1990 Audi 80

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › axle assembly › axle shaft. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit1
000
Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft › Seal1
000
Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft1
000
Power Train › Axle Assembly1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Power Train1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly1
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch1
000
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery1
101

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module-inactive97V172000
Filed Oct 6, 199754,800 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME AIR BAG SENSORS DO NOT COMPLY WITH AUDI'S DURABILITY STANDARDS OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE.

Risk. IN THE EVENT THE SENSOR SHOULD MALFUNCTION, THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM CAN INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY. DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING COULD CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG SENSOR CONTROL MODULE.

Power Train › Axle Assembly93V006000
Filed Jan 11, 1993152,000 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE DIFFERENTIAL OIL OF THE TRANSAXLE IS LOST OVER TIME DUE TO EVAPORATION. LOW OIL LEVELS CAUSE PREMATURE BEARING AND GEAR WEAR AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL.

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE, THE VEHICLE'S DRIVE WHEELS COULDLOSE POWER. IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE FRONT WHEELS LOCK, CAUSING RAPIDDECELERATION RESULTING IN POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DRAIN AND REPLACE THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR OIL WITH OIL HAVING HIGHER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS.

Steering › Column Locking › Anti-theft Device90V070000
Filed Apr 10, 19906,600 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED STEERING LOCK BOLTS COULD BREAK IF DRIVER APPLIES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO A LOCKED STEERING WHEEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISENGAGE THE STEERING LOCK.

Risk. BOLT BREAKAGE WOULD CAUSE STEERING WHEEL TO REMAIN LOCKED EVEN AFTER THE DRIVER TURNS THE IGNITION KEY AND ATTEMPTS TO MOVE THE CAR; THIS TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE COMPLETE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING A MODIFIED LOCK BOLT.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Aug 31, 200476,948 milesNY

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSAXLE SEIZED. *AK *NM

Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft › Seal
Filed Jan 23, 200395,000 milesCA

THERE IS LEAKAGE IN SEAL OF THE FRONT AXLE SHAFT. I FEAR THAT IF IT CONTINUES THEN IT COULD CAUSE A BIG STEERING FAILURE

Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Jan 23, 200395,000 milesCA

THERE IS AN IGNITION PROBLEM. THERE IS A SCREECHING SOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS OF LATER AUDI MODELS HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT. APPARENTLY THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE LATER MODELS, BUT I AM NOT AWARE OF ONE FOR THAT. HTTP://WWW.BBA-REMAN.COM/AUTO-MINE/AUDI/AUDIA6_IGNITION_SWITCH_PROBLEM.HTM

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed May 3, 2000MD

CONSUMER NOTICED DRIPPING OF GAS TANK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO STATED THAT LEAK CAUSED BY RUST AT TOP OF FUEL TANK.*AK

Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft
Filed Oct 5, 1999MI

BEARINGS AND SEALS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING LEAKAGE. NLM

Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Jan 8, 1999WA

THE DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE WAS DUR TO "LACK OF OIL IN THE CHAMBER" THE VEHICLE STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL COMPONENT AND THE RECORD KEPT BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER INDICATE THAT NO DIFFERENTIAL RECALL WORK WAS DONE ON THIS VEHICLE. I CONTACT AUDI OF AMERICA'S NATION CONSUMER OFFICE AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SUCH RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v BatteryCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 17, 1997NY

THE BATTERY DIED, CALLED AAA AND HAD THE BATTERY RECHARGED. THEN TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, AND THREW THE CONSUMER MORE THAN 5 FEET AWAY INTO A BRICK WALL. *AK THE AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED WHILE JUMP STARTING THE VEHICLE. AS THE RESULT OF AIR BAG DEPLOYING, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS LIKE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE DESTROYED. *YH

Power Train › Axle Assembly
Filed Jan 6, 1997IL

RECALL ON DIFFERENTIAL DONE ON VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY. IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE HIGH GRINDING NOISE, CAR SLOWS DOWN SEEMS LIKE HITTING BRAKES BUT DIDN'T. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY SAY THE ENTIRE TRANSAXLE HAS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Mar 29, 1996GA

WHILE DRIVING 60MPH, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, ALMOST RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT. *AK

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1990
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19930100Routine
19921100Routine
19912200Routine
1990 — this page9300Routine

Compare every 80 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 6, 1997. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.