1998-99 A4 1.8T Timing Belt Class Action Suit

[turboslay]

Hello fellow Audi owners. I am writing to you because I feel that all owners of Audi A4's with the 1.8T engine should be aware of the timing belt failure which occurs after the factory warranty is expired. Audi of America has known of the timing belt problem for sometime and have kept this information disclosed.

If you have had timing belt problems with you 1998-99 A4 how did you go about getting compensation for the time and money spent on the car? The Class Action suit only covers the A4's from 2000-2004. I would appreciate any comments on how to go about getting compensated for the poor quality of the engine and lack of notice.

More information can be found on http://timingbeltsettlement.com/index.htm

Thanks,
MM

[AHB900]

i actually got 2 letters from audi about this. my car is salvaged do i still qualify for this? it would be nice to go get it changed since im very close to 60k miles

[turboslay]

Do you have a 1998-99 A4 1.8T?

[D's Avant]

My '99 B5 1.8t fuel filler/tank vent stopped working in the summer of 2005 and I took it into the dealer to get it fixed under the 7 year California emission warranty. When it was there for a month they did a timing belt inspection as part of a Service Bulletin and they told me it was good to go until 90K. When I finally got the car home it looked like they hadn't even removed the timing belt cover. You could still see the original dirt and grime around the clips that hold the cover on. At the time I was at 52K+ miles.

[djwimbo]

Hello fellow Audi owners. I am writing to you because I feel that all owners of Audi A4's with the 1.8T engine should be aware of the timing belt failure which occurs after the factory warranty is expired. Audi of America has known of the timing belt problem for sometime and have kept this information disclosed.

Just change your belt. Not that many A4's have lost the T-belt. You can't buy a car and just expect things to be covered free of charge.

The reason they have a limited warranty if b/c parts fail. If they didn't there wouldn't be replacement parts available. Doesn't matter what it is, parts static or dynamic fail.

I worked for Toyota for 3 years. I saw one timing belt break before the recommended interval.

A lot of time and money goes into the Class Action Law Suit. Most of the time these things happen is due to a publication issue in the owner's manuals. Toyota had the same problem, leading the "Sludge" problems.

The Class Action Lawsuit only applies to 06A engines in the A4, TT and Passat. The 058 Block (previous engine) is not covered. Reason being that the design of "the Timing belt system" had been changed.
Sorry, if you don't qualify, you don't get jack.

[B5A4Kevin]

this issue has had a previous service action and now has a current updated and active service action designated as JZ. it covers most b5 and b6 a4s with a 1.8t as well as most mk1 tt's. all vehicles must have less than 105k miles. the a4 timing belts usually run to 70-80k miles, however i've seen tt's (225hp in particular) with faulty tensioners and stripped belts as early as 55k miles. if you regularly service your vehicle at a local dealership and are current with your maintenances when your t-belt goes, AoA will most likely cover either the parts or labor (or 50-75% of the bill). nothing comes free. if you recieve a jz service action letter, bring your vehicle in to a local dealership to have a free timing belt and tensioner assembly inspection as well as a complimentary vehicle inspection. most likely, depending on mileage and age of the vehicle, there will be some wear on the belt, and it will be suggested. you will be responsible for the entire bill unless you are a regular client, where your dealer will be able to offer a slight discount because of your loyalty. if you decline the replacement, you have no recourse legally, and are basically S.O.L. if it fails later. if you decide to replace it there will be an extended warranty on the replaced components up to 105k miles. my advice is that even if you dont get a letter, your vehicle may still apply. go have it looked at. which would you rather pay for? a t-belt service or a remanufactured cylinder head? hope this helps. peace.

[AHB900]

Do you have a 1998-99 A4 1.8T?

no i have a 2000 1.8T

[turboslay]

The timing belt broke for me at 78,500 miles. I bought the car with about 60,000 miles on it. It had one previous owner and he/she took good car of the car and there was no mechanical problems or records. I took the car in as well for regularly services and the mechanic I went to suggested a timing belt replacement. I told him to go ahead and replace it, however, he failed to do so. So I had another mechanic rebuild the engine which cost a lot of money, not to mention my car broke down on the PCH and I had to pay for the towing to a local auto mechanic. I recently went to an Audi in San Jose when I was at school and they took pretty good care of me the car has been running great ever since. I just want to get some of the money back because the timing belt for that model engine is defective.

[andyrew]

Or... it has to be replaced every 50-75k miles... A belt that lasts that long, and is indeed a wear part is not defective in my book.

[turboslay]

Supposedly I am lucky that mine lasted as long as it did. The timing belt is suppose to last to 100,000. Then Audi changed it from 70,000 to 60,000 to 40,000. So there is a substantial difference between 40,000 and 100,000 miles. I would call that a defect in my book.

[Poopie]

its just part of the maintence you have you do. these days its not that expensive. its maybe 500 with parts and labor from a local shop.

[djwimbo]

The guys I work with will do it for $350-400 parts included. This is on the side of course.

The shop I work for does V6's for $780 parts and labor. Water pump, rollers and tensioner.

The "lifespan" of the timing belt is different, depending on the model and engine. The 4.2L V8's are recommended @ 30-45K.
The local dealership had to have two techs sent to school on how to fully service the R8's and the Q models. The school was $18K for each of them. They have to recover costs somehow. People that can afford R's and Q's are the kind of people that will pay.

[B5A4Kevin]

the local dealership had to have two techs sent to school on how to fully service the R8's and the Q models. The school was $18K for each of them. They have to recover costs somehow. People that can afford R's and Q's are the kind of people that will pay.

im a certified audi tech and just went to school for the new a4 and a5. the schooling you speak of are 2-3 day courses at a local training facility. i think your numbers are more like $800 since they only pay for food, gas/mileage and hotel during the classes, in addition to the instructor's fees (12 techs per class max). however the dealership does pay up to 7,000 dollars for tuition reimbursment for student loans (i went to Universal Technical Institute. 28k in loans). sorry to get off topic. peace.

[B5A4Kevin]

...the mechanic I went to suggested a timing belt replacement. I told him to go ahead and replace it, however, he failed to do so.

Did you pay to have him replace it and the repair was never performed (smoked)? if so, it sounds to me like that shop would be responsible for the bill and you could pursue legal action.

[djwimbo]

i think your numbers are more like $800 since they only pay for food, gas/mileage and hotel during the classes,...

That's just what I heard. I'm not sure what all was covered. I know they had a handful of the cars there for everyone to work on.
It's very possible that I'm wrong.

Yea, school loans suck. I went to the University of Northwestern Ohio. I'm in about $30K.