Buyer Beware: Known Engine Defect, Missed Warning Signs, - erndog5800
Buyer Beware: Known Engine Defect, Missed Warning Signs, and Zero Accountability
There's a known manufacturing defect affecting the piston skirts in certain Audi engines that can eventually lead to catastrophic engine failure. Audi acknowledged the issue by extending warranty coverage to 8 years or 80,000 miles.
In June 2026, at 80,990 miles, we brought our vehicle to Audi Winston-Salem and specifically mentioned an unusual ticking noise coming from the engine. We were assured everything was fine.
Fast-forward to today. The ticking has become a much more pronounced knocking sound. We brought the car back, only to learn that it has the very piston skirt defect covered by Audi's extended warranty. Unfortunately, we're now at 88,000 miles, and the repair is no longer covered.
The dealership advised us to contact Audi directly to request a goodwill exception, given how close we were to the warranty cutoff when we first reported the issue. When we contacted Audi, however, we were told that such exceptions were at the dealership's discretion. Why our service manager didn't simply tell us that in the first place remains a mystery.
We spent much of the day being bounced between Audi corporate and the dealership, with neither willing to take responsibility or offer a reasonable resolution.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that we reported the symptoms months ago and were told there was nothing wrong. Now, we're facing an enormous repair bill for a known manufacturing defect that we brought to their attention before the damage became more severe.
And here's the truly astounding part: The cost to repair this known defect exceeds the trade-in value of our six-year-old luxury vehicle.
As longtime Audi owners, we're deeply disappointed, both in the quality of a supposedly premium vehicle and in the lack of accountability and customer service from Audi Winston-Salem.
After this experience, it's difficult to imagine ever returning to this dealership, much less purchasing another Audi.
Buyer beware. A luxury badge means very little when neither the product nor the customer service lives up to the promise.
Read More