DURING HEAVY RAIN

MAJOR HESITATION WHEN BRAKES ARE WET. (ONE TO TWO SECOND DELAY). *AK

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. *AK

WET BRAKING PROBLEM. *AK

IN HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS, BRAKES BECOME UNRESPONSIVE FOR APPX 1-2 SECONDS, REGARDLESS OF PEDAL PRESSURE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 18 YEARS AND CAN ATTEST THAT THIS IS NOT A CASE OF NORMAL 'REDUCED EFFECTIVENESS' ASSOCIATED WITH WET CONDITIONS. IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE CAR WILL TRAVEL FOR 20-50 FEET WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS. YES, I DO PUMP MY BRAKES FREQUENTLY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS TO CLEAR EXCESS WATER FROM THE PADS/ROTORS.

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. *AK

IN WET CONDITIONS (RAIN OR SLUSH), BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO RESPOND FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN GRAB NORMALLY. BEEN THIS WAY SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF CAR. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WET WEATHER BRAKING FORCE REDUCTION. MORE LIKE NO BRAKES AT ALL FOR A FEW SECONDS. I BELIEVE THE BRAKES ARE GETTING WET INTERNALLY DUE TO LACK OF PROPER SHIELDS, BUT DRY THEMSELVES OFF AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF APPLICATION, WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN THE SEVERAL SECOND DELAY FOLLOWED BY NORMAL BRAKING. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED ALL BRAKING SYSTEM COMPONENTS TWICE FOR ME AND FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL. LOTS OF OTHER AUDI A4 OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. NO OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED OR DRIVEN HAS BEHAVED LIKE THIS IN WET WEATHER. ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE BRAKING DELAY IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, PATICULARLY SINCE IT IS INTERMITTENT. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL DECIDE NOT TO STOP WHEN YOU NEED IT TO! THE ONLY WAY I HAVE FOUND TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM IS TO APPLY THE BRAKES EVERY TEN OR FIFTEEN SECONDS TO K EEP THEM DRY. BUT THAT, TOO, IS DANGEROUS, SINCE FOLLOWING TRAFFIC GOES BANANAS SEEING MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON ALL THE TIME FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO AUDI OF AMERICA, WHICH CLAIMS THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NOT HAD OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT. THEY ARE LYING, BECAUSE I KNOW OTHER A4 DRIVERS WHO HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED BITTERLY TO AUDI OF AMERICA AND THEIR DEALERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US! *AK

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. *AK

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WEATHER WAS RAINING/SNOWING, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES DID NOT SLOW THE CAR AS THEY SHOULD. I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR FOR THE EXIT RAMP. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS PRIOR AND SINCE, ALL DURING WET CONDITIONS. ON THE 1/22/00 INCIDENT, I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A SCHEDULED SERVICE COMPLETED AND MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE WRITER. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH WET BRAKING IN MY MODEL HOWEVER AUDI HAS NOT AUTHORIZED ANY REPAIRS. HE DID HAVE THE PADS REMOVED AND CLEANED ALONG WITH THE ROTORS. THIS HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

NO PARTS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR RECALL # 99V131000/ BRAKE BOOSTER SINCE OCTOBER 1999. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT EVERY 4 WEEKS AS DEALER HAS INSTRUCTED. ALSO, DEALER CLAIMED THAT MANUFACTURER WAS NOT SENDING OUT PARTS FOR RECALL REPAIR. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 99V131001 CONCERNING THE BRAKE BOOSTER.CONTACTED THE DEALER, NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. RECALL PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

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. *AK

WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE GREATLY DIMINISHED DUE TO WET ROTORS, REQUIRES HIGHER BRAKE EFFORT AND STOPPING TIME/DISTANCE. *AK

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. *AK THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED ON 2000 MODELS BY REDESIGNING BRAKES BUT NO ON EARLIER MODELS. *YH

RECALL # 99V131000 VW/BRAKE BOOSTER; OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN SEPTEMBER 1999. OWNER HAS CONTACTED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER HAS NO PARTS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT RECALL. MANUFACTURER STATED THAT PARTS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY 2000. *AK