Cam Follower Failed. Need advice talking to Audi

[Avant_to_rock]

Hello. I purchased an 08 a4 with 54k back in October from an audi dealership. It was not a CPO and I did not get an extended warranty. In barely 4 months of ownership, I've had the TPMS antenna fail, my thermostat/coolant temp sensor throw codes (needs to be replaced) and the most catastrophic... my cam follower failed. The dealership I bought it from said they can't do anything since it's out of warranty and my VIN doesn't show any recalls.

I had another dealership do the diagnostic work and they confirmed the cam follower failure and are willing to cover 50% of the service cost. I would still have to pay $2425+tax. Although this is better than nothing, I'd like to escalate this up to Audi Corporate. This issue is incredibly common (recalls 05-07) with these cars and how did the dealership I bought it from NOT see this? My cam follower had a hole in it the size of a nickle.

I come here asking advice on how to get further coverage from Audi. I've already contacted Audi HQ and put in a request to look into this further. I know i'm probably shit out of luck since there is no warranty, it's not a CPO and there's no recalls but is there anything else I can do?

I know this is a common issue and I've read a lot on here about people's experiences. Any advice would be MASSIVELY appreciated.

[zxsuxr]

Hello. I purchased an 08 a4 with 54k back in October from an audi dealership. It was not a CPO and I did not get an extended warranty. In barely 4 months of ownership, I've had the TPMS antenna fail, my thermostat/coolant temp sensor throw codes (needs to be replaced) and the most catastrophic... my cam follower failed. The dealership I bought it from said they can't do anything since it's out of warranty and my VIN doesn't show any recalls.

I had another dealership do the diagnostic work and they confirmed the cam follower failure and are willing to cover 50% of the service cost. I would still have to pay $2425+tax. Although this is better than nothing, I'd like to escalate this up to Audi Corporate. This issue is incredibly common (recalls 05-07) with these cars and how did the dealership I bought it from NOT see this? My cam follower had a hole in it the size of a nickle.

I come here asking advice on how to get further coverage from Audi. I've already contacted Audi HQ and put in a request to look into this further. I know i'm probably shit out of luck since there is no warranty, it's not a CPO and there's no recalls but is there anything else I can do?

I know this is a common issue and I've read a lot on here about people's experiences. Any advice would be MASSIVELY appreciated.

Get the work done at a local independent... parts alone will run you around $700, labor say 6-7hours

[Axis]

2008 arent covered unfortunatly. Imo It would be cheaper to get the work done by a reputable indy shop than to pay that 2425$ plus tax to the stealership.

[geerd]

just had this happen in november last year .
called aoa and very nicely stated the issue at hand and they said that i was out of vin range and not their problem then sent email after email to corporate and they finally sent field tech to dealership and looked at it and luckily cylinder head was damaged and between dealership and audi all was replaced fuel pump and complete cylinder head replacement but i had to pay labor at $125 an hour and they took their time totaled $2200.
talk to dealer and try to work with them is all you can do
good luck

[kirkendall]

I know the 2008 aren't covered but I just bitched and bitched and eventually they said they will replace the camshaft, fuel pump, and cam follower under "good will". I'm picking up my car tomorrow free of charge

[FraggyA4]

Replace it yourself, Europa has a kit for failed cam followers. Takes a weekend to do if you've never done it.

[Copen-cisco]

Just out of curiosity and pure lazyness to Google - why are the 08's not covered by the warranty?

Ps. We just turned in my wifes 07 with a failure on the cam and waiting for the phone call from mechanic.

[onedumslack]

Just out of curiosity and pure lazyness to Google - why are the 08's not covered by the warranty?

Ps. We just turned in my wifes 07 with a failure on the cam and waiting for the phone call from mechanic.

Audi claims they have fixed the problem with 08's.

[melloyelloguy]

Audi claims they have fixed the problem with 08's.

My cam follower lasted 110k miles on my CPO 08 A4 and then had to replace everything at the dealer for $4k :( I did called Audi headquarters and they couldnt do anything for me. I requested all the parts they changed (hpfp, cam follower, camshaft) and only the cam follower was damaged. They could of still used the hpfp and camshaft but I didnt know better.

[Charles.waite]

Hello. I purchased an 08 a4 with 54k back in October from an audi dealership. It was not a CPO and I did not get an extended warranty. In barely 4 months of ownership, I've had the TPMS antenna fail, my thermostat/coolant temp sensor throw codes (needs to be replaced) and the most catastrophic... my cam follower failed. The dealership I bought it from said they can't do anything since it's out of warranty and my VIN doesn't show any recalls.

I had another dealership do the diagnostic work and they confirmed the cam follower failure and are willing to cover 50% of the service cost. I would still have to pay $2425+tax. Although this is better than nothing, I'd like to escalate this up to Audi Corporate. This issue is incredibly common (recalls 05-07) with these cars and how did the dealership I bought it from NOT see this? My cam follower had a hole in it the size of a nickle.

