Warped brake rotors
03-12-2017, 04:36 PM
#52
AudiWorld Senior Member
Definitely a recurring theme here. I bought a used, mint condition 2014 RS5 in October with a little less than 8000 miles on it. I noticed brake shudder about a month later. Brought it to the dealer and they explained that the pads and rotors needed to be replaced (estimated cost $3000)! They gave me the same explanation I have been reading about in other posts, warped rotors or uneven brake deposits on rotors, car is out of warranty etc etc. I argued that despite the fact that the car was model year 2014, it only had 8000 miles on it and no way I should be paying for what is obviously a manufacturer's defect. The service agent said he would check with his manager to see if they could cover the work for free or give me a discount. They offered some silly discount of around 10% or something.....ridiculous!
Has anyone had any luck appealing to Audi of America? Where or whom should I contact? This is clearly a design flaw and all of this nonsense about not driving the car the way it was designed to be driven on the Autobahn is pure rubbish. Properly designed and engineered components would not and should not fail like this. This is my seventh Audi and I have only had good experiences in the past. This is simply unacceptable for the company that claims "Truth in Engineering". Big miss on this one!
Has anyone had any luck appealing to Audi of America? Where or whom should I contact? This is clearly a design flaw and all of this nonsense about not driving the car the way it was designed to be driven on the Autobahn is pure rubbish. Properly designed and engineered components would not and should not fail like this. This is my seventh Audi and I have only had good experiences in the past. This is simply unacceptable for the company that claims "Truth in Engineering". Big miss on this one!
My experience was that AOA did replace 4 rotors and pads on my /15 A6 3.0T but made me feel like they did me a huge favor and put a notation on the RO to the effect that this was a one time goodwill adjustment for "customer satisfaction." Rears warped first at 8,000 or so miles with fronts following 2,000 or so miles later. Car is babied. SA explained that if car was more than 1 year old or more than 12,000 miles I would have been out of luck. Clearly this is an example of a bad batch of rotors as this does not happen to everyone who has an A6. However the manner in which Audi handled this is less than customer friendly and a bit off putting. IMHO does not inspire confidence in the product and makes one wonder what happens if some major component fails shortly after warranty expiration. Very different treatment from what I am used to at Acura. Love the car not so much the company's attitude toward customer relations/care. First Audi for me in 30 years since a total piece of garbage (4000S) and likely the last unless car is flawless for next 3-4 years, or if any premature failures, Audi steps up and does the right thing.
Best,
Jeff
03-28-2017, 07:37 AM
#54
Sorry to hear this rotor warping issue is still going strong. I solved my problem by trading my A6 for a 5 series BMW. Wife never liked the seats in the Audi so it was an easy decision. The comfort seats in the BMW are much more comfortable and adjustable. I hope all you folks find a rotor that will work on your cars.
Kinda like using a shotgun to swat flies!
04-06-2017, 05:46 PM
#57
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At about 15000 miles I started getting a vibration when braking. Took it into the dealer and they diagnosed "warped brake rotors". Said this would not be covered by the warranty and new rotors and pads would be $800. I said no way and asked that I be allowed to call Audi of America. After some further discussion they agreed to install new rotors at no charge but they did not install new pads. Drove the car from MD to NC last week at after about 100 miles on the interstate the vibration came back. I am now going back to the dealer to find out what is going on.
I don't ride the brakes nor do I drive the car hard and abuse the brakes. Any ideas of what else could be going on? What could cause the rotors to warp or is it something else? I anticipate another "discussion" with the dealer but I do not think I should have to pay for new rotors or pads on a car with less than 20K miles. Thoughts?
I don't ride the brakes nor do I drive the car hard and abuse the brakes. Any ideas of what else could be going on? What could cause the rotors to warp or is it something else? I anticipate another "discussion" with the dealer but I do not think I should have to pay for new rotors or pads on a car with less than 20K miles. Thoughts?
04-06-2017, 06:02 PM
#58
AudiWorld Super User
Howdy - was wondering what the final resolution was for this issue as I'm experiencing something very similar. Purchased a certified pre-owned 2016 A6 2.0T with 7,500 miles in August of 2016. During the test drive I noticed shuddering when braking. They said the rotors had become warped because the car "had been sitting for a while" and replaced them under warranty. I noticed a similar issue at around 13,000 miles and brought it up at the 15k service last week. They said there were blue spots on the rotors due to excessive heat but other than that the pads and rotors were fine and I would have to pay for new pads and rotors if the problem persisted because they'd already done a warranty replacement. I too don't ride the brakes hard and notice this issue braking over about 30 mph right after a cold start. Pretty ticked off with failing brakes at 15,000 miles and feel the issue is due to parts, materials or their mechanics rather than my driving habits (their words). Thanks
04-07-2017, 04:10 AM
#60
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Looks like I'm on my way to a good resolution of my brake issue. I wrote to the Audi of America Customer Experience Center on the Audi website. Less than a week went by and they contacted me by email to ask a few clarifying questions about my problems and some additional questions about my customer history with Audi. They asked for Vin #s from my other Audi cars (current and previously owned) to "verify my loyalty to the Audi brand". I was assigned an "Advocate" and given a case number along with the email and assurances that they would assist with the problem. I was skeptical but responded to the questions and provided the requested information. A few days later I received another email instructing me to once again reach out to my local Audi dealership. I was given the email contact information for the service manager so I copied him on my correspondence with A of A and politely described the history of the problem. I received an email reply the same day saying that he would contact me after he returned from an out of town business trip. Once again I was skeptical, but after a friendly reminder a week later that I still hadn't heard from him he contacted me. He said that my patronage was important to them and that they wanted to do everything they could to resolve the issue for me. As such, he had spoken with A of A and together they agreed that Audi would pay for 100% of the brake parts for the repair which amounts to 75% of the total cost of repairs! They are also giving me a break on the labor which will cost me less than $400, which I feel is quite fair, given the car is a model year 2014 (less than 9000 miles). I am really happy with this resolution and my confidence in Audi has been restored. I would have typically been much more exercised and aggressive with this type of thing, but by polite respect and patience seems to have won the day this time! I will check back after the repairs are made and update my forum post.