1998 Audi A4 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE, GOES INTO NON-ANTILOCK MODE. THE FAILURE IS CONSTANT, IT FAILS EVERYTIME THE CAR IS STARTED.*AK

AUDI A4 QUATTRO, 1998, 2.8L ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. ABS LIGHT AND BLINKING BREAK LIGHT DISPLAYED ON DASH WARNING LIGHTS. CARRERA MOTORS OF BEND, OR DEFINED THE PROBLEM AS NO COMMUNICATION/FAULTY ABS CONTROL MODULE /N #8E0 614 111M . *AK

ONCE VEHICLE WARMS ABS LIGHT COMES ON ,AND THE SYSTEM IS INOPERABLE. CONSUMER HAD NOT SERVICED THE VEHICLE. *AK

ABS CONTROLLER IS DEFECTIVE, COST $1000 TO REPLACE, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY INDEPENDENT AUDI MEHCANIC AND SAID THERE ARE A LOT OF THE CONTROLLERS GOING OUT ON MY YEAR CAR WHICH IS A 1998.5. *AK

THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. THE ABS MIL WOULD COME ON AT RANDOM AND STAY ON. NOW IT IS ON ALL THE TIME THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON. *LA

1998 AUDI A4 1.8 LITER QUATTRO. EXPERIENCING REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY WHEN BRAKES ARE WET. THIS IS THE EXACT COMPLAINT BEING INVESTIGATED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE00016. THE BRAKES WORK FINE WHEN DRY, BUT EFFECTIVENESS IS GREATLY REDUCED WHEN WET, AND STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY, CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN. *NLM

ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE AND INACTIVE, WHICH IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *LA

I HAVE HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS IN RAINY WEATHER WHEN TRYING TO STOP IN MY 1998 AUDI A4 1.8T QUATTRO. IN DRY WEATHER BRAKING IS FINE. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM MORE THAN CERTAIN I WOULD HAVE HIT SOMEONE IF I WOULD NOT KEEP A GREATER DISTANCE KNOWING THE HORRIBLE BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN WET WEATHER.*JB

TERRIBLE WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE, THE FIRST 1 OR 2 PEDAL APPLICATIONS IN THE RAIN CAUSE NO SLOWING DOWN. THE PEDAL NEEDS TO BE PUMPED TO DRY THE ROTOR. I WENT THROUGH SEVERAL BRAKE PAD COMPOUNDS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. OF ALL THE AUDIS THAT I OWNED, THE A4 BRAKES ARE THE WORST. HELL, THESE BRAKES ARE THE WORST OF ALL THE CARS THAT I OWNED! *NLM

CAR EXPERIENCES DIMINISHED BRAKING ABILITIES UNDER WET/COLD CONDITIONS. IF ROADS ARE WET, EVEN IF ABOVE FREEZING CONDITIONS, BRAKING SUDDENLY TO AVOID OTHER TRAFFIC RESULTS IN NEAR CRASHES OR DANGEROUS SWERVING TO AVOID ACCIDENT. THIS IS NOT DUE TO POOR ROAD CONDITIONS BUT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AUDI'S BRAKING ABILITIES IN WET CONDITIONS. VERY DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE. HAVE RECENTLY TRADED IN VEHICLE AND INCURRED LARGE FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO THIS AND OTHER SERIOUS PROBLEMS. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN BRAKING AND WITHOUT WARNING THEY WILL HAVE BAD BRAKE PERFORMANCE DURING RAINY WEATHER CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTEND STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

IF BRAKES ARE COLD (NOT USED FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES ON A FREEWAY) AND THE WEATHER IS COLD AND WET, THE BRAKES WILL NOT GRIP FOR THE FIRST ONE TO TWO SECONDS. AT BEST, ONLY ONE OR TWO MAY SLIGHTLY GRIP MAKING THE CAR SWERVE TO ONE SIDE. CHECKING THE AUDIWORLD.COM WEB SITE FORUMS SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM.*AK

VECHICLE HAS A SEVERE DECREASE IN BREAKING POWER IN WET CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IN COLDER WEATHER. IT TAKES UP TO 5 SECONDS FOR THE VECHICLE TO START TO SLOW DOWN IN THESE CONDITIONS.*AK

BRAKES APPEAR INACTIVE FOR APPROX 1SEC DURING HEAVY RAIN. *AK

BRAKING IS DELAYED 3-4 SECONDS IN RAIN AND OR SNOW CONDITIONS. ADDITIONAL PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK

EVERYTIME IT RAINS THE BRAKES SEEMS TO HAVE A .5 SEC TO 1 SECOND DELAY BEFORE IT WORKS. AUDI PLEASE RECALL THIS BRAKE SYSTEM AS IT MIGHT CAUSE ACCIDENTS. *AK

IN WET WEATHER THE BRAKES NEED TO BE APPLIED MUCH HARDER OTHERWISE NO SLOWING OCCURS. *AK

IN HEAVY RAIN OR SLUSH, BRAKING IS SEVERELY DEGRADED. IT APPEARS THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS AND/OR PADS ACT LIKE SPONGES IN WET WEATHER, AND CAN'T SHED WATER FAST ENOUGH DURING INITIAL BRAKING. A SCAREY 1-2 SECONDS WILL ELAPSE BEFORE THE BRAKES, UNDER HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE, WILL ENGAGE. TO AVOID THE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE TO DRIVE WITH 1 FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND 1 FOOT ON THE GAS TO DRY OUT THE BRAKES, THEN REPEATEDLY CHECK FOR BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS.*AK

IN SNOW AND SOMETIMES RAIN AND WHEN GOING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ABSOLUTLEY NO BRAKES. *AK

BRAKES DO NOT RESOND FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS

CAR ALWAYS HAS A DELAYED RESPONSE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES WHEN THEY ARE WET.*AK

DURING RAINY WEATHER THE BRAKES HAVE A VERY PRONOUNCED DELAY FROM APPLICATION TO ENGAGEMENT DUE TO WET ROTORS, THE DELAY IS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 SECONDS. THIS IS NOT AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, IT HAPPENS WHENEVER IT RAINS AT A MODERATE TO HEAVY AMOUNT. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AFTER DRIVING FOR EXTENDED DISTANCE, BRAKES FAIL ON FIRST APPLYING, BUT RETURN TO NORMAL IF PUMPED. *YH

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.*AK

RECALL # 99V131000 BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST: BOOSTER: OWNER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER IN SEPTEMBER. CONTACTED DEALER ON NOVEMBER 1, 1999. OWNER CALLED AGAIN AFTER ONE MONT. , AND AGAIN ON JANUARY 4, 2000. PARTS HAVE NOT BEEN SHIPPED FROM MANUFACTURER. ON JANUARY 28, 2000 DEALER INSTALLED RECALL ITEM. *AK