I come here asking advice on how to get further coverage from Audi. I've already contacted Audi HQ and put in a request to look into this further. I know i'm probably shit out of luck since there is no warranty, it's not a CPO and there's no recalls but is there anything else I can do?

I know this is a common issue and I've read a lot on here about people's experiences. Any advice would be MASSIVELY appreciated.

So, having gone through this EXACT thing, with my 2008 at EXACTLY the same mileage (crazy, but mine failed around 54k as well) my advice is this:

1) If you feel comfortable opening up your engine and replacing the cam, do it yourself. Its a shitty job but you can get the parts for it for around $500.

2) If you aren't That deal the dealer is quoting you is decent. My local dealer quoted me $2000 for the same repair.

3) Expect Audi Corporate to be completely useless and stick to the script of "sir your 2008 model isn't covered because it was built with the "fixed/upgraded" parts from the factory." Its complete bullshit, but I tried multiple times to explain this to them but they were completely unhelpful and verging on rude with their rebuttals.

For reference, this is my cam, follower and pump at roughly 54k on a fully stock car:







I ended up doing the work myself, with the help of a friend or two. The job sucked, but I added on a full Timing belt service (while I was in there) and still saved $1100 over having the dealer do the work.

[Avant_to_rock]

I saw the parts invoice and it's around $3k for everything. They plan on replacing everything from the cam, HPFP, and all that is included in the cam chain assembly + more.

I know parts are more expensive from the dealer but I can't see how they would drop to $700.

[Charles.waite]

I saw the parts invoice and it's around $3k for everything. They plan on replacing everything from the cam, HPFP, and all that is included in the cam chain assembly + more.

I know parts are more expensive from the dealer but I can't see how they would drop to $700.

Trust me, its around that, if not cheaper.

Prices from GenuineAudiParts.com (all 100% genuine Audi parts):
OEM HPFP (p/n: 06F127025K): $270
OEM Intake Cam (p/n: 06F109101B): $180
Cam housing gasket (p/n: 06D103121B): $10
Cam Cradle Bolts (p/n: N10554005): $1/ea (you need 23)
Cam Cradle sealant (I used Reinzosil as recommended my Integrated Engineering): $10
Cam follower: ~$50 from basically anywhere

Thats the very basics. The cam adjuster and chain and housing can add significant expense though. The housing is around $500 at ECS but you can definitel find it for less.

ECS sells a Kit for $500 that doesn't include a pump for $500. Which is overpriced, doesn't include and HPFP and includes other stuff you probably don't need.

The parts aren't even close to $3k. You could get a brand new complete head for $3k.

Again, the parts aren't that expensive. But I got lucky and my housing was still intact and my chain adjuster was unharmed aside from some light exterior scoring. If you have chain/adjuster/housing damage, the costs will pile up a bit more. And the labor times will increase.

If you're doing this job yourself, I highly recommend removing the head. It will make life WAAAAY easier. Guys that tell you otherwise have either 1) very strong backs, 2) are gluttons for punishment, 3) have VERY small hands and lots of low profile tools, or 4) have done this multiple times and know the tricks and where all the bolts that you can't see but still have to remove are.

[RandyQUATTRO]

I saw the parts invoice and it's around $3k for everything. They plan on replacing everything from the cam, HPFP, and all that is included in the cam chain assembly + more.

I know parts are more expensive from the dealer but I can't see how they would drop to $700.

For an out of warranty repair, that price is a steal. My '07 was covered under warranty at 119k but I still had to pay for the physical inspection since it wasn't throwing any codes. This does lead me to an interesting thought, if the updated parts that were placed into '08s are failing around 50k, makes me wonder about the longevity of the parts used to repair my '07 and whether they are the same spec as what were used in the '08s? Guess I will be much more diligent on future follower checks.


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[Axis]

For an out of warranty repair, that price is a steal. My '07 was covered under warranty at 119k but I still had to pay for the physical inspection since it wasn't throwing any codes. This does lead me to an interesting thought, if the updated parts that were placed into '08s are failing around 50k, makes me wonder about the longevity of the parts used to repair my '07 and whether they are the same spec as what were used in the '08s? Guess I will be much more diligent on future follower checks.


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Someone correct me if I'm wrong : They use the updated cam (Same as 08's), other than that, parts are the same. I check my cam follower every 15k miles and usually replace it while there.

[Charles.waite]

For an out of warranty repair, that price is a steal. My '07 was covered under warranty at 119k but I still had to pay for the physical inspection since it wasn't throwing any codes. This does lead me to an interesting thought, if the updated parts that were placed into '08s are failing around 50k, makes me wonder about the longevity of the parts used to repair my '07 and whether they are the same spec as what were used in the '08s? Guess I will be much more diligent on future follower checks.


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Yea Its hard to know. I think my failure was due to oil starvation (no real evidence, but its a working theory) as I also have an oil consumption issue. The previous owner I don't think was super nice to my car unfortunately. The oil consumption could be due to bad piston rings, or bad turbo seals, not really sure which yet.

Either way, running Shell Rotella T6 since I replaced the Cam at 54k miles, my car is not around 70k miles and last time I inspected the follower the wear looked minimal and the cam surface was perfect.

