1996 Audi Quattro

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition › switch. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Steering1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint1
000
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch1
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch1
010

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Mar 6, 2007106,000 milesOK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI QUATTRO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. HOWEVER, AFTER THE REPAIR THE DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS FADED ON AND OFF AND OCCASIONALLY REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION THE RADIO SHUT OFF AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO PLAY. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURES WERE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN. THIS FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE DONE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON AN ICY ROAD THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AFTER THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.*AK

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Nov 2, 2005VT

TIRE FAILURE: BROKEN BELTS ON ALL FOUR TIRES. HAKKAPELIITTA-1 195/65R15. *NM

Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint
Filed Jun 28, 2004170,000 milesMD

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND THEN CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT BROKE ON DRIVER'S SIDE.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Oct 1, 2001NJ

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH VARIOUS DASHBOARD INDICATORS, THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE STOPPED FUNCTIONING, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL OPERATION, UPON REACHING HIS DESTINATION, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE HIS KEY FROM THE IGNITION, CONSUMER THEN NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE START POSITION, BUT WOULD STALL AS SOON AS HE RELEASED THE IGNITION FROM THE START POSITIION, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WERE MADE, HOWEVER TWO WEEKS LATER, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSIVE NOISE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY FIRE AND VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY DESTROYED, THEN ONE MONTH LATER CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER.(ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)*JB

Steering
Filed Nov 21, 2000CA

IN PARKING LOT AT SLOW SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A SNAP AND STEERING WENT OUT. CONTACTED DEALER, OUT OF WARRANTY. (RACK/PINION) PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Aug 25, 1998VA

BRAKES SQUEAK AND LOTS OF BRAKE DUST.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20091000Routine
20033000Routine
200212010Routine
200111000Routine
20007000Routine
199921000Routine
19989000Routine
199711000Routine
1996 — this page6010Routine
19951000Routine
19941000Routine
19933000Routine
19916000Routine
19905200Routine

Compare every Quattro 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.