I honestly think some of the 08 BWT engines had some assembly issues causing these sorts of REALLY early failures. My old 06 had very minimal cam follower wear at 80k miles, and that was with the original revision cams...

[PNW Avant]

Check your cam followers every 15k folks!!!!

[FraggyA4]

Trust me, its around that, if not cheaper.

Prices from GenuineAudiParts.com (all 100% genuine Audi parts):
OEM HPFP (p/n: 06F127025K): $270
OEM Intake Cam (p/n: 06F109101B): $180
Cam housing gasket (p/n: 06D103121B): $10
Cam Cradle Bolts (p/n: N10554005): $1/ea (you need 23)
Cam Cradle sealant (I used Reinzosil as recommended my Integrated Engineering): $10
Cam follower: ~$50 from basically anywhere

Thats the very basics. The cam adjuster and chain and housing can add significant expense though. The housing is around $500 at ECS but you can definitel find it for less.

ECS sells a Kit for $500 that doesn't include a pump for $500. Which is overpriced, doesn't include and HPFP and includes other stuff you probably don't need.

The parts aren't even close to $3k. You could get a brand new complete head for $3k.

Again, the parts aren't that expensive. But I got lucky and my housing was still intact and my chain adjuster was unharmed aside from some light exterior scoring. If you have chain/adjuster/housing damage, the costs will pile up a bit more. And the labor times will increase.

If you're doing this job yourself, I highly recommend removing the head. It will make life WAAAAY easier. Guys that tell you otherwise have either 1) very strong backs, 2) are gluttons for punishment, 3) have VERY small hands and lots of low profile tools, or 4) have done this multiple times and know the tricks and where all the bolts that you can't see but still have to remove are.

This is me, I did it twice outside the car was easy. Third time in the car, because I knew exactly where everything was and the small tools to do it. Pretty easy but I would hope so after doing it 3 times lol.

[MedicCarter]

I just had this failure and I have an 08 outside of the vin recall. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-then-no-boost
I had a friend who helped me and saved me a ton of money. But prior to that I called audi if America and reported the issue. They needed the car to be seen by a dealership and confirmed to be a cam follower failure. Before my friend helped audi said they would cover 50% of the cost and it would be about $1000. Look at my pics my cam and follower as well as fuel pump were toast. Ask if there is anyone who can help you since this is a common failure point and you have the exact engine and failure the 05-07's have.

[RandyQUATTRO]

I just had this failure and I have an 08 outside of the vin recall. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-then-no-boost
I had a friend who helped me and saved me a ton of money. But prior to that I called audi if America and reported the issue. They needed the car to be seen by a dealership and confirmed to be a cam follower failure. Before my friend helped audi said they would cover 50% of the cost and it would be about $1000. Look at my pics my cam and follower as well as fuel pump were toast. Ask if there is anyone who can help you since this is a common failure point and you have the exact engine and failure the 05-07's have.

Sorry, that sucks. I think any '08 will receive a case-by-case decision from Audi of America. I also think any dealer doing the work might offer to cut you a break on repair cost, but at the end of the day, you will need to pay to repair this. The only alternative is to hire a lawyer, but there are no guarantees and that could cost more in legal fees than repairs are worth. If Audi is offering a discount, I might take them up on that offer. Good luck.


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[Axis]

Sorry, that sucks. I think any '08 will receive a case-by-case decision from Audi of America. I also think any dealer doing the work might offer to cut you a break on repair cost, but at the end of the day, you will need to pay to repair this. The only alternative is to hire a lawyer, but there are no guarantees and that could cost more in legal fees than repairs are worth. If Audi is offering a discount, I might take them up on that offer. Good luck.


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I have an 06 on which the cam follower failed, since PO moved to France and I didnt have the maintenance history they refused to cover it. Unfortunatly not only the 08 will have a "case by case" decision by AOA. My dealer is trying to help me get the basic work done under warranty, willl see how this goes. For now I replace the hpfp internals and cam follower, luckily the cam lobe wasnt damaged.

[MedicCarter]

I think what it comes down to is that you talk to the Audi dealership and get a good rapport. I think if you can do that and they know that you don't abuse your car and you know what you're talking about when it comes to the recall and chronic issues surrounding the cam in camp all of her they're more apt to help you. The dealership can only help with the repair and work itself out he has to help with the parts but if they'll do that or cover part of it that's a big help. So talk to the dealership try to be cool with the service rep and show him you do take care of your car and that this is not your fault but a chronic issue with the same motor in all the 2.0 turbo's that's the best you can do for help in any of the out of year Vin numbers.

[kirkendall]

Just had audi replace my whole engine. Camshaft, fuel pump and much more for free. I too have an 08 and got very very lucky. I'm posting a thread later tonight with all the details

[Charles.waite]

Just had audi replace my whole engine. Camshaft, fuel pump and much more for free. I too have an 08 and got very very lucky. I'm posting a thread later tonight with all the details

Nice. Lucky break!

[kirkendall]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ree-Im-blessed!